[redrocker652002]

Not sure where this goes, so I will start here. My sister in law gave me a bunch of German beers from a place called Weihenstephaner. According to the label and her, it is the oldest brewery in Germany. She is from Russia, so I will take her word for it as I know nothing about anything outside of the IPA world. I just opened a can of their Helles beer, and I have to say it isn't bad. It has a very crisp taste, almost Coors like, but a very pleasant taste and a light finish. Doing some research, I see it is a lager or similar, so to brew it I am guessing you have to be able to ferment at a rather cold temp? This style could be another to add to my arsenal, but I cannot ferment at much cooler than about 65 degrees. So, I am guessing I will have to wait on this until I can get a Keezer to ferment cooler? Anyway, just thought I would post as I have not seen much conversation regarding this style of beer. Rock On!!!!!!

[denny]

You can ferment lagers warm and I and many others have done it. I still think I get better results cold, but that doesn't mean the warm result is by any means bad. Many people use pressure fermentation to suppress este4s of warm fermented lager. I haven't found that necessary.

[dmtaylor]

I use Diamond lager yeast at 65 F and have been happy with the results.

[redrocker652002]

Thanks guys.  I might give this a go.  It was a nice change to the IPA's I usually drink. 

[hopfenundmalz]

Weihenstephan is the oldest brewery. It burned down 4 times, and had periods of no brewing due to war, plague, and an earthquake. Weltenburg started 20 years later and didn't have those issue, so they sometimes poke fun.

Helles is the most consumed style in the Munich area, and probably Bavaria. Pilsner is popular in the rest of Germany.
There is some variation in Bavaria, in the Franconia part Helles has more bitterness and Hop aroma.

https://www.bjcp.org/style/2021/4/4A/munich-helles/

I brewed a helles yesterday. It will be enjoyed while sitting outside this summer.

[Village Taphouse]

Right, what hopfenundmalz said.  IIRC, the can of Weihenstephan shows THE OLDEST BREWERY IN THE WORLD dating back to 1040.  Drinking helles in Munich is one of a beer enthusiast's greatest memories.  I agree that Diamond or Wyeast 2124 might be okay in the mid-60s and would be suitable for a helles.  I make this style pretty often but the guidelines and the beer's goal can be hard to achieve.  It's supposed to be well-balanced, have a good malty profile with a crisp finish and many recipes say that the grain bill should be 100% pilsner malt.  Not an easy task.  Fresh ingredients go a long way too.  I have tried using Barke Pils from Weyermann, Hallertau or Edelweiss hops and a number of yeast strains.  When it's right... it might be the perfect beer. 

[redrocker652002]

Thanks guys.  Any way I can get the recipes you all use?  My son just told me he tried a Helle's from a brewery in Santa Cruz, CA and really dug it.  I can see it being a great summer beer as it is low ABV and crisp and clean.  I am going to give it a shot I think in the next go around.  Might be a cool addition to get me that second tap and a new setup.  LOL.  Of course, accountant approved.  LOL.

[HighVoltageMan!]

I have a lot of luck with this recipe. I won a handful of medals for it. It has a 50/50 mix of German Pilsner malt and Bohemian Pilsner malt. The malt should stand out with a Helles. Not too bitter, just enough to balance out the malt a bit.

It can be brewed a little on the warm side, but it is a much better beer cold fermented. I use Wyeast 2124 @ 48F with very good results. Like any lager it needs a very large pitch and oxygen @48F to get the yeast to behave correctly.

This is one of those beers that the execution of the recipe makes all the difference.

https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/213742/a-simple-helles

[MNWayne]

I'm not really big on labels so I'm not sure if this recipe is a bonafide Hells, but my wife and I sure like it. It's crisp yet flavorful.  86% pilsner, 9% white wheat, 5% vienna.  30ml phosphoric acid, 35 gr gypsum. 151 degree mash.  Boil 60 minutes with one ounce each (I make 10 gal batches); Magnum, Saaz, Tettnang, Hallertau, Perle.  1 ounce Tettnang and 1 ounce Perle at flameout. Weinhenstephan yeast.

