Recipe opinions

[CaseyHeartBeers]

Hello,

I am new to this forum and still very new to brewing. I have brewed two beers from kits and have done 3 scratch all-grain recipes. I got into brewing to come up with my own recipes so I dove right in. Every time has been a learning experience. By reading this forum, I've realized there is a wealth of knowledge to be gained just from asking a few questions and getting different opinions.

I am currently trying to put together a hoppy pilsner recipe. I'm looking for more hop aroma and flavor than IBUs. Any opinions and input would be appreciated:

For a 5 gallon batch - 60 minute boil

14lb Rahr Premium Pilsner
12oz Cara-Pils

0.5oz Cluster at 45min
0.5oz Cascade at 20min
0.5oz Sorachi Ace at 15min
0.5oz Cascade at 9min
0.5oz Cluster at 5min
1.0oz Cascade Dry Hop

WLP800 Pilsner Lager Yeast

 

[Yooper]

I'd recommend doing a 90 minute boil due to the chance of having DMS in the beer with all that pilsner malt. You can start hopping at 45 minutes, though.

I think the recipe looks fine for a hoppy American lager. I've never used cluster at 5 minutes, so I"m not sure of the flavor impact of that, but I like the other hops very much!

 

[CaseyHeartBeers]

Thanks, Yooper. Should I use some other malt to substitute for some of the pilsner? The only reason I'm using so much malt for a 5-gallon pils is because my efficiency has been really bad for my previous batches. Also, I'm not sure what DMS is...?

 

[Yooper]

Thanks, Yooper. Should I use some other malt to substitute for some of the pilsner? The only reason I'm using so much malt for a 5-gallon pils is because my efficiency has been really bad for my previous batches. Also, I'm not sure what DMS is...?

Oh, no, pilsner malt is great! I use in often in IPAs and pale ales, as well as pilsners.

DMS is produced by lower kilned malts (like pilsner) and the volatiles boil off in the steam. Because pilsner malt is lower kilned, it has more compounds (called SMM, DMS precursors) that convert to DMS and can cause a "cooked cabbage" or creamed corn flavor in the finished beer. That's why you never cover your boil pot, so that steam can escape. Because pilsner malt is lighter, it tends to have more of a chance to have DMS in the finished beer. So a longer boil allows more of that bad stuff to boil off. It's common to boil for 90 minutes when using pilsner malt to avoid DMS. I hope that makes sense!

 

[CaseyHeartBeers]

Awesome. That makes sense. Thank you!

 

[HopDr]

It is your beer so do what you want, but here are a couple thoughts:
What exactly are you going for when you say 'hoppy pilsener'? Do you want american IPA type flavors and aroma? How hoppy do you want? Even 'hoppy' examples of pilseners still mean the aroma is balanced with the light maltiness, and usually people don't use west coast hop flavors for that, it is usually more noble hop type aromas. The west coast hop flavors with the crisp dryness of the pilsener may be a bit overpowering and cloying...I have made that mistake. So while you could definitely try it and you may love the result, if it were my beer I would probably stick with noble hops for the more classic flavor but increase the amount of aroma/flavor by keeping the amounts and schedule similar to what you have.

Oh, and Sorachi Ace may be a bad idea in there- do you have experience with it? My feeling is it can be fantastic in the right application, but it is one of the most distinctive hop flavors out there, and not what I consider one that would be good with a pils- I think the dill-like herbal/citrus flavor is going to be weird in a beer like that. But if you want that flavor, I would add towards the end (last 5 min) for aroma.

Just my thoughts, good luck and let us know how it turns out!

 

[barrooze]

Just curious, are you able to maintain a fermentation temp in the 50s for the duration of the fermentation? Fermenting a lager typically takes about double the time of an ale. Just a head up.

 

[CaseyHeartBeers]

Well, I'm a huge fan of Sierra Nevada's Summerfest. But, I'm also a huge hop head (and my wife is even more so). So I'm trying to concoct a refreshing pils that could also satisfy our love for hop flavor/aroma. I will definitely think about rearranging the sorachi to 5min and the cluster to 15min.

And barrooze, yes, I just recently built a kegerator out of a full size fridge. I haven't seen if the carboy will fit yet but I'm sure it will even if I can't have something on tap for the time being...

 

[CaseyHeartBeers]

I just thought I'd follow up and let you all know that this recipe has turned out to be my best so far. I expected more lemony flavor from the Sorachi Ace but I will have to try to throw in more next time. Thank you everyone and esspecially Yooper!