German Pilsner By Brian Bergquist

German Pilsner
By Brian Bergquist

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.048 FG = 1.008
IBU = 31 SRM = 3 ABV = 5.3%

Winner of the 10th Annual Virginia Beer Blitz (Hampton, Virginia: 383 entries)

Ingredients
9 lbs. 10 oz. (4.4 kg) floor-malted Pilsner malt
3 oz. (85 g) acidulated malt
7.2 AAU Magnum hops (60 min.) (0.6 oz./17 g at 12% alpha acid)
1.5 AAU Hallertauer hops (15 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 3% alpha acids)
0.5 oz. (14 g) Hallertauer hops (0 min.)
Saflager W-34/70 or White Labs WLP830 (German Lager) or Wyeast 2124 (Bohemian Lager) yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step
If you opt to use the liquid yeast strains, two or three days before brew day, make an appropriate-sized yeast starter, aerating the wort thoroughly (preferably with oxygen) before pitching the yeast. This can be skipped if you use the dried yeast. Prepare brewing water to the following profile: 75 ppm calcium, 2 ppm magnesium, 17 ppm sodium, 92 ppm sulfate, 78 ppm chloride, 32 ppm bicarbonate.

This recipe uses a step mash. Mash in the malts at 125 °F (52 °C) in 15 qts. (14 L) of prepared water, and hold this temperature for 20 minutes. Raise mash temperature to 145 °F (63 °C) and hold for 40 minutes. Raise mash temperature to 158 °F (70 °C) and hold for 30 minutes. Raise to 168 °F (76 °C) and hold for 10 minutes. Sparge with 168 °F (76 °C) water until 6.5 gallons (25 L) of wort is collected.

Boil the wort for 90 minutes, adding the hops at times indicated in the ingredients list. Chill the wort rapidly to 45 °F (7 °C). Rehydrate the dry yeast, then pitch into oxygenated wort. Ferment at 50 °F (10 °C) for 2 weeks, raise to 60 °F (16 °C) for one week, lower temperature slowly to
34 °F (1 °C) and lager for two weeks. Prime and bottle condition, or keg and force carbonate.

German Pilsner
By Brian Bergquist

(5 gallons/19 L, extract only)
OG = 1.048 FG = 1.008
IBU = 31 SRM = 4 ABV = 5.3%

Ingredients
6.6 lbs. (3 kg) Pilsner liquid malt extract
7.2 AAU Magnum hops (60 min.) (0.6 oz./17 g at 12% alpha acids)
1.5 AAU Hallertauer hops (15 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 3% alpha acids)
0.5 oz. (14 g) Hallertauer hops (0 min.)
Saflager W-34/70 or White Labs WLP830 (German Lager) or Wyeast 2124 (Bohemian Lager) yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step
Use 6 gallons (23 L) of water in the brew kettle; heat to 158 °F (70 °C). Turn off heat. Add the liquid malt extract and stir thoroughly to dissolve the extract completely. You do not want to feel liquid extract at the bottom of the kettle when stirring with your spoon. Turn the heat back on and bring to a boil. Boil the wort for 60 minutes, adding the hops at the times indicated in the ingredients list. Chill the wort rapidly to 45 °F (7 °C).

Rehydrate the dry yeast, then pitch into oxygenated wort. Ferment at 50 °F (10 °C) for 2 weeks, raise to 60 °F (15 °C) for one week, lower temperature slowly to 34 °F (1 °C) and lager for two weeks. Prime and bottle condition, or keg and force carbonate.

Tips for Success:
This beer was the first Pilsner that Brian and his brother Scott had brewed, and it was the first beer in a series of lagers they planned (so they can reuse the yeast in multiple batches). To really nail this technically challenging style, Brian recommends really paying attention to controlling fermentation temperature, oxygenating the wort, practicing better yeast management and pitching, limiting cold side aeration, designing water chemistry, and refining other processes. For more on making a yeast starter, check out byo.com/resources/build-a-yeast-starter.
One of the biggest keys to brewing award-winning lagers is to control your fermentation temperatures. Fermenting above the normal temperature range may produce excessive fruity-flavored esters or harsh-flavored fusel alcohols.

For all-grain brewers, a note on brewing water. You can make a perfectly fine German Pilsner with most water, (within reason). But if you want to make award-winning examples, it pays to pay attention to your brewing water. Brewing very clean lagers requires very low carbonate water, hence the recipe included in the all-grain recipe here. If you aren’t sure what your brewing water profile is, you can request a water report from your municipal water source. Or start with reverse osmosis (RO) water and build the profile provided.