[denny]

I'm not really big on labels so I'm not sure if this recipe is a bonafide Hells, but my wife and I sure like it. It's crisp yet flavorful.  86% pilsner, 9% white wheat, 5% vienna.  30ml phosphoric acid, 35 gr gypsum. 151 degree mash.  Boil 60 minutes with one ounce each (I make 10 gal batches); Magnum, Saaz, Tettnang, Hallertau, Perle.  1 ounce Tettnang and 1 ounce Perle at flameout. Weinhenstephan yeast.

People should be aware that if they brew this recipe, the acid and gypsum additions may be different depending on their water.

[Village Taphouse]

Thanks guys.  Any way I can get the recipes you all use?  My son just told me he tried a Helle's from a brewery in Santa Cruz, CA and really dug it.  I can see it being a great summer beer as it is low ABV and crisp and clean.  I am going to give it a shot I think in the next go around.  Might be a cool addition to get me that second tap and a new setup.  LOL.  Of course, accountant approved.  LOL.

The other thing that is often mentioned is that a helles has one hop addition at the start of the boil and then there is the notion (hopfenundmalz... help me out here) that German breweries don't add hops in the last 30 minutes of the boil.  So to get that "crispness" along with the satisfying maltiness... it's an even bigger challenge.  I almost always do something like 80% of a good pilsner malt plus 20% Vienna.  Sometimes I go rogue and add some Copper malt to get that maltiness but then depending on your water and how your chloride and sulfate are... you have to be careful of the balance again.  If you want that crisp finish I see no reason why you couldn't add a half ounce of a good finishing hop at the end of the boil.  This might be a good time to say that if you have REALLY good hops that are NOT usually associated with Helles (like Liberty, Sterling, Edelweiss, etc) and they're in better shape than the Hallertau, Tettnanger or Spalt you have... use the US hops.  The beer will be better for it. 

[hopfenundmalz]

Thanks guys.  Any way I can get the recipes you all use?  My son just told me he tried a Helle's from a brewery in Santa Cruz, CA and really dug it.  I can see it being a great summer beer as it is low ABV and crisp and clean.  I am going to give it a shot I think in the next go around.  Might be a cool addition to get me that second tap and a new setup.  LOL.  Of course, accountant approved.  LOL.

The other thing that is often mentioned is that a helles has one hop addition at the start of the boil and then there is the notion (hopfenundmalz... help me out here) that German breweries don't add hops in the last 30 minutes of the boil.  So to get that "crispness" along with the satisfying maltiness... it's an even bigger challenge.  I almost always do something like 80% of a good pilsner malt plus 20% Vienna.  Sometimes I go rogue and add some Copper malt to get that maltiness but then depending on your water and how your chloride and sulfate are... you have to be careful of the balance again.  If you want that crisp finish I see no reason why you couldn't add a half ounce of a good finishing hop at the end of the boil.  This might be a good time to say that if you have REALLY good hops that are NOT usually associated with Helles (like Liberty, Sterling, Edelweiss, etc) and they're in better shape than the Hallertau, Tettnanger or Spalt you have... use the US hops.  The beer will be better for it.

I've read 20 or 10 minutes, but some add whirlpool hops. Do what you want, but In a Munich Helles not to much. Yesterday I used some Tettnanger 4.4% AA to 1.5 oz at 60, 0.5 at 10 minutes in 10 gallons.

20 Lbs Barke Pils, 6 oz Carahell. Chloride to sulfate was 3, with Ca at 50 ppm, can't remember the absolute Cl and SO4 ppm. Yeast was imperial L17 Harvest, Augustiner yeast, my favorite Helles in Munich.

The ingredients are simple. The Process is key. Step mash, LODO as best I can, pitched 5L of active yeast into 45F wort, gave it 2.5 minutes of O2. Mash was at 5.44 pH, added lactic acid to get down to <5.3 at last 10 minutes of the boil.

[HopDen]

Weihenstephan is the oldest brewery. It burned down 4 times, and had periods of no brewing due to war, plague, and an earthquake. Weltenburg started 20 years later and didn't have those issue, so they sometimes poke fun.

