Pilsner Step or Decotion

[thdewitt]

Hello All,

I have brewed a couple pilsners with infusion mashes, but I was hoping for something a little better.

Recipe for 7.5 Gallons:
16 pounds Weyerman Pilsner
1 pound of Carapils
Saaz Hops 4 additions.

So, I have a morebeer 1550 that allows me to do step mashes. Is there any reason to do a decoction mash when you can do a step mash. With the malts I am using do I need to do either one. I am trying to brew great pilsners and I want to try whatever I need to do that.

I have good temperature control with a chest freezer. I use Whitelabs yeast with starters, oxegenate the wort with 02, and I try to adjust the pH with Lactic Acid and my electronic PH meeter. I normally cut my hard water with at least 50% distilled. Sometimes I use bottled spring water and distilled together.

Thanks for the suggestions,
Tom

 

[Beerrific]

I do not think a step mash is required, but if you think you have everything else nailed, it could be fun. I would start with the step mash since that is easiest on your system. Maybe start with the more popular 40-60-70C rests, adjusting the last 2 rests to control you fermentability. A decoction mash will help develop some melanoidins that could be nice if you are looking for a Bohemian Pils-like beer.

 

[babalu87]

Hello All,

I have brewed a couple pilsners with infusion mashes, but I was hoping for something a little better.

What are you hoping for that is "a little better"?

Are the beers finishing dry enough?
Maybe a lower mash temp and/or a longer mash.

The recipe looks good to me.

 

[HotbreakHotel]

I vote for decoction -- at least give it a try, especially for a pilsner style. It's fun and it really smells great!

 

[thdewitt]

I really love Budvar/Checkvar and warsteiner. My beers seem to be a little thinner and just not as flavorful. They are bitter enough, I think it is the interaction of the malts that I cant get right.

 

[Reverend JC]

I would do a decoction. Matter of fact, I plan on doing this exact thing in the coming months on a pils, a hefe, and an oktoberfest. I want to get that extra flavor, and body from the decoction.

 

[XXguy]

Disclaimer: I haven't done a decoction mash.

However, If I was going to do one - I'd watch Kaiser's video series again & again to see how it's done. Reading about it, seemed a little intimidating. Watching Kaiser's video, it seems much more simple & straightforward, and he also explains some of the theory & science behind it while he's doing it.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_V1zt0mW084]YouTube - Decoction Mashing (part 1)[/ame]

Hope you get some worthwhile info out of this. It's my understanding that Pilsner grains need more than a single step infusion mash to get all the desired flavors for that style. I'd be interested to know your results.

-XX