Birra Mediterranea

Birra Mediterranea

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.049  FG = 1.013 
SRM =  3  IBU = 40  ABV = 4.7%

This Italian Pilsner was first brewed in 2018 to introduce the new Eraclea malt at the Weyermann facility in Bamberg, Germany.

Ingredients
8.8 lbs. (4 kg) Eraclea Pilsner malt 
1 lb. (450 g) Carafoam® malt
0.3 lb. (136 g) acidulated malt 
6.7 AAU Aurora hops (60 min.) (0.84 oz./24 g at 8% alpha acids)
6.7 AAU Bobek hops (10 min.) (1.2 oz./34 g at 5.6% alpha acids)
SafLager W-34/70, Wyeast 2124 (Bohemian Lager), or White Labs WLP830 (German Lager) yeast
¾ cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step
Mash in at about 1.5 qts./lb. (3.1 L/kg) at 150 °F (66 °C) and hold at this temperature for 60 minutes. Raise temperature to mash out and recirculate for 15 minutes then begin to run off to the kettle. Sparge with enough acidified water to collect 6.5 gallons (26.5 L) and then boil for 60 minutes. Add hops as indicated. You may opt to add a kettle fining and yeast nutrients in the final 15 minutes of the boil.

After the boil is complete, give the wort a long stir and allow break to settle for 10 minutes before beginning chilling process. Chill wort to 51 °F (11 °C) and transfer to the fermenter. If using a liquid yeast strain, aerate the wort well and pitch the yeast. Ferment at 53 °F (12 °C) until signs of fermentation slow. Slowly raise temperature to 59 °F (15 °C) and hold for one week. Dump the yeast or transfer to a purged secondary vessel. Lager near freezing (~36 °F/2 °C) for three weeks, cooling slowly if possible (don’t cold crash). Rack again and then bottle and prime or keg and force carbonate.

Extract with grains version:
Substitute 5 lbs. (2.27 kg) Pilsen dried malt extract and 1 tsp. 88% lactic acid for the Pilsner and acidulated malts in the all-grain recipe. 

Place crushed grains in a small muslin bag and steep in 6.25 gallons (23.7 L) water as it heats up to 168 °F (76 °C). Remove grain bag and, off heat, stir in malt extract. Once dissolved, turn heat back on and bring wort to a boil for 60 minutes, adding the first hop addition at the start of the boil. Follow the remainder of the all-grain recipe instructions.