My German Pils tastes like a Helles

[GoodTimeCharlie]

I just brewed a German pils (prima pils clone). Pulled my first pint tonight and it tastes more like a Helles.

there is almost no noticeable bitterness despite near 40 calculated ibis via beersmith (tinesth)

I used dry yellow as my target water profile and it projected a bitter beer.

final gravity ended around 1.008

i focused to ensure my transfer was as free from O2 as possible.

this seems like a recurring issue for me especially when trying to brew this style. My west coast DIPA seem to have the full bitterness expected.

any ideas on what is happening here?

 

[Brooothru]

I just brewed a German pils (prima pils clone). Pulled my first pint tonight and it tastes more like a Helles.

there is almost no noticeable bitterness despite near 40 calculated ibis via beersmith (tinesth)

I used dry yellow as my target water profile and it projected a bitter beer.

final gravity ended around 1.008

i focused to ensure my transfer was as free from O2 as possible.

this seems like a recurring issue for me especially when trying to brew this style. My west coast DIPA seem to have the full bitterness expected.

any ideas on what is happening here?

How fresh were the hops? Which yeast did you use?

Those are two possible suspects, assuming good grains and proper handling/temperature control.

 

[Genuine]

Same questions here, freshness of hops, hopping schedule and AA of hops used. Also, did you do a 60 min or 90 minute boil?

 

[jdauria]

What did you use for water? Tap or RO/DI? Did you add gypsum or calcium chloride? How old are the hops and were the LHBS ones in clear plastic bags or sealed hops? I find that getting hops from Yakima Valley Hops is much much better than buying hops at a LHBS with no dates on bags, meaning they could be selling 3 year old hops or older. For example, my LHBS just closed for good, they had whole hops on sale for $1...they were from 2013 and yellow. Made me wonder how many people have bought those old hops and used them in past. What about your Mash temp? I like to mash low for Pils, like 149F. There is some school of thought that Sulfate (SO4) c;lashes with noble hops, so maybe if you have high SO4 it's washing out the hops?

Funny story, I tapped my Prima Pils clone this past weekend and had same issue...it was slightly sweet, missing the bitterness and not crisp at all. Last night I tapped my Helles and hello, it was bitter, crisp pilsner goodness. I had mixed up the carboys when I took both out of the fridge to keg!

 

[GoodTimeCharlie]

Hops were freshly bought and sealed. Yeast was 34/70 (4 packs, I don’t like making starters) and dosed with O2 at pitching.

I used tap water. Don’t recall all of the values but I think around 100 SO4. ratio rated as bitter. Pretty sure I added both gypsum and cacl.

90 minute boil. Hops at 60, 30 ,5 and whirlpool I believe.

 

[jdauria]

Hops were freshly bought and sealed. Yeast was 34/70 (4 packs, I don’t like making starters) and dosed with O2 at pitching.

I used tap water. Don’t recall all of the values but I think around 100 SO4. ratio rated as bitter. Pretty sure I added both gypsum and cacl.

90 minute boil. Hops at 60, 30 ,5 and whirlpool I believe.

Do you know what your tap water profile was before making additions? Just wondering if tap water had high chloride number. Checking my records, for my Prima Pils, I use Brukaisers Pils profile which is Ca 59, SO4 89 Cl 63, which is more of a balanced profile but the hops still shine. Pro brewer friend of mine also recommended to me that to shoot for 5.1 pH for Pilsners to get the crispness.

In you OP you said you just brewed it and pulled a pint, so how young is it? How long between brewing and tapping? Could it be just that it's young and the first few pints are yeasty and throwing off the flavor?

 

[GoodTimeCharlie]

Not sure how to quote, but

In you OP you said you just brewed it and pulled a pint, so how young is it? How long between brewing and tapping? Could it be just that it's young and the first few pints are yeasty and throwing off the flavor?


I previously pulled a few tasters enough to clear the dip tube of any remaining tribe, yeast, gelatin material or whatever.

quick lagered, transferee at about 18 days or so

cold crashed for almost Another week

added gelatin and waited another 2-3 days, then quick carbed. Yesterday was about a week after carb was complete.

final water profile was near that listed with 59 but higher sulfate levels.