Helles is the most consumed style in the Munich area, and probably Bavaria. Pilsner is popular in the rest of Germany.
There is some variation in Bavaria, in the Franconia part Helles has more bitterness and Hop aroma.

https://www.bjcp.org/style/2021/4/4A/munich-helles/

I brewed a helles yesterday. It will be enjoyed while sitting outside this summer.

Jeff, from reading many of your posts over the years I have come to the conclusion that you have much knowledge of German beers. I think you have also stated you have visited a few times.  We are planning a visit to Europe in 24' with stops in Germany. Can you share any information that could be helpful to us as it will be our first trip there. I really don't know where to start for a beer themed visit. Thank You in advance.

[Village Taphouse]

Thanks guys.  Any way I can get the recipes you all use?  My son just told me he tried a Helle's from a brewery in Santa Cruz, CA and really dug it.  I can see it being a great summer beer as it is low ABV and crisp and clean.  I am going to give it a shot I think in the next go around.  Might be a cool addition to get me that second tap and a new setup.  LOL.  Of course, accountant approved.  LOL.

The other thing that is often mentioned is that a helles has one hop addition at the start of the boil and then there is the notion (hopfenundmalz... help me out here) that German breweries don't add hops in the last 30 minutes of the boil.  So to get that "crispness" along with the satisfying maltiness... it's an even bigger challenge.  I almost always do something like 80% of a good pilsner malt plus 20% Vienna.  Sometimes I go rogue and add some Copper malt to get that maltiness but then depending on your water and how your chloride and sulfate are... you have to be careful of the balance again.  If you want that crisp finish I see no reason why you couldn't add a half ounce of a good finishing hop at the end of the boil.  This might be a good time to say that if you have REALLY good hops that are NOT usually associated with Helles (like Liberty, Sterling, Edelweiss, etc) and they're in better shape than the Hallertau, Tettnanger or Spalt you have... use the US hops.  The beer will be better for it.

I've read 20 or 10 minutes, but some add whirlpool hops. Do what you want, but In a Munich Helles not to much. Yesterday I used some Tettnanger 4.4% AA to 1.5 oz at 60, 0.5 at 10 minutes in 10 gallons.

20 Lbs Barke Pils, 6 oz Carahell. Chloride to sulfate was 3, with Ca at 50 ppm, can't remember the absolute Cl and SO4 ppm. Yeast was imperial L17 Harvest, Augustiner yeast, my favorite Helles in Munich.

The ingredients are simple. The Process is key. Step mash, LODO as best I can, pitched 5L of active yeast into 45F wort, gave it 2.5 minutes of O2. Mash was at 5.44 pH, added lactic acid to get down to <5.3 at last 10 minutes of the boil.

There you go.  If that could fit on a t-shirt... I would wear it. 

My favorite yeast for this is Omega Bayern which I believe is the same yeast... Augustiner.  I agree on the chloride/sulfate too.  You can get the deep, round and malty character with some help from chloride and I typically add only chloride to my helles as my water leans towards sulfate but the overall numbers are low.  Then the .5 ounce of Tettnanger with 10 minutes left would help get that crisp finish.  Not sure if it's traditional or not but I like it. 

[Village Taphouse]

Weihenstephan is the oldest brewery. It burned down 4 times, and had periods of no brewing due to war, plague, and an earthquake. Weltenburg started 20 years later and didn't have those issue, so they sometimes poke fun.

Helles is the most consumed style in the Munich area, and probably Bavaria. Pilsner is popular in the rest of Germany.
There is some variation in Bavaria, in the Franconia part Helles has more bitterness and Hop aroma.

https://www.bjcp.org/style/2021/4/4A/munich-helles/

I brewed a helles yesterday. It will be enjoyed while sitting outside this summer.

Jeff, from reading many of your posts over the years I have come to the conclusion that you have much knowledge of German beers. I think you have also stated you have visited a few times.  We are planning a visit to Europe in 24' with stops in Germany. Can you share any information that could be helpful to us as it will be our first trip there. I really don't know where to start for a beer themed visit. Thank You in advance.

I look forward to his response.  One thing I learned is that not all German cities are "beer destinations".  We had a stop in Frankfurt for about 24 hours and yes there was beer but it wasn't like Munich.  Munich and Prague are among the best beer cities in the world for sure.  Vienna too.  Have fun on your trip.