Pilsner Fermentation Question

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

allentwnguy

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 7, 2014
Messages
179
Reaction score
16
Location
Buffalo
I brewed my first Pilsner after years of ales. I do enjoy a good pilsner on a hot summer day after working.

It's Bohemian style, 1.050 OG brewed on 4/5. It's been at 54* with a little fluctuation but not much. Today the airlock action stopped pretty much dead and there is still a white foam, what looks like krausen on the top. I pretty much never pull samples for readings as I let brews sit for at least a week on the yeast cake to clean up.

Is this a normal thing with a Pils? If it is I'll let it go and keg is soon for lager. If not I'll risk contamination and pull a sample and take a reading.
 
Take a reading, as it might be time for the diacetyl rest. If it's about 75% finished, generally about 1.020 or so, you can raise the temperature and do the diacetyl rest while it finishes, then keg and lager.

You can sample at the reading as well, to check for diacetyl or any other off flavors that you want to fix before lagering.
 
@BigFloyd it was brewed on 4/5 so 9 days

@Yooper I guess I'll have to open it up then. I have a wine thief so it won't be too bad if I sterilize well.
 
I would say more or less. It may not be 100% done fermenting, but probably time to let it warm in to the mid 60's for a diacetyle rest. What yeast did you use? White labs german lager yeast?

I've used that 3 times now. First time was a German Pilsner fermented at 52F. I had Krausen for probably 2-3 days after visible airlock activity stopped. I waited about a day past the krausen disappearing to warm it up. Has turned out fine, though it is being REALLY slow to carbonate (a little over 2 weeks now and still rather low carbonation, but I did lager it for 4 weeks at about 38F. It is getting there, but slowly).

I have an English Pale Lager and a Schwarzbier in my fermentation chamber now that I just started lagering. Same behavior, same 52F fermentation temperature. I checked both before upping the temp and no noticable diacetyl, but I allowed them to ride up to 66F for a couple of days anyway just to ensure that they fermented out completely (I had an issue with a Dopplebock using bock yeast where I think the yeast stalled, then woke up post bottling and overcarbed, even though I let it ferment for 2 weeks before lagering, but I did add molasses at the tail end of fermentation, but gravity was steady for 3 days before I lagered).
 
After getting a fish shipment sorted out and put in the tanks and had a cold bagel and cold coffee for breakfast I had time to take a sample!

Straight read on the refractometer was 1.0245. Doing the conversions I'm getting 1.0087 so I guess it is done. Taste wasn't too bad but it needs a bit of cleanup! I didn't detect any "buttery" taste but I did get a strong malt flavor. I think I'll let it go to room temp which is only 61 (it's in a pantry) for a day or two then keg it and let 'er sit in the keezer for a few weeks.

I neglected to mention I used Wyeast 2001 Urquell Lager. I was not prepared for the sulfur odor!!!! I'm sure it will cleanup nicely.
 
After getting a fish shipment sorted out and put in the tanks and had a cold bagel and cold coffee for breakfast I had time to take a sample!

Straight read on the refractometer was 1.0245. Doing the conversions I'm getting 1.0087 so I guess it is done. Taste wasn't too bad but it needs a bit of cleanup! I didn't detect any "buttery" taste but I did get a strong malt flavor. I think I'll let it go to room temp which is only 61 (it's in a pantry) for a day or two then keg it and let 'er sit in the keezer for a few weeks.

I neglected to mention I used Wyeast 2001 Urquell Lager. I was not prepared for the sulfur odor!!!! I'm sure it will cleanup nicely.

If it helps any, my German Pilsner ended up tasting overly sweet. I didn't notice the flavor much when I tasted it pre-lagering or during bottling, but I cracked the first bottle after a week and it was crap. I drank about a third of it and then dumped it. Overly bready/pilsner with a very sweet note. At 2 weeks I tried another and that sweet note had mellowed significantly.

