Pilsner - All Grain

[Tinymcfc]

Hi fellow brewers!

Long time lurker, first time poster. I’ve been brewing on and off for a few years now, making some terrific beers over the years. Due to one reason or another I haven’t brewed for about 18 months or so, and it’s time to put that right.

Cleared out the beer shed yesterday and found everything in order, and even clean, so way to go 18 months ago me. To my surprise I also found a full keg of beer, which I don’t remember making at all - would’ve been rude not to try it and hey ho, it’s blood brilliant! No off flavours, carbonation is spot on. It’s been sealed in a corny with a bit of CO2 on it so I guess it should be fine...

Anyway, onto the reason I registered. I’ve decided to do a Lager, first one I’ve done. I’ve tested the fermentation fridge and all is in order so I’m confident on temps. I went to purchase this recipe:

Malt
8 lb Pilsner malt
2 lb Munich Light malt
12 oz Vienna Malt
10 oz Carapils (Dextrine malt)
Hops
0.5 oz Hallertau (4-5.5% AA): 60 min
0.5 oz Tettnang (4-5% AA): 60 min
0.5 oz Hallertau (4-5.5% AA): 20 min
0.5 oz Tettnang (4-5% AA): 20 min
1.0 oz Saaz (3-4.5% AA): end of boil
Yeast
White Labs WLP838, Southern German Lager Yeast

However like a dimwit I left out the Tettnang and Saaz hops...idiot. I’ve got 50g of Hallertau though. I’ve also got some Goldings and Target hops in the freezer. Now my question is, do I just throw in 30g of Hallertau at the start of the boil, and 20g wirh 5 mins to go? Suggestion found in the How to Brew bible? Or should I change out the missing hops for some I’ve got?

Any recommendations?

 

[friarsmith]

Recipe looks fine, but it looks to be in the neighborhood of a Festbier with the Munich & Vienna vs a 'Pilsner' as shown in the post title. The hops schedule you posted looks fine for a festbier, although if I was brewing this I'd put all the Hallertau in at once and the 1oz Tett also in one charge, and the 60 minute addition choice would be based on the one w/ the highest AA%. Prost!

 

[cswis86]

I'd use Target at the beginning of the boil since the AA's are likely much higher and save the Hallertau for a flavor/aroma addition at 10 mins.

 

[Tinymcfc]

I'd use Target at the beginning of the boil since the AA's are likely much higher and save the Hallertau for a flavor/aroma addition at 10 mins.

Cheers!

How much Target would you recommend at the start? All 50g of Hallertau in at 10 mins?

 

[friarsmith]

You should probably decide on total IBU's and then make hops decisions. 28-35 IBU's seems about right for this beer... a malty German Pils or lighter festbier. Whatever you call it, it should be a thoroughly decent beer.

 

[cswis86]

Cheers!

How much Target would you recommend at the start? All 50g of Hallertau in at 10 mins?

Yes I would use all 50g of Hallertau at 10min and use an IBU calculator to figure out how much Target to add to get about 30 IBUs like friarsmith said.

 

[Tinymcfc]

You should probably decide on total IBU's and then make hops decisions. 28-35 IBU's seems about right for this beer... a malty German Pils or lighter festbier. Whatever you call it, it should be a thoroughly decent beer.

Makes sense!

So if I stick around the IBUs you’ve suggested, what hop additions would you recommend, based on what I have to hand?

 

[Tinymcfc]

Yes I would use all 50g of Hallertau at 10min and use an IBU calculator to figure out how much Target to add to get about 30 IBUs like friarsmith said.

Ah ok makes sense! I’ll have a google for a calculator and come back!

Thanks for the help so far, an amazing community!

 

[Hanglow]

Your hops including HM and tettnanger reminded me of Schönramer beers which use both. Their pils is one of my favourites.

https://beerandbrewing.com/greatest-drinkability-the-bavarian-brewers-art/

 

[Tinymcfc]

Your hops including HM and tettnanger reminded me of Schönramer beers which use both. Their pils is one of my favourites.

https://beerandbrewing.com/greatest-drinkability-the-bavarian-brewers-art/

What a great read that was! Thanks for sharing it. The recipe for the Pils does look similar to the one I posted, u fortunately for me it won’t be the one I brew!

The Hallertau hopes I have have AA at 2.1%, I’m about to head to the freezer to see what the AAs are in the Target. Any help after this would be appreciated, some of the calculators are a struggle to use for the first time

 

[couchsending]

That’s not really a Pils grain bill...

100% Pils is all you need. If you feel like it maybe a bit of Vienna. That’s it.

How much yeast are you going to pitch? Can you oxygenate it? What’s your fermentation schedule.

 

[day_trippr]

I was gonna say that'd be closer to a vienna lager than a pils...

Cheers!

