[petermmitchell]

Does anyone have a tried and true helles recipe they could share?  Thinking about brewing one for the first time.  Any process or water adjustment notes would be much appreciated.  Thanks!


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[tommymorris]

I don’t. But, when looking for recipes I start with the AHA recipes page. They have National Homebrew Competition Gold Medal recipes for every style.

https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/homebrew-recipes/

You can get to the same recipes via the Brew Guru app.




- formerly alestateyall.

[BrewBama]

I don’t. But, when looking for recipes I start with the AHA recipes page. They have National Homebrew Competition Gold Medal recipes for every style.

https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/homebrew-recipes/

You can get to the same recipes via the Brew Guru app.




- formerly alestateyall.

+1. Also, when brewing certain styles I like to consider the source. In this case Germany. So, I look for a German’s recommendation. Kai is a great resource http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php/Edel_Hell

While Kai recommends 83% German Pilsner malt, 15% Weyermann Vienna, 2% Sauermalz, I’ve seen Bryan Rabe recommend 92% pils and 8% carahell as a replication of Weihenstephan https://youtu.be/kLDzAaqkaG4 ...and Josh Weikert recommends Pils, Vienna, and Victory: https://beerandbrewing.com/make-your-best-helles/

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[Big Monk]

I'm not a lager brewer but I know a damn good one and you can't go wrong with the following:

92-98% Barke Pilsner
5-8% CaraHell or 2-4% CaraMunich I or II

OR

92-98% 50/50 Blend of Pilsner/Pale Ale
5-8% CaraHell or 2-4% CaraMunich I or II

Clear beer into the kettle and fermenter with a clean, cold fermentation will produce wonderful results. Just don't boil too hard and keep the cold side free of oxygen.

Obviously we advocate a certain set of procedures for the hot side but if you are just looking for a base recipe to play with this should be a good start.

[Big Monk]

...and Josh Weikert recommends Pils, Vienna, and Victory: https://beerandbrewing.com/make-your-best-helles/

That looks almost like the color of an amber Kellerbier or a Marzen. Yikes!

[mabrungard]

...and Josh Weikert recommends Pils, Vienna, and Victory: https://beerandbrewing.com/make-your-best-helles/

That looks almost like the color of an amber Kellerbier or a Marzen. Yikes!

The picture in his article may be incorrect, but I agree that it appears too dark for style. I also disagree that Victory be used in the grist. The Pils w/ Carahell is the direction I prefer. That is a very pale and crisp recipe.

[Big Monk]

...and Josh Weikert recommends Pils, Vienna, and Victory: https://beerandbrewing.com/make-your-best-helles/

That looks almost like the color of an amber Kellerbier or a Marzen. Yikes!

The picture in his article may be incorrect, but I agree that it appears too dark for style. I also disagree that Victory be used in the grist. The Pils w/ Carahell is the direction I prefer. That is a very pale and crisp recipe.

A flavorful Pils like Barke would be ideal, but like I mentioned above, a mix of Pils/Pale or even Pils/Vienna would give some nuance without excessive color.

If I were a lager brewer, i'd be going with Bryan's 92/8 or 95/5 Barke Pils/CaraHell Helles.

[hannabrew]

I've brewed Bryan's recipe with great results (2 golds and a BoS)

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[Robert]

I've been chasing this my whole brewing life. Here's where I currently stand:

12°P,  80/20 Weyermann Pils/Bohemian Dark

Water, nothing excessive, lactic acid as needed

20 IBU in beer, so ~27 in wort, Mittelfrüh/Tettnang blend, divided into two equal charges, FWH (for 75% of BU)  and 10 minutes (25% BU)

Short, low-intensity boil

2124/830

The DO as low as you can go -- do your best hot side, be absolutely impeccable cold side.

(This beer is a moving target for me, my White Whale.  It will change again.)

[James K]

The only helles I made was a Munich helles

7#pils
2#Munich
1#carapils

Saaz at 60
Tettnang at 30 and 10

Beer smith showed 17.9 ibu, 5.2 abv.

I mashed at 148 and used 2 packs of saflager w34/70. It wasn’t award winning or anything but was a tasty malty lager. Very drinkable.

[BrewBama]

...and Josh Weikert recommends Pils, Vienna, and Victory: https://beerandbrewing.com/make-your-best-helles/

That looks almost like the color of an amber Kellerbier or a Marzen. Yikes!

The picture in his article may be incorrect, but I agree that it appears too dark for style. I also disagree that Victory be used in the grist. The Pils w/ Carahell is the direction I prefer. That is a very pale and crisp recipe.

Josh will have to answer to his Beer Judge buddies on that one.


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[tommymorris]

...and Josh Weikert recommends Pils, Vienna, and Victory: https://beerandbrewing.com/make-your-best-helles/

That looks almost like the color of an amber Kellerbier or a Marzen. Yikes!

The picture in his article may be incorrect, but I agree that it appears too dark for style. I also disagree that Victory be used in the grist. The Pils w/ Carahell is the direction I prefer. That is a very pale and crisp recipe.

Josh will have to answer to his Beer Judge buddies on that one.


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From an intended outcomes perspective, 2% Victory Malt doesn’t seem wildly different than the suggestion of 50% Pale Ale Malt to me. But, I haven’t brewed either.


- formerly alestateyall.

[Big Monk]

...and Josh Weikert recommends Pils, Vienna, and Victory: https://beerandbrewing.com/make-your-best-helles/

That looks almost like the color of an amber Kellerbier or a Marzen. Yikes!

The picture in his article may be incorrect, but I agree that it appears too dark for style. I also disagree that Victory be used in the grist. The Pils w/ Carahell is the direction I prefer. That is a very pale and crisp recipe.

Josh will have to answer to his Beer Judge buddies on that one.


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From an intended outcomes perspective, 2% Victory Malt doesn’t seem wildly different than the suggestion of 50% Pale Ale Malt to me. But, I haven’t brewed either.


- formerly alestateyall.

Mostly it just looks like process based color pickup. Probably boiling too hard. It definitely looks much darker than the recipe would suggest.

[Iliff Ave]

Personally I think I would like a bit of Munich in a Helles. Is that completely out of place?

[Robert]

The Bohemian Dark in mine is essentially a light Munich.   I don't know if it's wrong, but I like it. Not much color, but adds a real depth of malt flavor.