NZ Pilsner, Which hops from my selection?

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Shenanigans

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Hi All,

I've somehow managed to collect some different varities of NZ hops over the last year or so.
Usually just adding a few hundred grams of something that had a special offer when originally I only wanted to order something else:oops:
So no superstars from the NEIPA scene.

I would like to brew a NZ Pilsner but I'm not sure what hop combination to use from what I have:

Rakau, Southern Cross, Taiheke, Waiema

I also have some Nelson that I can throw in the mix but have plenty of ideas for that in other beers.

The main idea is a NZ pilsner but if you have any other suggestions for these hops then please go ahead :cool:

Thanks!
 
if it were me, I would bitter with the Southern Cross and use the Rakue and Waiema for flavor and aroma hops, if you don't want to use the Nelson. Made a great one last year (scored 45 in a comp) using Nelson and Motueka with a small amount of Magnum for bittering. Rebrew this year did well in comps too , but for that one, I used Pacific Jade for bittering instead of Magnum.
 
You really can’t go wrong. But all my nz pilsners I’ve done use Nelson it it. In 2022 I made the final table at NHC with my nz Pilsner that was riwaka and Nelson

With your hops I would do tahieke & rakau or tahieke & Waimea
 
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Thanks for the advice so far guys.
@Dgallo & @jdauria
do you happen to have a link to or can you post your recipes?
Sounds like they would be a great place to start developing my own recipe.

Thanks!
Grain
11lbs - fl.malted Pilsner(Pilsner or 2row
1lb - carafoam
Mash - 150*f
Yeast - 34/70 fermented 56 for 4 days then free rise and hold low 60s to clean up.

Hop
.5 oz magnum @ 60

.75 oz Nelson @ 5
.5 oz Riwaka @ 5

1.25 oz Nelson @ WP 170*f for 20
0.75 oz Riwaka @ WP 170*f for 20

Dryhop
2 oz Nelson for 48 hrs

Fine with biofine in keg
 
Grain
11lbs - fl.malted Pilsner(Pilsner or 2row
1lb - carafoam
Mash - 150*f
Yeast - 34/70 fermented 56 for 4 days then free rise and hold low 60s to clean up.

Hop
.5 oz magnum @ 60

.75 oz Nelson @ 5
.5 oz Riwaka @ 5

1.25 oz Nelson @ WP 170*f for 20
0.75 oz Riwaka @ WP 170*f for 20

Dryhop
2 oz Nelson for 48 hrs

Fine with biofine in keg
Thanks!

My first draft is below, the only lager yeast I have is WLP833 so I'll go with that and use a similar quick lager method, it worked well in a bockbier I brewed a few months ago.

1699461948553.png
 
Thanks for the advice so far guys.
@Dgallo & @jdauria
do you happen to have a link to or can you post your recipes?
Sounds like they would be a great place to start developing my own recipe.

Thanks!

Mine was No Sparge full boil.

---RECIPE SPECIFICATIONS-----------------------------------------------
COLOR: 3.9 SRM COLOR RANGE: 2.0-7.0 SRM
IBU: 41.1 IBUs Tinseth IBU RANGE: 25.0-45.0 IBUs
OG: 1.054 SG OG RANGE: 1.044-1.056 SG
FG: 1.010 SG FG RANGE: 1.009-1.014 SG
BU:GU: 0.756 Calories: 174.1 kcal/12oz Est ABV: 5.9 %
EE%: 70.00 % Batch: 5.25 gal Boil: 6.18 gal BT: 60 Mins

Total Grain Weight: 10.94 lb Total Hops: 2.51 oz
--
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
7.81 lb IREKS Pilsner Malt (1.8 SRM) Grain 1 71.4
2.61 lb IREKS Pale Ale Malt (3.0 SRM) Grain 2 23.9
0.52 lb Carapils/Carafoam (2.0 SRM) Grain 3 4.8 %

Name Description Step Temperatu Step Time
Mash Step Add 7.00 gal of water at 151.5 145.0 F 30 min
Mash Step Heat to 152.0 F over 4 min 152.0 F 50 min
Mash Step Heat to 158.0 F over 4 min 158.0 F 30 min
Mash Out Heat to 168.0 F over 4 min 168.0 F 10 min


---BOIL PROCESS-----------------------------
Est Pre_Boil Gravity: 1.049 SG Est OG: 1.054 SG
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
0.28 oz 2021 Magnum [16.90 %] - Boil 60.0 min 16.8 -
0.23 oz Motueka [7.80 %] - Boil 10.0 min 3.7
0.20 oz Nelson Sauvin [12.10 %] - Boil 10.0 5.0
0.25 oz Motueka [7.80 %] - Boil 5.0 min 3.3
0.23 oz Nelson Sauvin [12.10 %] - Boil 5.0 4.8

Amt Name Type # %/IBU
0.67 oz Motueka [7.80 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 20 mins at 180F 3.0
0.65 oz Nelson Sauvin [12.10 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 20 mins at 180F 4.5

Soft lager water profile

Yeast was The Modern Brewhouse Asylum (available to Patreon members of their site). Can sub 34-70 or any German Lager yeast.

