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Author Topic: Imperial Pilsner Dilution...  (Read 2519 times)

Offline roddog

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Imperial Pilsner Dilution...
« on: June 05, 2017, 06:07:10 pm »
Hello, first time asker here, I usually just lurk and learn.  I upgraded some equipment recently and tried to do something that didn't work out and would like to as a few questions about how I can fix it.  I was trying to do a double batch (11 gallon in my 5 gallon system with a new mashtun) of German pilsner.  Grain bill was:

- 17.5# pilsner
- 0.5# acidulated
- tett + hallatau hopping as normal (47ibus), 90 minute boil.
- huge starter of Danish Lager (love this yeast for normal pilsners, sad it is going to the private collection).

My intention was to try out my new mashtun and play around with BeerSmith to brew a heavy pilsner then put it into two different fermenters with some boiled water to dilute down to normal strength.  Horrible brew day, new autosparge had tons of leaks, blah blah, blah.  Ended up just going into a single fermenter with an OG 1.088!  Huge amount of O2, pitched yeast. Probably a bit 'out of style' here...  Fermented great at 48, been lagering since mid-Jan.  FG is 1.010 and an SRM around 8!

Question is, this baby is good but way too big to be a pilsner (haven't seen a 10% pilsner).  It is way fruity and a great tasting beer but would like to see if I can turn some of it back into a pilsner.  I was thinking splitting it into two kegs and diluting one down to normal levels.  I understand I need to boil any water to remove oxygen (and perhaps put in some metabisulfate or use the yeast approach that the LODO dudes use) to prevent oxidization.   What else do I need to be careful of?

Questions:
1.  Anyone brew heavy and dilute later like this and have additional insights? 
2. The full strength stuff is great but being from just straight pilsner malt, would it age well? 

Thanks for any insights.



Offline nikitaso

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Re: Imperial Pilsner Dilution...
« Reply #1 on: June 05, 2017, 06:24:51 pm »
why not try and age

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Offline ynotbrusum

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Re: Imperial Pilsner Dilution...
« Reply #2 on: June 06, 2017, 05:50:43 am »
I think the dilution works best prior to fermentation, but I have no science behind that.  The IBUs would be different if you dilute, but try a dilution in a sample bottle sized serving under the process you propose and see if you like the result.  Kinda like blending beers, which I do with a Solera project I have going for a periodic Flanders Red. 

By blending at the small scale you can adjust the amount to your liking without committing the whole batch to the experiment.

Just my thoughts, so good luck.  Cheers.
Hodge Garage Brewing: "Brew with a glad heart!"

jrdatta

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Re: Imperial Pilsner Dilution...
« Reply #3 on: June 06, 2017, 07:11:55 am »
Boil the water to de-O2 it, and be careful racking (purged kegs.) the two together but you should be ok to do so to your hearts content.

Offline reverseapachemaster

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Re: Imperial Pilsner Dilution...
« Reply #4 on: June 06, 2017, 08:46:28 am »
When imperializing everything (2009-10?) was a thing, there were imperial pilsners.

I'm not opposed to last minute corrective efforts but if you like the beer as it is then why risk turning one keg of good beer into two kegs of bland beer?
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The Beerery

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Re: Imperial Pilsner Dilution...
« Reply #5 on: June 06, 2017, 09:03:49 am »
Being a low oxygen fanatic, this makes me want to try and find a safe space!  ;D

Are you familiar with filling the keg with sanitizer and then pushing it out to purge? You will definitely want to do that here.

Otherwise here is a purge chart:


I would preboil and cool, add a smidge of sulfites (under 10ppm), do the purge, and hope for the best!


