International Pale Lager Something Like "Stella"

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Mutilated1

Beer Drenched Executioner
Joined
Jul 15, 2007
Messages
2,146
Reaction score
28
Location
Hoover, Alabama USA
Recipe Type
All Grain
Yeast
w34/70
Yeast Starter
optional
Additional Yeast or Yeast Starter
pitch 2 packs or make starter
Batch Size (Gallons)
5
Original Gravity
1.068
Final Gravity
1.10
Boiling Time (Minutes)
69
IBU
25
Color
2
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp)
12 @ 52F
Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp)
7 @ 52F
Additional Fermentation
Lager near 35F for 4-6 weeks
Tasting Notes
Like a stronger version of Stella Artois
When I made this recipe, my idea was to split the difference between a lager like Chezchvar or Stella Artois and an American style Lager like Budweiser and come up with a hybrid - something somewhere in between. Well as it turns out, this beer is a lot closer to Stella Artois than to an American Lager. In fact the taste resemblance to Stella Artois is uncanny - hence the name.

Anyway, other than the fact that this beer is quite a bit stronger than Stella, with regards to flavor and aroma its pretty close.

I imagine you'd get even closer if you left off the 2# of Rice Flakes in the recipe. Next time I make it I will likely omit the Rice. I don't think you really need it, I just put it in there because I was trying to go big without adding a lot of body - the rice adds a bit more alcohol which makes it quite a bit stronger but it stops me at the third glass. If you want something closer to Stella thats still a guzzler omit the rice.

Here's the ingredients:

Malts:
4.5 # Weyerman Pilsner 37PPG, 2L
4.5 # American 2 Row Lager 38PPG, 2L
2 # Flaked Rice ( optional )

Mashed at 147F for 90 minutes

Hops:
1 oz Sterling Leaf 6.7% AA @ 60 minutes
1/2 oz Liberty Pellets @ 30 minutes
1/2 oz Liberty Pellets @ 10 minutes

Very simple recipe, very easy to make, very nice results.
 
Just found this recipe, I have been looking for something like Stella. Does this have that slight sweet taste Stella has?
Mahalo
 
This recipe intrigued me too. Got a batch lagering right now with a couple weeks to go. Looking forward to trying it...
 
Just found this recipe, I have been looking for something like Stella. Does this have that slight sweet taste Stella has?
Mahalo

Yes it does, its actually a bit sweeter than stella though.

Last time I made it I went with 3.5# each on the Pils and 2 row and went ahead and kept the 2#s flaked rice because I'm still kind of trying to hit that sweet spot between Stella and Budweiser and I think to get that it needs to be a little "smaller", don't know how thats going to work out yet though -- probably will be drinking it by the second week of June.

But the original recipe is very tastey and its remarkable how close it tastes to stella artois on draft.
 
Here's a pic of my brewing of this recipe. It took a couple extra months of aging to really mature into Stella-style flavor. I agree it is a bit sweeter, but I do think some rice is needed. I'd go with 1 lb next time I brewed it.

Beer is crystal clear and very pretty, but condensation on the glass is hiding it a bit here:

beer61.jpg
 
sorry I should have made that clearer -- for this recipe the "additional fermentation" is just a lagering period - its actually not fermentation at all

sorry for the confusion
 
I've read that Stella uses Saaz hops.. A buddy of mine is going to pay me to brew a Stella clone, and I'm up for the challenge. Do you think I could do this by steeping a grain bag?
 
Is there a Wyeast variety that you believe would work or would it alter the taste too much. I would like to get as close to Stella as I can. I really dig that beer.
TY
 
I am thinking of this as my first lager attmept. Love me some Stella if I am in the mood. Still learning about the lagers and the process. Does this bad boy need a diacetyl rest before the lagering? Brew date 12/12.
 
I'm going to make this over Christmas weekend. I've made a gazillion Ales, but this will be my first pils/lager. I am going with 1 lb of the flaked rice. Couple questions:

- How long would you let it sit before serving (2 months, 3 months in secondary?).
- Also, does this need diacetyl rest in the process?

Thanks,
Sparks
 
I hope this helps, I don't know if it needs a diacetyl rest or not, but I always do one when I make lagers. I'm pretty sure it won't hurt anything.

As far as how long do you let it sit before serving, I would guess its usually at least 2-3 months for me - it really just depends on how long it takes me to empty the previous keg.

Sorry don't know what to tell you about the Wyeast -- never used it.
 
Wyeast 2124 is the equiv. of Weihenstephan 34/70.

Couldn't get any of the above, had to opt for Safale 23 (Pils/lager). Brewed on 12/26/09 and still in primary so have a ways to go, but so far so good.
 
Quick question. I really want to brew this for my SWMBO, she LOVES Stella! However, living in SoCal I really don't have the capability to brew at 50F. I just got some Pacman (rogue) which is haled as a super clean ale yeast. If I was to brew per usual, ferment at around 68F and then keg and lager for 2 months, how close do you think I could get? Will it even taste close at all? I really want to lager but its hard enough for me to convince her to keep the house around 70F.

