Thinking about trying out a Pilsner recipe from NHC Gold Medal Recipes. It was the Barky Pilsner. I have a couple questions about the recipe and making it.
Firstly, has anyone made this recipe, it sounds great?
Second: what should I target for water profile, as I am new to Bru’nWater: Pilsen, Yellow (bitter,malty, balanced) just going from Pilsen to any of the others, makes a huge change in additions to my RO water. As an example, pilsen calls for 7ppm Ca while Yellow balanced calls for 50ppm. Just really dont know what to target.
BJCP guidelines call for " Moderate to moderately-low yet well attenuated maltiness, although some grainy flavors and slight Pils malt sweetness are acceptable. Hop bitterness dominates taste and continues through the finish and lingers into the aftertaste. Hop flavor can range from low to high but should only be derived from German noble hops." So it seems like I could target balanced, bitter, or even malty through different arts of that quoted description. I guess bitter comes through it the most, but…
Any info anyone can offer will be a big help
not familiar with the recipe but the low calcium pilsen water profile is great for bohemian style pilsners because the low mineralization allows a lot of hop bitterness without unpleasent sharpness that added sulfate might bring and a clean malty character that might be overdone with too much chloride.
If that is what you are after than go with the pilsen profile. If you want more of a german style pilsner with a sharper more assertive bitterness go with the yellow bitter or yellow balanced profiles.
Thanks Jonathan, sooner rather than later, I need to go through the water book in depth to become more familiar with all the treatment and profile options.
Edit to add: It did win as a German Pilsner, so I think I will target the Yellow Bitter
You want to get some Sulfate into the water for that “Hop bitterness dominates taste and continues through the finish and lingers into the aftertaste.” thing that goes on in most German Pilsners. Somewhere in the 40 to 90 ppm range would work. Sulfate will get you a dry lingering bitterness.
Yes, thanks Jeff, I played around with it a bit after my last edit. The yellow bitter calls for around 105 ppm sulfate and I will get it close to that. I’m probably asking for trouble trying a new recipe and style for my first batch in new kettle, but we’ll see how it turns out,
Another question comes up looking back at this. And this is a total noob question, are Czech Saaz hops common in German Pilsner? Bjcp says only noble German hops, I know Czech is close by, just wondering, guess I should read the hops book I bought as well, lol
The Germans use many of the varieties that are spicy like Saaz (and have the Saaz DNA but are grown in Germany). Tettnanger and Spalt are spicy Saaz relatives. Finishing a German Pilsner with Saaz works fine.
+1 to using sulfate in German Pils. It emphasizes the hops and helps give a dry finish - a win/win.
All great to hear, that should be next up in the brew schedule, just have to clear some refrigerator space, where did all this homebrew come from?
Great thinking! Pilsner now for winter months! Maybe a Baltic Porter for next May!
I hear you, but as in my previous post, it may be May before I get around to drinking this. I still want to make a bock and doppel bock as well. Too many beers, not enough time or refrigeration space. Know what I mean
Then hold off. Pilsners are best when fresh. By may it will already have peaked and while still may be a fine beer, don’t you wan’t to drink it at its prime?
FTR I was just joshing. If you want to drink a pils in October and November by all means! Go for it!
Wow? Really? I think you are way off base here. And I think I gave you some great advice as well. Don’t brew a Pilsner if your plans are to drink it 6 months from now. It will be long past it’s prime.
There was nothing snarky about my comments. There is no rule that we can’t have fun on the forum. I am sorry that you got uptight about what I said but I seriously think you need to relax and have a homebrew. You are being way, way, way hyper sensitive here. It’s, quite frankly, a little big over the top.
+1 to Major. I thought his advice was good. How did he kill the conversation? What else would you like to talk about?