Help me with helles grain bill

[triskelion]

Winter is coming up so i'm hoping to use this opportunity to make a batch of helles. I haven't made this style before and I have not used pilsner, munich, vienna, carapils or melanodin malt before, either.

It would be great if it turned out something like paulaner helles. I've heard other examples described as bready, I'd like to tone this down because I'm not fond of the bready taste in spaten lager.

I have pilsner, munich and carapils, so i'd like to use these if possible. I'm going to bitter with hallertau and any hop flavour will be from tettnanger. I plan to use wyeast 2206.

 

[Begin2Brew]

Here is one I brew and it turned out pretty good.

7 lbs Pilsner (2 Row) CN (3.0 SRM) Grain 1 73.7 %
1 lbs 8.0 oz Munich Malt (3.0 SRM) Grain 2 15.8 %
1 lbs Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 3 10.5 %
1.00 oz Hallertauer (Tradition) [5.30 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 4 19.0 IBUs
0.50 oz Spalter [4.10 %] - Boil 30.0 min Hop 5 5.6 IBUs

 

[tgmartin000]

Can't go too wrong with 100% pilsner malt. Maybe throw in about 4 oz melanoidin, and you should be good.

 

[processhead]

I've always done mine with 99% 2-row Pilsner malt and a touch of carapils for added head. No regrets ever with this classic grain bill.

 

[triskelion]

If its all pilsner malt, then wouldn't it just be a pilsner? My understanding of the style is that it's somewhere between pilsner and oktoberfest/marzen.

 

[BigEd]

If its all pilsner malt, then wouldn't it just be a pilsner? My understanding of the style is that it's somewhere between pilsner and oktoberfest/marzen.

No, it's not. A Helles has the same ingredients as a German pils but is a softer, more understated beer. I'm with processhead on the ingredients and use straight German pilsner malt with a dash of CaraPils. Do use a southern German/Munich yeast strain instead of the drier type yeasts used on northern German pils. The 2206 is a good choice. It goes without saying but German noble hops only here. Keep the IBUs modest but noticeable, I like 22-24 IBUs here. A Helles is a small target to hit but when you do your efforts will be rewarded.

 

[processhead]

BigEd has nailed the Helles style to a tee.
You may have Helles confused with another beer style.

 

[Bulls Beers]

Try this for a helles. This is similar to Weihenstephan original.
7.75 German pils
1.4 of Vienna
.20 of acid malt.
W/ German magnum and Mittelfruh hops

I've been tweaking a recipe and this is it. I just tapped a keg this past weekend and it's really good, If I do say so myself.

 

[triskelion]

the general feedback here points towords using more pilsner malt, thanks. my original plan was to go for about 70% pilsner, 25% munich and 5% carapils at 1.050 og, giving me a colour of 3 srm. because this seems to slot into munich helles according to bjcp. I may split this up Into a helles and an oktoberfest. or just accept that its imperfection and use up the malt that I have. thoughts?