Hanabi Lager Co.’s Haná Pilsner clone
Hanabi Lager Co.’s Haná Pilsner clone
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.047 FG = 1.012
IBU = 20 SRM = 4.2 ABV = 4.7%
Ingredients
9.5 lbs. (4.3 kg) Crisp Haná Heritage Malt
1.3 oz. (36 g) acidulated malt
3.8 AAU Tettnang hops (60 min) (1 oz./28 g at 3.3% alpha acids)
3.8 AAU Tettnang hops (15 min) (1 oz./28 g at 3.3% alpha acids)
3.8 AAU Tettnang hops (5 min) (1 oz./28 g at 3.3% alpha acids
White Labs WLP802 (Czech Budejovice Lager), Wyeast 2000-PC (Budvar Lager), or Mangrove Jack’s M84 (Bohemian Lager) yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by step
Mash-in with ambient temperature water (Napa Valley water is silica-rich with moderate calcium, and low alkalinity), and then apply heat to raise the temperature to 101 °F (38 °C). Once there, pull the first (30% v/v) decoction, bring to 148 °F (64 °C), hold until iodine negative, raise to boil, boil 10 minutes, then return to the main mash. Adjust main mash temperature to 131 °F (55 °C), hold 5 minutes, then pull the second 25% v/v decoction. Bring the second decoction to 148 °F (64 °C), hold until iodine negative, then raise to a boil for 10 minutes, then return to the main mash. Adjust main mash temperature to 146–148 °F (63–64 °C), hold until iodine negative. Pull the third decoction (30% v/v), ramp straight to boil, boil 10 minutes, then return to the main mash. Adjust temperature to 172 °F (78 °C), hold 10 minutes, then transfer to the lauter tun.
Vorlauf until wort is clear and then lauter the boil kettle.
Boil 69 minutes, adding hops according to the schedule. Whirlpool, and then cool wort rapidly to 42 °F (6 °C). Pitch yeast and aerate thoroughly if using liquid yeast.
Ferment at 50 °F (10 °C), carbonate via spund/bung valve when gravity is 1.020. Taste daily until diacetyl and related carbonyl aroma compounds have dropped to acceptable levels, and then cool 1 °F (0.5 °C) per day until you reach 39 °F (4 °C), rousing the yeasts as needed for proper flavor/texture/conditioning. Rack to secondary (under pressure), and lager at 39 °F (4 °C) for up to three months. Bottle under counter-pressure.
Written by Adrian Febre
Hanabi Lager is quickly gaining an international reputation for developing a new class of Pilsner- and helles-style lagers that are rich and complex in flavor, unusually so for these lager categories, into which they only loosely fit. They focus exclusively on rare and heirloom grains, brewing with them on their custom decoction brewhouse, and presenting them through the pure, cold-fermented lens of lager.
