30% pilsner malt, 60 or 90 min boil

General Homebrew Discussion
1

I’m getting ready to brew a beer with 30% Pilsner malt and 70% Vienna. Does anyone think I need to do a 90 minute boil, or can I get away with a vigorous 60 minute boil?

2

You will be fine with a 60 min boil.
I routinely use up to 100% pils malt in a grist and a 60 min boil time.
No issues.

3

Same.

“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.”

4

You’d be better off with a 60 minute non vigorous boil!

5

The need for a long boil when using Pils malt has been disproven. I no longer perform 90 minute boils, regardless of Pils content and don’t have DMS issues.

6

Same here.

7

I do 90.  IMO you’ll be fine with 60.

8

Did a 45 min boil with majority of pils malt on a down and dirty batch. No issues.

9

PH helps with this as well. A pH of 5.4 in the boil will get rid of dms something like 50% faster than 5.2. Of course its maltser variety, and malting specific.

10

DMS concerns are way overblown.  The only way to get DMS in my experience is to try super hard to get it on purpose with a really short, weak boil, with the lid on.  Otherwise you could probably get away with as short as about a 45-minute boil I think.

11

I can repeatedly get it with a soft boil and a low boil pH, with sub 5% boil off.  NOW with that said, for 99% of homebrewers, they boil so hard that it’s going to be very difficult.  I would say you could easily do 30 minutes with the standard home brewer boil.

12

I agree that you almost have to force it to have DMS linger.  I boil hard only the last 10 minutes or so of the boil, with the cover off, the rest of the time its 75% covered boil at just above a simmer.  I have had judges search for DMS and call it out when it isn’t there (such as with an American Premium Lager using adjunct).  One said I needed to boil longer.  Oh well…BJCP judges aren’t infallible. (Yes, I am one.)

13

Bryan, just curious - are you still in favor of 5.2 for your lagers? I know there are a lot of positives (per Kunze). I’m sure liking mine @ 5.2 . No DMS issues for me.

14

Ah… humans.  Can’t live with 'em…  (Yes, I am one, too.)

15

Thanks everyone