(Yes I know, one of these days soon I am going to build a fermentation chiller. I just don't have the cash or time right now.)
 
I'll probably be making this on Monday. I will be using 5# each of German Pilsner and Belgium Pilsner along with 1# of rice flakes. I will make a starter on a stir plate of Wyeast 2124. I will primary for 12 days then do a diacetyl rest for 2-3 days. Then secondary for 2 weeks. After the secondary I will keg and lager for 6 weeks. Here's my question, do I add priming sugar to the keg and allow it to prime/lager during the 6 weeks? Or should I lager for 6 weeks then force carb it? TIA.
 
I did a batch of this tonight, my first all-grain brew! I'll let you all know around new years how it's going. Color, gravity, and taste is all on-target so far; my OG was 1.06. Only issue with my first go-round is that I didn't sparge enough... ended up a little short of 5gal (maybe 4.5 ish).

Anyway, I'll keep this updated.
 
I'll probably be making this on Monday. I will be using 5# each of German Pilsner and Belgium Pilsner along with 1# of rice flakes. I will make a starter on a stir plate of Wyeast 2124. I will primary for 12 days then do a diacetyl rest for 2-3 days. Then secondary for 2 weeks. After the secondary I will keg and lager for 6 weeks. Here's my question, do I add priming sugar to the keg and allow it to prime/lager during the 6 weeks? Or should I lager for 6 weeks then force carb it? TIA.

this is a bit late coming, but you should lager and then force carb if possible.

Lagering should occur at 0-4 degrees celcius, normally, and the yeast will be nearly inactive during that time. The colder the beer the longer the lager, I have read. i usually lager 4 weeks at 4 C.

What was your ferment. temp? for a clean lager it should be around 11C or so, diacetyl rest around 16-19C.
 
this is a bit late coming, but you should lager and then force carb if possible.

Lagering should occur at 0-4 degrees celcius, normally, and the yeast will be nearly inactive during that time. The colder the beer the longer the lager, I have read. i usually lager 4 weeks at 4 C.

What was your ferment. temp? for a clean lager it should be around 11C or so, diacetyl rest around 16-19C.

my ferment temp has been around 45F +/- 3 degrees (7C +/- 1.5C). I plan on doing a diacytel rest tomorrow at 65F (18C) for a couple of days then racking to a secondary for another week or so. then kegging for 6 weeks or so at 36F (2.5C). Making lagers take a long time. I can hardly wait. Thanks.
 
all rightey now. I just kegged my "Stella R-Toyz". It tasted nice and crisp with a touch of sweetness. More importantly, no butterscotch flavors. I hooked up the CO2 and set it for about 10 PSI @ 36F in my fridge. I'm going to let it lager for about a month or so. Maybe I can break it out and start drinking it around the Superbowl...and hopefully the Bears will be in it! I'll update later.
 
It looks to me that your starting gravity is too high. Cut back on the base malt so your SG is around 1:055 and keep the rice for the light dry taste. If its too sweet try mashing near 149F for 60-90 min to bring out mostly fermentable sugars. Make sure you double the amount of yeast. I think you have a keeper here.
 
New Info:
White Labs has just replaced the Copenhagen Lager yeast with a "Belgian Lager Yeast", WLP815. This has to be Stella yeast and it is a Platinum strain available Jan/Feb. Good Luck everyone!

PS ever thing of add candi sugar like a real Belgian instead of the rice?
 
New Info:
White Labs has just replaced the Copenhagen Lager yeast with a "Belgian Lager Yeast", WLP815. This has to be Stella yeast and it is a Platinum strain available Jan/Feb. Good Luck everyone!

PS ever thing of add candi sugar like a real Belgian instead of the rice?

Too bad my LHBS only sells Wyeast. I thought that candi sugar was mainly for Belgian ales and not lagers? But i am a newbie...
 
I'm sampling my stella clone tonight for the first time. It's been lagering for about 4 weeks now. First thing I noticed is that it's not carbonated enough to my liking. I had the co2 pressure at about 11 pounds at about 36 F. I increased it to about 15 and will let it lager for another 2 weeks or so.

The taste is not stella artois already not to me. It has a malty taste with very, very slight diacetyl (buttery) taste. Again very, very slight diacetyl. The hops flavor is very subtle. Could probably use just a little more hops addition. The after finish is surprisingly crisp and smooth with a nice mouth feel.

Would I brew this again and would I change anything? I can't answer that yet. I'm my own worst critic so I want my buddies to try it. If they drink it faster than usual (which is pretty damn fast!) then I'll brew it again. Overall, not bad for my first lager attempt.

Anyone else try brewing their own version? Please post your results.
 
New Info:
White Labs has just replaced the Copenhagen Lager yeast with a "Belgian Lager Yeast", WLP815. This has to be Stella yeast and it is a Platinum strain available Jan/Feb. Good Luck everyone!

PS ever thing of add candi sugar like a real Belgian instead of the rice?