My second version, I used 30 IBUs of Pacific Jade at 60, 49 IBUs total.
 
Mine was No Sparge full boil.

---RECIPE SPECIFICATIONS-----------------------------------------------
COLOR: 3.9 SRM COLOR RANGE: 2.0-7.0 SRM
IBU: 41.1 IBUs Tinseth IBU RANGE: 25.0-45.0 IBUs
OG: 1.054 SG OG RANGE: 1.044-1.056 SG
FG: 1.010 SG FG RANGE: 1.009-1.014 SG
BU:GU: 0.756 Calories: 174.1 kcal/12oz Est ABV: 5.9 %
EE%: 70.00 % Batch: 5.25 gal Boil: 6.18 gal BT: 60 Mins

Total Grain Weight: 10.94 lb Total Hops: 2.51 oz
--
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
7.81 lb IREKS Pilsner Malt (1.8 SRM) Grain 1 71.4
2.61 lb IREKS Pale Ale Malt (3.0 SRM) Grain 2 23.9
0.52 lb Carapils/Carafoam (2.0 SRM) Grain 3 4.8 %

Name Description Step Temperatu Step Time
Mash Step Add 7.00 gal of water at 151.5 145.0 F 30 min
Mash Step Heat to 152.0 F over 4 min 152.0 F 50 min
Mash Step Heat to 158.0 F over 4 min 158.0 F 30 min
Mash Out Heat to 168.0 F over 4 min 168.0 F 10 min


---BOIL PROCESS-----------------------------
Est Pre_Boil Gravity: 1.049 SG Est OG: 1.054 SG
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
0.28 oz 2021 Magnum [16.90 %] - Boil 60.0 min 16.8 -
0.23 oz Motueka [7.80 %] - Boil 10.0 min 3.7
0.20 oz Nelson Sauvin [12.10 %] - Boil 10.0 5.0
0.25 oz Motueka [7.80 %] - Boil 5.0 min 3.3
0.23 oz Nelson Sauvin [12.10 %] - Boil 5.0 4.8

Amt Name Type # %/IBU
0.67 oz Motueka [7.80 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 20 mins at 180F 3.0
0.65 oz Nelson Sauvin [12.10 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 20 mins at 180F 4.5

Soft lager water profile

Yeast was The **************** Asylum (available to Patreon members of their site). Can sub 34-70 or any German Lager yeast.

My second version, I used 30 IBUs of Pacific Jade at 60, 49 IBUs total.

Looks good too, thanks.

I see you didn't dry hop; what is typical for the style, dry hopping or not?
I only have space in my kegerator for 2 kegs and they are usually taken up with IPAs.
I will be bottling this one, so maybe better to do a version without dry hops to avoid any oxitation issues.🤔
 
Looks good too, thanks.

I see you didn't dry hop; what is typical for the style, dry hopping or not?
I only have space in my kegerator for 2 kegs and they are usually taken up with IPAs.
I will be bottling this one, so maybe better to do a version without dry hops to avoid any oxitation issues.🤔
You're welcome. As for dry hops, I guess it's up to what you want in the beer. Looking at the style guidelines, while they talk about the tropical fruit flavors of the hops, they also say a neutral to bready malt base provides the support to make it very drinkable and also under appearance say "quite clear to brillant, haziness a fault". So for me, I felt dry hops would mute some of the malt base and I also tend to get a slight haze with dry hopping, even with lagering and fining. Of course, if you are not entering comps with it, you can pretty much do whatever you want!
 
if it were me, I would bitter with the Southern Cross
I wouldn't waste Southern Cross on bittering, it has some unique characteristics if you know how to use them, notably it's one of the few hops that can have 2MIB (2-methylbutyl isobutyrate - apricot) above taste threshold, see this article from Scott Janish :
https://scottjanish.com/thiol-driver/
Waimea was bred as a bittering hop and its huge alpha content means you're saving more for the later stages.
 
I wouldn't waste Southern Cross on bittering, it has some unique characteristics if you know how to use them, notably it's one of the few hops that can have 2MIB (2-methylbutyl isobutyrate - apricot) above taste threshold, see this article from Scott Janish :
https://scottjanish.com/thiol-driver/
Waimea was bred as a bittering hop and its huge alpha content means you're saving more for the later stages.
No ill save the Southern Cross for another Alpine Nelson clone. It's a Rye IPA with Nelson and Southern Cross as flavour and dry hops. Turned out good last time.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...kQFnoECBwQAQ&usg=AOvVaw20bNNPWSJOXimJI5J7iWBE
I will have to use another bittering hop (Summit) though as I don't have enough SC.
 
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