I have too much pilsner!

[estricklin]

I have a lot of pilsner malt laying around, and besides a wide variety of specialty grains, that's the only base grain I have. I've brewed some Germans Pils and American Pils lately, but am looking to do some other stuff with it.

To me, pilsner has a pretty distinct flavor. Anyone ever tried using it in something like an Irish Red or stout? How about a holiday spiced beer with it? Maybe I could do a pale ale? I've got about 50 lbs, and I don't plan on buying anymore base grains until after the first of the year.

Thanks in advance for the advice!

 

[aidan]

I have a lot of pilsner malt laying around, and besides a wide variety of specialty grains, that's the only base grain I have. I've brewed some Germans Pils and American Pils lately, but am looking to do some other stuff with it.

To me, pilsner has a pretty distinct flavor. Anyone ever tried using it in something like an Irish Red or stout? How about a holiday spiced beer with it? Maybe I could do a pale ale? I've got about 50 lbs, and I don't plan on buying anymore base grains until after the first of the year.

Thanks in advance for the advice!

I've used pilsner malt as a base grain for ales, they came out totally fine. Speciality malts will add the malt qualities needed for those styles.

 

[castillo556]

What about a saison, belgian pale ale, or marzen?

 

[BeerFst]

I haven't made the switch to all-grain just yet, but I'm working on an extract IPA recipe using Pilsen DME. I was doing some research on doing a Flower Power clone and someone here mentioned that Pislner malt worked really well in IPAs, so I thought I'd give it a shot too.

 

[bbrim]

My holiday spiced ale uses Pilsner. Excellent. I make a blond with it. My Belgians tend to use pilsner as the base as well.

 

[solbes]

I agree it has some unique flavors. Yes you could use it in a wide variety of brews, but I say leave that duty for a sack of boring 2-row. If I'm going to go through the 90 minue boil I like to recognize the unique flavors.

Golden Strong Ale (Duvel) and Patersbier are excellent uses with Pilsner grain. I'd get some WY1388, direct pitch into the patersbier (you want extra esters anyway). Patersbier just needs pils and a splash of wheat, 1.045-1.050 OG. Strange how something so simple can taste so good, and doesn't take long to get ready.

Take the yeast from the Patersbier and pitch into a golden strong. Add 2 lbs of table sugar to your pilsner grain bill targeting 1.070 OG. All about the temp schedule (pitch low 60's, ramp 66 to 74 from day 1 to day 6, hold at 50 for a week. Rack to secondary and lager at 31 for 3-4 weeks. The FG should drop all the way to ~ 1.007, giving you an 8.5% beer that really sneaks up on you. Let friends and family drink a few and wonder why they are slurring their words

 

[BowAholic]

I may be able to help you out too...I prefer high gravity Belgians and your grain is great for those...since we're neighbors...we should be able to rid you of this terrible problem...
Bob

 

[JonM]

I did a patersbier recently - imagine a simple pils lager recipe but fermented with Trappist yeast (1214 in my case.). It was worlds different from any other pilsner type beer I ever had and a really nice surprise.

 

[estricklin]

I agree it has some unique flavors. Yes you could use it in a wide variety of brews, but I say leave that duty for a sack of boring 2-row. If I'm going to go through the 90 minue boil I like to recognize the unique flavors.

Golden Strong Ale (Duvel) and Patersbier are excellent uses with Pilsner grain. I'd get some WY1388, direct pitch into the patersbier (you want extra esters anyway). Patersbier just needs pils and a splash of wheat, 1.045-1.050 OG. Strange how something so simple can taste so good, and doesn't take long to get ready.

Take the yeast from the Patersbier and pitch into a golden strong. Add 2 lbs of table sugar to your pilsner grain bill targeting 1.070 OG. All about the temp schedule (pitch low 60's, ramp 66 to 74 from day 1 to day 6, hold at 50 for a week. Rack to secondary and lager at 31 for 3-4 weeks. The FG should drop all the way to ~ 1.007, giving you an 8.5% beer that really sneaks up on you. Let friends and family drink a few and wonder why they are slurring their words

I really like the idea of that, but I used up all my wheat brewing a lambic a while back. I'm thinking about a Saison though, and I'll save some pils for the patersbier later in January. I was digging around and I did find 5 or so pounds of Munich, so I could do an Oktoberfest or some other german lager if I wanted, but I done quite a few of those this year so was kinda looking for something different.

I was thinking about possibly a fruit beer? I dunno I just can't decide.

 

[kombat]

Brew a Kolsch! Or a Rauchbier.

 

[dfhar]

How about a maibock?

http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=Maibock

 

[m00ps]

Just do a ton of Belgians. I always have a sack of 2row for more American/Eurpean style beers and save my Pilsner sack for all my saisons, tripels, dubbels, witbiers, strong dark ales etc. Recently I;ve been on a white IPA binge

 

[yeknom366]

Columbus Brewing's Bodhi imperial ipa uses pilsner as it's base malt. It's on the level of heady or pliny, if not better.

 

[stevedasleeve]

My stout, which I brew several times a year, has Pilsner as its base:

http://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/95862/113-heve-s-black-ale

 

[estricklin]

A Pilsner IPA sounds pretty good, and the swmbo mentioned she might like an oatmeal stout.

I ordered a pack of Saison yeast and a couple packs of US-05 so it looks like a Saison, a stout and an IPA. I also have some S-23 so if I get time and have enough grain left I could do an American Pilsner or something.

 

[BowAholic]

https://www.brewtoad.com/recipes/saison-darkly

 

[Psylocide]

Used 3 # of Pilsner DME along with a Blonde LME can in my "APA," tastes great so far, the strong flavor of the hop-burst blots out most of that Pilsner flavor... bottling Sat., we'll see.