[Iliff Ave]

First Pilsner. Thoughts? I realize the sterling is not traditional. Due to the higher AA%, it seems there are not enough hops. Do I need to use noble instead?

97.5% pilsner
2.5% melanoidin

10 g Magnum 60 min
21 g Sterling 20 min
21 g Sterling 5 min

1.050
~40 IBU
W34/70

Yellow Bitter profile
Mash pH 5.2

[69franx]

I have made several pilsners in the last 2 years. by far, I have been the happiest with the recipe I got here from the wiki for Ron "Bluesman" Price's Ringler Pilsner, "A classic example of a German Pilsner"

100% Continental Pilsner
2.75oz Hallertau Mittelfrueh at 60
1.2oz Hallertau Mittelfrueh at 1 min
1.75oz Hallertau Mittelfrueh at 0 minutes
WLP 833
1.052OG/30.2IBU/3.0 SRM finished around 1.010 for 5.5% ABV after a simgle infusion at 149° for 90 minutes

I have made it with both 833 and 830, I preferred the hoppiness of the 830, the missus liked the maltiness of 830.
Super simple recipe, great tasting results. Thanks again to Ron for posting it in the wiki

edit to add: SO when you say too little hops, are you talking about quantity or overall IBU? The recipe above calls for 5.7oz hops but only a little over 30 IBU. What are you looking for in yours, remember, I am no pilsner expert, just know I enjoyed this one
edit again. Just checked Ron's recipe and he calls for mash temp of 151°

[Iliff Ave]

When I say too little hops I am just referring to pure volume. I am just curious if a lot of the pilsner character comes from a large quantity of noble hops versus a smaller amount of higher AA hops. Using less than 2 oz of hops for a pilsner just doesn't seem like enough to me. Does that make sense? This is something I know nothing about.

I am not necessarily going for a tried and true traditional German pilsner just something tasty that is close.

[69franx]

Yea, I think the high AA of the magnum gets the bittering done and helps to keep the vegetal matter low in the kettle. You will have to try it both ways to see what you like. I think it was dmtaylor who said how much he loves going all noble, as he thinks the noble hops add great flavor even when boiled for the full 60-90 minutes. Ron's recipe does call for the traditional 90 minute boil and I did that for my first attempt. The 2x I have made it since, I went with a shortened 60 minute boil, lowering the hop amounts to stay at the 30.2 IBU. I think with your recipe you will have a nice pilsner. Tried and true traditional, I don't have the experience to speak to that

[Iliff Ave]

Yea, I think the high AA of the magnum gets the bittering done and helps to keep the vegetal matter low in the kettle. You will have to try it both ways to see what you like. I think it was dmtaylor who said how much he loves going all noble, as he thinks the noble hops add great flavor even when boiled for the full 60-90 minutes. Ron's recipe does call for the traditional 90 minute boil and I did that for my first attempt. The 2x I have made it since, I went with a shortened 60 minute boil, lowering the hop amounts to stay at the 30.2 IBU. I think with your recipe you will have a nice pilsner. Tried and true traditional, I don't have the experience to speak to that

Cool. Thanks! I may throw something in with the sterling as a compromise for my first go round. I have a lot of sterling on hand and thought this would be a good use for it. I am kind of modifying a pale lager that I brew that didn't turn out great last time although is usually good. It's hard to want to rebrew something that wasn't great last go around.

[69franx]

Lots of good info to be found about Sterling in this other current thread, including high praise for it in a Pilsner:
https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/forum/index.php?topic=27606.msg359706;topicseen#msg359706

[Iliff Ave]

Lots of good info to be found about Sterling in this other current thread, including high praise for it in a Pilsner:
https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/forum/index.php?topic=27606.msg359706;topicseen#msg359706

I used it in an APA split with cascade that was interesting. Other than than that, I have only used it in my pale lager I think

[HoosierBrew]

Chris, what style of pils were you shooting for, more German or Czech? I'd probably bump late hops up a tad for either, and wouldn't use melanoiden in the German but I would use a tad in the Bopils. Regardless, Sterling is a nice hop and would work really well.

[Iliff Ave]

Chris, what style of pils were you shooting for, more German or Czech? I'd probably bump late hops up a tad for either, and wouldn't use melanoiden in the German but I would use a tad in the Bopils. Regardless, Sterling is a nice hop and would work really well.

Thanks Jon. Going for more a German pils. What about some carahell instead of the melanoidin? I thought I have seen that around here.

[HoosierBrew]

Chris, what style of pils were you shooting for, more German or Czech? I'd probably bump late hops up a tad for either, and wouldn't use melanoiden in the German but I would use a tad in the Bopils. Regardless, Sterling is a nice hop and would work really well.

Thanks Jon. Going for more a German pils. What about some carahell instead of the melanoidin? I thought I have seen that around here.

You could use a touch - I wouldn't go over 2% personally. I like an all pils German, but carahell is really nice for some extra character.

[Iliff Ave]

Chris, what style of pils were you shooting for, more German or Czech? I'd probably bump late hops up a tad for either, and wouldn't use melanoiden in the German but I would use a tad in the Bopils. Regardless, Sterling is a nice hop and would work really well.

Thanks Jon. Going for more a German pils. What about some carahell instead of the melanoidin? I thought I have seen that around here.

You could use a touch - I wouldn't go over 2% personally. I like an all pils German, but carahell is really nice for some extra character.

Thank you. I will increase the late hop additions and move them back as to not increase the IBUs. Maybe go with 10 min and 0 min. I will decide on the carapils closer to the brew date.

Right now looking at something closer to:

Pilsner malt
possibly 4 oz carahell

bitter with magnum
1.25 oz sterling 10 min
1.25 oz sterling 0 min

~37 IBU

better? more late hops?

[Steve Ruch]

First Pilsner. Thoughts? I realize the sterling is not traditional. Due to the higher AA%,
with W34/70

Sterlings and S34/70 make a great pilsner.

[HoosierBrew]

Chris, what style of pils were you shooting for, more German or Czech? I'd probably bump late hops up a tad for either, and wouldn't use melanoiden in the German but I would use a tad in the Bopils. Regardless, Sterling is a nice hop and would work really well.

Thanks Jon. Going for more a German pils. What about some carahell instead of the melanoidin? I thought I have seen that around here.

You could use a touch - I wouldn't go over 2% personally. I like an all pils German, but carahell is really nice for some extra character.

Thank you. I will increase the late hop additions and move them back as to not increase the IBUs. Maybe go with 10 min and 0 min. I will decide on the carapils closer to the brew date.

Right now looking at something closer to:

Pilsner malt
possibly 4 oz carahell

bitter with magnum
1.25 oz sterling 10 min
1.25 oz sterling 0 min

~37 IBU

better? more late hops?

I love 40 IBU for German pils. Otherwise, I say brew it !

[santoch]

go for it!

[JJeffers09]

+1 to the sterling I think it will work out like a mittlefruh or spalt would.  good luck to ya