Perfect Pils - Classic German

Brewing Processes
1

Well…the results are in.
Invited my neighbor (Dave) over to be a judge of my most recent attempt at a classic German Pilsner.
The grain bill was a 50/50 split, Weyermann Floor Malted Bohemian Pilsner and Avangard Premium Pilsner Malt.

Hops = Tettnanger & Hallertau.
Yeast = Diamond Lager (harvested yeast slurry)
Original Brix = 12.4
Final Brix    =  7.0
ABV            =  4.73%
IBU            =  32
SRM          =  3
Boil Time    =  90 minutes
Mash          =  Multi-Step Infusion

Dave’s background is a multi award winning home brewer, plus he worked for a craft brewery in Austin, Texas, for a number of years. About 3 years ago he moved up to the North Texas area, locating in my neighborhood.

Dave is brutally honest. He told me a Festbier that I had brewed was seriously flawed (diacetyl). He seems to have a highly trained (and hyper sensitive) sense of taste, and is able to pick up more “off flavors” than most people I know.

So here is the result - He said this is one of the best Pils he has ever had. Better than most commercial examples. I told him to find a flaw with it. He said he looked high and low, but there are no flaws that he could detect.

This beer will be brewed again, in a day or two. This time I will treat the water will Gypsum / Sulfates. Note that I have never treated the brewing water before, but will do this next German Pilsner as an experiment now that we have established a baseline with the current recipe.

My personal opinion? The Pils is good. Very good. It is probably my best effort to date for this style. Next time the bittering hops will be increased to give a little more “up front” hop bitterness.

Using the two Pils malts did give this beer a little more depth of character.

2

Congratulations!
FG 3.5 Plato? 1.014?

3

Did you use a refractometer?  While refractometers are convenient and use little wort, nothing beats a well-calibrated hydrometer for simplicity and accuracy.  Unlike a hydrometer, a refractometer does not test the density of a liquid.  It test for the amount of sugar in a solution. The problem with small batch brewing and the hydrometer is that the average brewing hydrometer jar is too large; therefore, it is wasteful with wort and product (even the glass cylinder/plastic base hydrometer jars sold in the home brewing trade require a 200ml sample), which is almost seven ounces of liquid for each test.  I am thinking about going back to using a 100ml graduated cylinder as a hydrometer jar.  However, it is difficult to find a full-scale hydrometer that will work in a 100ml graduated cylinder without bottoming out on final gravities.

4

OG = 1.052
FG = 1.014
ABV = 4.73%

However, Brewer’s Friend calculates the ABV at 5.1%.

Yes, all measurements taken with a refractometer. Northern Brewer & Brewer’s Friend is used to do the gravity calculations with alcohol present.

5

Are you willing to share you hop schedule?

6

There’s always EasyDens.

7

Of course! For a 10 gallon batch.

Amount
2.50 oz Tettnanger US.  Leaf/Whole 5.9 Boil 90 min 26.11 45.5%
3 oz         Mittelfruh Leaf/Whole 3.75 Boil 10 min 6.75 54.5%

8

https://www.bjcp.org/style/2015/5/5D/german-pils/

out of specs for OG and FG, and despite the BJCP ranging from “22 to 40” IBU. I cannot recall having a ger pils i would differentiate from a german basic pale lager/“helles” with anything less than mid 30s IBU. im aiming for 45 IBU with a IBU:OG ratio of 0.89 for the one im about to do.

9

From BJCP =

Vital Statistics
IBUs 25 – 45
SRM 2 – 5
OG 1.044 – 1.050
FG 1.008 – 1.013
ABV 4.4 – 5.2%

Note above, IBU’s 32.

Yes…I totally blew it on the FG, coming in way high at 1.014.

10

Specs are numbers. Taste is whole other thing.

11

Thanks!

12

Agreed on bumping up the ibus vs a Helles. Prost in Denver makes one of my favorite pilsners. They were 43ibu for a long time but they’ve dialed it back to 35 recently.

13

Munich Helles
BJCP Guideline
IBU = 16 to 22

14

IMO, BJCP guidelines only matter for comps

15

And this beer was brewed specifically for competition.

16

And even then, I have never heard a judge ding anyone when they don’t have access to the vitals on a beer such as Pilsner or Helles.  And as to the OP’s grist - for sure on mixing it up.  I jut brewed a Pils with Best Pils and Proximity Base malt that a friend called my best German Pils.  I’ve done the same on Helles - using Wyermann Barke and Continental 2 row Pale malt - with great results.  A bit more character than one malt gives.  Best of luck with your prospective entry!

17

Thanks! Going to brew this again, but with water adjustments…oh no!
The plan is to enter both in an upcoming competition.

Here is the mash schedule, for those interested:

140-144 30 minute rest.
154-156 30 minute rest.
162        30 minute rest.

Mash out at 170 F.

18

As we most often brew to a certain style and category of beer, the BJCP guidelines are very useful in achieving our goal.

I am no longer at a point in my brewing hobby where just “winging it” is an option.

In the end, it is all about flavor. If we hit the correct numbers, odds are we will hit the flavor profile we are seeking.

19

Just to add to this thread on BJCP Guidelines.  I normally try to get close to the suggested ranges when I brew various styles of beer.  However, I made an American Brown Ale that was higher in OG, IBU’s and ABV than  the guidelines state.  It tasted really amazing so I entered it in a recent competition.  It won a gold medal with a score of 43 even though it was a bit big for the style.  Aroma, taste, and mouthfeel are what made that beer a winner.  Pushing the style guidelines a bit is not always a bad thing!

20

Not to mention that most winning beers are brewed to the upper edge of the range!  Anyone who has judged a contest can relate to the fatigue that sets in while judging large flights.  More often than not, the biggest beer with no other technical flaws wins.