According the description from white labs, wlp815 orriginates from west belgium. This probably means it's either the yeast from Bavik or Bockor. Stella is from Leuven, which is in the north
 
I'll be brewing my version of this next weekend.

5# Belgian Pilsner malt
5# American 2-row
1.5# flaked rice

Mash using tap water, sparge using distilled water. Boil for 90 minutes.

57g Saaz (3.3%) at 60 minutes
14g Liberty (4.1%) at 30 min
14g Liberty (4.1%) at 10 min

Huge starter of WLP815 (~450 billion cells)

Lager at 50F for 1 week, raise to 60F for 2nd week. Rack to secondary and lager for 6 weeks.

Hopefully it'll be close to the real deal! :D
 
Hey..
Just wondering what temperature you mashed out at.. or if you did at all..

I plan on brewing this on the weekend so it will be ready in time for my birthday!
 
Got my 10gl recipe lined up and will be making as big a starter as I can with my two 2L flasks and stir plates. Now I just gotta free up the conical.

Stella!

Brewer: Jacobs Brewing
Beer: Stella! Style: American Pilsener
Type: All grain Size: 10.5 gallons
Color: 2 HCU (~3 SRM)
Bitterness: 29 IBU
OG: 1.054 FG: 1.014
Alcohol: 5.1% v/v (4.0% w/w)

Grain:
16 lb. German Pilsner
1 lb. Flaked rice

Mash: 80% efficiency
Boil: 60 minutes
SG 1.045 12.5 gallons
1 lb. Cane sugar

Hops:
2 oz. Sterling (6.7% AA, 60 min.)
1 oz. Hallertauer Hersbrucker (3% AA, 30 min.)
1 oz. Hallertauer Hersbrucker (3% AA, 10 min.)

Yeast: WLP815 Belgian Lager Yeast
 
Hey..
Just wondering what temperature you mashed out at.. or if you did at all..

I plan on brewing this on the weekend so it will be ready in time for my birthday!

I'm going to try to brew this Sunday, so I haven't done it yet. That being said, I'm not planning on mashing out. Single infusion, batch sparge. That's all I'm doing, baby! :)
 
I am brewing this recipe just now - my first pils! I have brewed about 8 all-grain ales so far so I'm excited about this.

I followed the OP recipe except for one thing - I only used 1 lb of flaked rice. Just took a gravity reading from the wort and only came up to 1.046. WAY short of the OP's OG. I've never fallen that short before, so I'm wondering if I did something wrong. Used the batch-sparge method at 147 degrees: first runnings were 2.25 gal at 1.063, second runnings were 3.5 gal. Total runnings were ~5.8 gal measured at 1.032 prior to boil.

Any advice on what I did wrong?
 
ucbedge said:
I am brewing this recipe just now - my first pils! I have brewed about 8 all-grain ales so far so I'm excited about this.

I followed the OP recipe except for one thing - I only used 1 lb of flaked rice. Just took a gravity reading from the wort and only came up to 1.046. WAY short of the OP's OG. I've never fallen that short before, so I'm wondering if I did something wrong. Used the batch-sparge method at 147 degrees: first runnings were 2.25 gal at 1.063, second runnings were 3.5 gal. Total runnings were ~5.8 gal measured at 1.032 prior to boil.

Any advice on what I did wrong?

It sounds like you're sparging at too low of a temperature. I usually sparge at about 168 F.

Sent from my SGH-T959 using Home Brew Talk
 
Unless I'm reading the OP wrong, it says he mashed at 147 to get his OG. I mashed at 147 for 90 mins. After first sparge, I added ~165 degree water for a 10 minute second sparge.

It sounds like you're sparging at too low of a temperature. I usually sparge at about 168 F.

Sent from my SGH-T959 using Home Brew Talk
 
Unless I'm reading the OP wrong, it says he mashed at 147 to get his OG. I mashed at 147 for 90 mins. After first sparge, I added ~165 degree water for a 10 minute second sparge.

I see the confusion. The term for adding the mash water is "mash in" while the term for adding sparge water is "sparge". OP mashed in at 147 F (mash water temp will be higher to adjust for grain and MLT temps) while he likely sparged using 168 F water.

At least those are the terms used in my brewery! :mug:
 
Question on the fermentation/lager schedule. Looking at the original post/recipe, it looks as if there was a 12-day primary at 52, then diacetyl rest, then 7-day secondary again at 52, before lagering? Is that right? I'd like to try to make this for my wife who is a big fan of Stella. Would it be enough to primary until almost complete, then rest for a few days, then rack to secondary and lager? Or should there be another week before lagering? Thanks.
 
Would it be enough to primary until almost complete, then rest for a few days, then rack to secondary and lager? Or should there be another week before lagering? Thanks.

That's essentially what I've got mine doug right now. I cooled in at 48 and immediately let it raise to 50. I left it there for 6 days and started slowly raising up to 60 over the next 48 hours. This is where it's at now. I'll leave it at 60 until it's been fermenting for 2 weeks. I'll then rack to secondary and lager until it's ready (I'm still figuring out when that will be). What you described should be fine.
 
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