Hopefully it is something that'll mellow even more with age. The hops are a little too subdued for what I was looking for. No sulphur on mine.

So, hopefully it'll turn out nice with a little more aging and carbing. I think once it is properly carbed that'll subdue things some more with a little prickle on the tongue and helping the hops come alive a bit. I went 3# pilsner, 3# vienna and 1/2lb Caraviene. I think next time I might switch it up for 4# pilsner, 1# wheat, 2# vienna and .25lb honey or Caraviene. That and mash lower (I mashed at 152F and I think I should have mashed at 146F). Maybe up the hops 5IBU with most of that coming in the last 10 minutes.

Live and learn. It is now drinkable, just not amazing.

Good luck with yours!
 
If it helps any, my German Pilsner ended up tasting overly sweet. I didn't notice the flavor much when I tasted it pre-lagering or during bottling, but I cracked the first bottle after a week and it was crap. I drank about a third of it and then dumped it. Overly bready/pilsner with a very sweet note. At 2 weeks I tried another and that sweet note had mellowed significantly.

Hopefully it is something that'll mellow even more with age. The hops are a little too subdued for what I was looking for. No sulphur on mine.

So, hopefully it'll turn out nice with a little more aging and carbing. I think once it is properly carbed that'll subdue things some more with a little prickle on the tongue and helping the hops come alive a bit. I went 3# pilsner, 3# vienna and 1/2lb Caraviene. I think next time I might switch it up for 4# pilsner, 1# wheat, 2# vienna and .25lb honey or Caraviene. That and mash lower (I mashed at 152F and I think I should have mashed at 146F). Maybe up the hops 5IBU with most of that coming in the last 10 minutes.

Live and learn. It is now drinkable, just not amazing.

Good luck with yours!


I used 9lbs Pilsner, 1lb 2oz Vienna, 9oz Carapils and 9oz Munich. I rested at 131* for 15mins then also went to 152*. IBU's are about 40. We shall see.... either way I'm drinking it!!!
 
I should have added, mine was a 3 gallon batch. I also shot right around 40IBU, I think it was 35 or 36? Some Tettnanger and some Saaz. Tasting pretty clean and decent now, but I need some carbing!!! A little worried I might need to re-yeast this batch, which is not the end of the world, but certainly is annoying. I am going to give it another 7-10 days and see if the carbonation has increased or not. Still just super mild carbonation (if I were to guess, 1.4 volumes?). My 3 gallons of IPA on the other hand is great, wonderfully carbed and all sitting in my fridge now that it is around its peak.

Brew/drink on!
 
I should have added, mine was a 3 gallon batch. I also shot right around 40IBU, I think it was 35 or 36? Some Tettnanger and some Saaz. Tasting pretty clean and decent now, but I need some carbing!!! A little worried I might need to re-yeast this batch, which is not the end of the world, but certainly is annoying. I am going to give it another 7-10 days and see if the carbonation has increased or not. Still just super mild carbonation (if I were to guess, 1.4 volumes?). My 3 gallons of IPA on the other hand is great, wonderfully carbed and all sitting in my fridge now that it is around its peak.

Brew/drink on!

I kind of figured out it was a small batch or a real weak 5 gallon batch. I'm kegging mine today and cold crashing. I'm also kegging and dry hopping the Haus ale.

My hop choices were Cluster, Saaz and Hersbrucker
 
Interesting on the cluster. I've never tried it in a lighter beer, but it is my go too hop for RIS and most stuff dark and not British/Belgian. I may have to do a SMaSH with 2-row and cluster at some point.
 
Interesting on the cluster. I've never tried it in a lighter beer, but it is my go too hop for RIS and most stuff dark and not British/Belgian. I may have to do a SMaSH with 2-row and cluster at some point.

I had it on hand... it has that strong floral and spice, so I used it for the bittering at 60 so most of the flavor should be gone. For the style flavor I used the saaz at 15 and the Hersbrucker at 0. We will see in a couple of weeks!!!
 
Back
Top