Offline Iliff Ave

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Re: Imperial Pilsner Dilution...
« Reply #6 on: June 06, 2017, 09:37:31 am »
Cool chart. Can you define a 'purge cycle' for me? Is it a full purge of all the headspace? Sorry for my naivety and to get off topic...
« Last Edit: June 06, 2017, 09:43:23 am by goschman »
On Tap/Bottled: IPL, Adjunct Vienna, Golden Stout, Honey Lager
Fermenting: IPA
Up Next: mexi lager, Germerican pale ale

The Beerery

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Re: Imperial Pilsner Dilution...
« Reply #7 on: June 06, 2017, 09:57:02 am »
That would be a complete fill and a complete release.


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Offline chinaski

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Re: Imperial Pilsner Dilution...
« Reply #8 on: June 06, 2017, 11:30:10 am »
I happen to read this the other day- might be what you're looking to do:
https://www.morebeer.com/articles/brewing_high_gravity_beers

Offline roddog

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Re: Imperial Pilsner Dilution...
« Reply #9 on: June 06, 2017, 07:31:40 pm »
Great id as.  I prefer to push out over purging but that is a great chart!   Love it.  Going to do a little of both-dilute some and bottle and store the pilsnerwine, imperial pilsner, triple pils, or whatever I've created.  Thanks for the input.  You all rock!

Offline hopfenundmalz

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Re: Imperial Pilsner Dilution...
« Reply #10 on: June 07, 2017, 01:20:18 pm »
Being a low oxygen fanatic, this makes me want to try and find a safe space!  ;D

Are you familiar with filling the keg with sanitizer and then pushing it out to purge? You will definitely want to do that here.

Otherwise here is a purge chart:


I would preboil and cool, add a smidge of sulfites (under 10ppm), do the purge, and hope for the best!
I concluded that it was cheaper and less work to push the sanitizer out.
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Offline ynotbrusum

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Re: Imperial Pilsner Dilution...
« Reply #11 on: June 07, 2017, 02:54:45 pm »
Being a low oxygen fanatic, this makes me want to try and find a safe space!  ;D

Are you familiar with filling the keg with sanitizer and then pushing it out to purge? You will definitely want to do that here.

Otherwise here is a purge chart:


I would preboil and cool, add a smidge of sulfites (under 10ppm), do the purge, and hope for the best!
I concluded that it was cheaper and less work to push the sanitizer out.
 

That's for sure.  I purge all kegs with sanitizer now as standard practice after cleaning and rinsing - it also acts as a pressure test to make sure the kegs hold pressure while stored and I use the CO2 in the stored keg to blow out the O2 in my sanitized racking tubing when I hook up the QDC for racking from the fermenter (whether from the fermenting vessel's valve or by racking cane, if none).
Hodge Garage Brewing: "Brew with a glad heart!"

Offline roddog

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Re: Imperial Pilsner Dilution...
« Reply #12 on: June 07, 2017, 05:35:22 pm »
That's for sure.  I purge all kegs with sanitizer now as standard practice after cleaning and rinsing - it also acts as a pressure test to make sure the kegs hold pressure while stored and I use the CO2 in the stored keg to blow out the O2 in my sanitized racking tubing when I hook up the QDC for racking from the fermenter (whether from the fermenting vessel's valve or by racking cane, if none).

Great process!  Thanks for all the input!

Offline ynotbrusum

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Re: Imperial Pilsner Dilution...
« Reply #13 on: June 07, 2017, 07:51:25 pm »
That's for sure.  I purge all kegs with sanitizer now as standard practice after cleaning and rinsing - it also acts as a pressure test to make sure the kegs hold pressure while stored and I use the CO2 in the stored keg to blow out the O2 in my sanitized racking tubing when I hook up the QDC for racking from the fermenter (whether from the fermenting vessel's valve or by racking cane, if none).

Great process!  Thanks for all the input!

Also consider making a jumper line of tubing of out post to out post (QCD out on both) to sanitize multiple kegs in a row, filling from the purged keg to the next keg in succession and then to a five gallon bucket at the end of the line...
Hodge Garage Brewing: "Brew with a glad heart!"