57%% Weyerman Pils
25% Rahr 2 Row
15% Vienna
3% CaraHell
OG = 1.051
25 IBU Magnum to Bitter @ 60 minutes (1/2-3/4 ounce or so for me)
1/2 ounce Edelweiss @ 30
1.5 ounce Edelweiss @10
1 ounce Edelweiss @ 0
***Edelweiss is a Lager blend of hops from Hop Heaven - only place you can get it that I know of. I really like it, personally. You could also sub in all Saaz, or all Hallertau, or all Tettnang. Maybe a combo of Hallertau and Tettnang (tettnang in late additions).
Yeast = Whitelabs German Lager 830....... (Wyeast 2124 is same)
Water:
100% RO water for mash and sparge.
Ca = 51
Mg = 3
Na = 8
Sulfate = 85
Chloride = 38
Bicarbonate = 16
Projected pH = 5.24
*Something like the Jever Profile in B'run Water
For me, my total additions to the mash (all additions went in mash, none in sparge) were:
2.5 grams gypsum
1 gram CaCl
.5 grams Epsom
2ml lactic acid in mash, 1 ml lactic acid in sparge water.
Fermentation =
Start around 49-50
At about day 6 or so, I put spunding valve on at 15-20 psi
increase 1-2 degrees per day up to 55.
Around day 10-12 I pull kegs out (valve still on) and leave them at 60-65 room temp for about 5 days.
back in freezer where I decrease temp 3-5 degrees per day down to 32 and then I let it sit for 2-3 weeks.
Around week 5 or so, I jump to serving keg
*** I have had a lot of success leaving the beer on the yeast long like this - really cleans it up nicely in my experience.
* I do incorporate some LoDO techniques with my pilsners..... boiling water, mash cap, gentle recirculation, gentle introduction of sparge water, gentle boil. I used small amount of sodium metabisulfate in mash and sparge - about .25 grams in each. I ferment my pilsners in kegs and use spunding valve...... I do eventually jump it to serving keg.
*** For pale lagers, with relatively low mineral additions, I like to add ALL the minerals to the mash, and none to the sparge. This helps me bring pH down with less acid. I also feel like it gives me a clearer beer in the end than if I split my minerals between mash and sparge..... My rationale for doing this (while I don't claim to fully understand it) is based on past problems I have had with "hazy" pilsners, helles, kolsch, etc. Low calcium levels (like many lager profiles call for) can leave oxalate in the beer (causing haze later). My theory was more calcium in the mash would precipitate out oxalate as calcium oxalate and help with that. So..... I started putting all my minerals in the mash on beers like this - I have had much, much better results with clarity...... whether that is the reason for improvement.... I can't claim for certain.... but it has worked for me. See this link for some talk of it, and there is other info out there that led me in that direction too -
http://discussions.probrewer.com/archive/index.php/t-15069.html
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/stor...47&s=bb3b5cc06cd4944f96118171a469de9d11e6792f
Calcium oxalate
Haze can also be caused by calcium oxalate. Calcium oxalate is formed from oxalic acid and calcium. Oxalic acid already exists in barley and calcium is available from the water. The oxalic acid concentration is dependent on the year of harvest with calcium coming mostly from the brewing water. The solubility product of calcium oxalate in beer is low and therefore it precipitates in the form of crystals. Those crystals can have the form of octahedrons, rosettes, prisms and amorphous forms16,38,39. It is impor- tant that there is sufficient calcium in the grist to ensure precipitation of the oxalate8.