 

[Tinymcfc]

Cheers for the responses guy. Apologies for the delay, I had a five post limit which has kindly been lifted!

I had a route through the freezer, this is what I’ve got to hand (plus the freshly bought 50g Hallertau):

Target @ 12.1% AA
East Kent @ 4.95% AA
Motueka @ 7.4% AA
Goldings @ 5% AA
Stryian Golding @ 2.5% AA

100g each of stryian, Goldings and target, 70g ish of the others.

Any recommendations for how I should go about the above recipe, as it’s a lager/pils I’m looking at a clean, fresh light beer.

I've thrown it into a calculator and if I do 15g of Target at 60 mins, and 50g of Hallertau at 10 mins, we get 29 ibu’s?

Appreciate the feedback on the recipe, unfortunately I don’t have a choice on the grain as my HBS added all the grain together before delivery, it was a recipe I found online and in Greg Hughes’ book too, as long as I get a light crisp lager I’m ok this time.

ANY help and recommendations welcome!

 

[Tinymcfc]

Had the brew day today, just opted to throw the Hallertau at 60 mins and let her roll.

OG came to 1.049, hoping to get down to 1.010. In fermenter now at 12c.

 

[Tinymcfc]

Couple of random pics from the brew day, plus a bonus bbq!

Thanks a lot for the comments guys, will report back with updates!

Have a great weekend all

 

[cswis86]

Couple of random pics from the brew day, plus a bonus bbq!

Thanks a lot for the comments guys, will report back with updates!

Have a great weekend all

Looks good! IBUs will be a little low but it'll be an easy drinking lager!

 

[Tinymcfc]

Looks good! IBUs will be a little low but it'll be an easy drinking lager!

That’s the hope!

Planning on 14 days at 12.1c, then increase to around 16c for 3 days, then secondary and drop to 4c. That sound reasonable?

Just checked and the yeast is doing it’s thing

 

[cswis86]

That’s the hope!

Planning on 14 days at 12.1c, then increase to around 16c for 3 days, then secondary and drop to 4c. That sound reasonable?

Just checked and the yeast is doing it’s thing

Sounds reasonable. You may be able to raise the temperature sooner than 2 weeks. I typically raise the temperature once I see activity slow and the krausen begin to fall.

 

[Tinymcfc]

Sounds reasonable. You may be able to raise the temperature sooner than 2 weeks. I typically raise the temperature once I see activity slow and the krausen begin to fall.

Great stuff, thanks for the input. I’ll keep an eye on things over the next couple of days, and get the temp up when I start seeing things slow down. 3 days at the higher temp work well?

If I rack it into the keg and drop to 3c got 2-3 weeks will that work, or am I best racking to a secondary, drop temp THEN keg?

 

[cswis86]

Great stuff, thanks for the input. I’ll keep an eye on things over the next couple of days, and get the temp up when I start seeing things slow down. 3 days at the higher temp work well?

If I rack it into the keg and drop to 3c got 2-3 weeks will that work, or am I best racking to a secondary, drop temp THEN keg?

3 days should be good but if you're not in a rush it won't hurt to leave it a couple more days. I'll typically leave my lagers in the primary vessel, chill it to 2-4C and leave it for a week before transferring to a keg. That way I transfer less junk into the keg and have clearer beer.

 

[Tinymcfc]

Perfect, that’s the new plan then. Cheers buddy!

 

[Tinymcfc]

She’s down to 1015 now so we’re nearly there, upped the temp to 16c and will keep it there for 3 or so days before racking into my keg and leaving at 3c for a couple of weeks

 

[Tinymcfc]

After a 4 day diacetyl rest, ive just racked her into a secondary and dropped the temp to 3c, should I be going cooler than that? I’m planning on leaving her at that for 2 week, long enough? Then I’ll be moving her to a keg, sticking some CO2 on her and enjoying myself.

Gravity is currently a surprising 1.04, so with my calculator that’s a 4.9% lager which I’m more than pleased with. Clarity looks fantastic already

 

[Dgallo]

After a 4 day diacetyl rest, ibe just racked her into a secondary and dropped the temp to 3c, should I be going cooler than that? I’m planning on leaving her at that for 2 week, long enough? Then I’ll be moving her to a keg, sticking some CO2 on her and enjoying myself.

Gravity is currently a surprising 1.04, so with my calculator that’s a 4.9% lager which I’m more than pleased with. Clarity looks fantastic alresdy

Should have just racked into the keg now and let it lager there. That way you could have minimized o2 pickup better

 

[Tinymcfc]

Should have just racked into the keg now and let it lager there. That way you could have minimized o2 pickup better

Dagnabbit! Good point, seemed a good idea at the time.

Oh well it’s done now, I’ll leave her in there for a couple of weeks then transfer to keg as planned. Mango milkshake IPA next