[klickitat jim]

In about 6 weeks I'll be full up on ales and it will be good weather to get started on some lagers. I'm going for a couple Munich Helles'  (Helleses... Helli?) and a couple German Pilsners.  Kind of the malty vs hoppy option. Anyway, I faintly recall Gordon Strong saying in some pod cast that he likes to do a 130 protein rest for 15 min with these even will highly modified malt. I think he said he feels it helps clarity and draws out more of the malt aroma and character.

I'm curious if any of you rock star Helles/Pils brewers do this. What do you get from it? Or why dont you do it?

My recipes will be extremely simple and using Weyermann german pils, pretty much 100%. With two batches of each I'll be using mittelfruh in one and tettnanger in the other. Germ pils will be bittered with magnum then late hopped with the previous two. Probably 2124 for yeast in each.

Thoughts?

[dmtaylor]

My experience is that protein rests are a BAD thing.  They kill the body and head retention, leaving your beer watery and lifeless.  Skip it.  Or if you do try it, limit the rest to like 5 minutes to prevent too much adverse effect.

Damned protein rest discussions never die.....

[HoosierBrew]

I've done decoctions and step mashes and don't have results any better than a single infusion @ 148-150F for 75-90 minutes.

EDIT -  I'm by no means a lager guru, but I've made some good ones. Rock star is a stretch.

[Wort-H.O.G.]

done it, and for me dont see any reason to do it. my helles is clear as can be. if you're looking for malt forward or enhancement, up your chloride, drop your sulfate, add some munich to your helles recipe and even toss in a little melanoiden. i like WLP838 to enhance malt.

[stpug]

I have not noticed any bad side effects from a 130-135F protein rest for 15 minutes, then again I can't say I've noticed any major improvements either.

[hopfenundmalz]

I keep it short. Head retention is no problem, but I also do a long time at 158F.

[majorvices]

I'm not a rock star but I did sleep in my own bed last night. Protein rest is not necessary on todays malts and can actually damage head retention. Skip it.

[quattlebaum]

Havent done a side by side but i have noticed that my head retention is not as good on those i do a short 15 to 20 rest at 130 ( German pils malt) so i tend to avoid. Clarity wise i have not noticed a dif either. my german pils i tend to do a Hochkurz method i think its called 145F x 40 min then ramp up to 158F for 45min and it gets me that nice and dry well attenuated profile of a German pils.  My Helles i have been actually been doing a single temp rest but have been doing No sparge and am really liking the character. It just adds some deeper character to the beer. 

[klickitat jim]

I appreciate everyone's feedback. Two things pop out at me. 1. "I think Gordon said" is not reason enough. 2. When a guy who is a pro who has the worlds most gorgeous helles as his avatar says Skip it,,, skip it.

Disclaimer: maybe its a helles. Hard to tell without a sniff and a taste

[majorvices]

Haha! It's actually a kolsch in the picture.

[klickitat jim]

Samsomite! I was WAY off!

I knew it was something pretty brilliant.

[Wort-H.O.G.]

and Keith's ideas about Kolsch that he shared with me were right on the money-made my Kolsch even better!