[gmac]

I want to make an amber lager and I'm trying to decide what to use.  I have 5 gal of lager ready to move to a keg/secondary tomorrow and I want to brew right away to make the most of the yeast.  It's WLP833 (just telling you in case it matters for some reason).
I have both pilsner and pale malt.  I was going to add some Munich as well and perhaps just a bit of darker roasted malt at sparge for colour. 
Since I'm going with an amber, is there any reason to use pilsner over pale malt?  For some reason I just associate pilsner malt with lagers and pale malt with ales but does it matter if the beer is darker than 2 or 3L?  I'm shooting for about 10L.
I don't have a tonne of extra time so if I can reduce the boil by 30 mins it would help.  I boil pils malt for 90 mins, pale for 60.  Am I giving up anything in flavour/body/maltiness if I was to use pale? 
Thanks

[denny]

For something like a generic "amber lager", I think it's wide open to do whatever sounds good to you.  My first reaction was to go with pils, but then I thought "why not the pale?".  Just like you said.  I think it's a worthwhile experiment to try the pale and I don't know why it won't work well.

[Thirsty_Monk]

It is very much maltster dependent but you could say that Domestic 2 row is less taste offensive then continental Pilsner.
In the other words domestic 2 row is cleaner then continental Pilsner malt.

It depends what you want your beer to taste like.

[Joe Sr.]

taste offensive

Please elaborate.  I've heard similar comments before, but have not (to my knowledge) encountered offensive tastes from pils malt.

[majorvices]

For something like a generic "amber lager", I think it's wide open to do whatever sounds good to you.  My first reaction was to go with pils, but then I thought "why not the pale?".  Just like you said.  I think it's a worthwhile experiment to try the pale and I don't know why it won't work well.

+1 - traditionally you would want to go pils. But realistically you may or may not even be able to tell the difference on an amber lager.

[bluesman]

I don't think there's a significant (night and day) difference between the two, although if I had to give the nod to the standout malt for the style you mention, it would be the Pils, as it has a stonger (grainy sweet) flavor, which may lend itself better to the style I think you're trying to create. That being said, I think the desired flavor of the beer created lies in the palate of the taster. Try them both and do a side-by side blind tasting, then decide for yourself.

[gmac]

Thanks all. I took inventory and ended up going with pils this time because I had less pale than I thought. Terrible brew day. Used 10 lb of pils, .5 of Munich and .5 of wheat. Missed my strike temp and was too hot. Added cold and was too cold. Added hot and eventually just dumped it all in and did my first unplanned no sparge. I was gonna add dark malt for colour at sparge but didn't. Ended up with 5 gals of 1.048 light wort. Who knows, it may end up great but it wasn't what I had planned.

[Thirsty_Monk]

taste offensive

Please elaborate.  I've heard similar comments before, but have not (to my knowledge) encountered offensive tastes from pils malt.

Sorry to use that term.
You are right there is nothing taste offensive in Pilsner malt.

I wanted to say that Continental Pilsner has more flavor then domestic 2 row.

[aubeertine31]

Added hot and eventually just dumped it all in and did my first unplanned no sparge.

Ah yes, I had my first unplanned no sparge earlier this year when I tried to make a barley wine. I mashed in too thick and the grain bed looked like a big meatloaf. I took a big hit in efficiency and it turned my barley wine into an Imperial IPA, which was on my list to brew anyways!