[Iliff Ave]

I still haven't brewed this. It will be my first lager of the season once the weather cools down a bit more so I have two batches scheduled ahead of it

As is pretty standard for me, it is hard to settle on traditional styles. I think the problem is I can't brew as much as I like so I start combining multiple ideas into one beer...

I am thinking about shifting this and throwing in some American hops. I still want it to be 'pilsneresque' but with some different hop attributes. I suppose it just becomes a generic hoppy lager. I have a couple of ounces of Ahtanum that I was thinking of throwing into the mix.

How does this look? I will get rid of the 20 min addition altogether and get most of my IBUs from the bittering addition. Is it a bad idea to dry hop?

~40 IBU
Magnum 60 min
1 oz Sterling/1 oz Ahtanum 5 min
1 oz Sterling/1 oz Ahtanum DH

I will either go the more traditional route or this direction depending on what I have on tap at the time.

Sounds good to me. I love the hoppy lager/IPL beers. I used the Pivo pils recipe from Matt Brynildson in BYO and it called for a small dry hop. Ahtanum is great dry hopped. I say go for it.

Thanks! I need to stop developing recipes too far in advance. It's a problem I have....

[69franx]

I hear you, think I have 4-5 times as many recipes stored as I have brewed in the last 3+ years. Too many recipes, too little time

[Steve Ruch]

I hear you, think I have 4-5 times as many recipes stored as I have brewed in the last 3+ years. Too many recipes, too little time

I've got a notebook full of recipes that I haven't brewed yet. For me part of the fun is recipe formulation.

[69franx]

Definitely!

[el_capitan]

I think your Sterling/Ahtuanum combo will give you a really nice herbal combo.  The Sterling all on its own can be kind of one-dimensional (speaking from using homegrowns, not commercial).  It's a really clean hop.  A buddy of mine down the road grows Saaz, so we might do two batches of pilsner - one with Sterling, one with Saaz.  If that happens, I'll report back.  It might be a while though.

[Iliff Ave]

Finally getting around to this on Friday. I have gone back and forth a lot on what to do in regards to the hops. I have decided to use palisade at the end of the boil which to me has an earthy, grassy, and light stone fruit character that I think will work well here. The only remaining item is whether or not to use some noble hops as well. I think I have a bunch of really low alpha spalt.

At this point, I am going for something German Pils like with a slight American hop twist...

50% pilsner
50% weyermann pale

17g Magnum 60 min
1 oz spalt 20 min???
2 oz palisade @ flameout

1.051
38.7 IBU

[JJeffers09]

I would go motueka vs spalt

[HoosierBrew]

Finally getting around to this on Friday. I have gone back and forth a lot on what to do in regards to the hops. I have decided to use palisade at the end of the boil which to me has an earthy, grassy, and light stone fruit character that I think will work well here. The only remaining item is whether or not to use some noble hops as well. I think I have a bunch of really low alpha spalt.

At this point, I am going for something German Pils like with a slight American hop twist...

50% pilsner
50% weyermann pale

17g Magnum 60 min
1 oz spalt 20 min???
2 oz palisade @ flameout

1.051
38.7 IBU

Looks tasty. If you're wanting a noble hop addition @ 20, Mittelfrueh or Hersbrucker is hard to beat in any German pils, or Saaz for a more Czech approach. Spalt would work fine though. What strain are you using?

[Iliff Ave]

I would go motueka vs spalt

Going with hops I have on hand

[JJeffers09]

looks good

[Iliff Ave]

Finally getting around to this on Friday. I have gone back and forth a lot on what to do in regards to the hops. I have decided to use palisade at the end of the boil which to me has an earthy, grassy, and light stone fruit character that I think will work well here. The only remaining item is whether or not to use some noble hops as well. I think I have a bunch of really low alpha spalt.

At this point, I am going for something German Pils like with a slight American hop twist...

50% pilsner
50% weyermann pale

17g Magnum 60 min
1 oz spalt 20 min???
2 oz palisade @ flameout

1.051
38.7 IBU

Looks tasty. If you're wanting a noble hop addition @ 20, Mittelfrueh or Hersbrucker is hard to beat in any German pils, or Saaz for a more Czech approach. Spalt would work fine though. What strain are you using?

Using good 'ol 34/70 @ 50F.

I am planning to use hops I have on hand which I believe leaves me with Spalt or Tettnang. I do have Crystal and Sterling that could be used instead as well...

[HoosierBrew]

Any of those would do well. Tettnang is excellent, as are Crystal and Sterling. Sounds like a nice beer.

[Iliff Ave]

Any of those would do well. Tettnang is excellent, as are Crystal and Sterling. Sounds like a nice beer.

Thanks Jon. Sounds like a brew day decision. Lager season has begun for me! I can do them when it's warmer but it's difficult to get to pitching temps with warmer groundwater...

[HoosierBrew]

Any of those would do well. Tettnang is excellent, as are Crystal and Sterling. Sounds like a nice beer.

Thanks Jon. Sounds like a brew day decision. Lager season has begun for me! I can do them when it's warmer but it's difficult to get to pitching temps with warmer groundwater...

Yep, I'm wanting to get a bock or dunkel (or both) done soon. Assuming you don't have fridge space to leave overnight to cool to lager temps - if you ever get $50 burning a hole in your pocket, a submersible sump pump in a bucket of ice water will get you down to pitching temps in a hurry. Bought one last year and I love it. I cool to ~ 80F with ground water, disconnect the IC and connect to the pump in ice water, to pump ice water through the IC. Got me down to lager temps in the middle of the summer easily several times. Really good purchase for me.

https://www.amazon.com/Superior-Pump-91250-Thermoplastic-Submersible/dp/B000X05G1A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1478794668&sr=8-1&keywords=1+4+hp+sump+pump

[pete b]

I simply let both ales and lagers finish getting down to temp overnight and pitch in the morning. As long as sanitation is good, which obviously it needs to be anyway, it works like a charm. It also works out better timing wise to have my starter ready to pitch the next morning.