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Author Topic: That German lager flavor  (Read 134563 times)

Offline brewsumore

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Re: That German lager flavor
« Reply #375 on: February 23, 2015, 09:01:25 pm »
I brewed my first German pilsner this past Saturday and opted for a single infusion mash, and gambled on getting enough attenuation for a crisp, to style beer based on the assumption that my (and most mainstream malts) are highly modified. 

From that starting point, I did everything else I know to create a highly fermentable wort, including a 90 minute mash with dough-in at or just under 149F.  I'll see how fermentable the wort actually ends up, but I did get 79% brewhouse efficiency, and expected good attenuation and efficiency based on a few other good practices including: 1) omitting any crystal malts and using a reputable pilsner malt (Best Malz), 2) crushed until scared, 3) 1.71 qts per lb mash ratio, 4) +3 minutes stirring the sparge (batch sparge), 5) ~167F sparge temp, 6) careful water chemistry, i.e. nailing Kai's GP water profile, and hitting ~5.25 - 5.3 pH for the mash, and 5.1 pH in the kettle, 7) addition of yeast nutrient in the boil, 8 ) 3 minutes aeration with straight o2, 9) pitching plenty of yeast (rehydrated 34/70 dry yeast based on Mr Malty calculator).

I am following up with slow-ramped cool ferment, to reduce likelihood of diacetyl and to keep flavors clean.

Time will tell.

Oh yeah, other than pilsner malt I used 3.3% melanoidin, which might help capture "that German lager flavor".

Not intending to second guess at least a 2-step step mash - I see that Randy Mosher also identifies that as the standard minimum practice for a Euro Pilsner in "Mastering Homebrew".  BTW, I love this book!
« Last Edit: February 23, 2015, 09:33:31 pm by brewsumore »