Russian River Brewing Co.’s STS Pils clone

Russian River Brewing Co.’s STS Pils clone

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.048  FG = 1.007
IBU = 32  SRM = 3  ABV = 5.35%

Because STS is dry hopped using European-type hops, it would technically be classified as an Italian-style Pilsner. However, if you read the side label on the STS Pils can, it says it is a Keller-style Pilsner as we treat it as an unfiltered beer, leaving a little yeast and haze behind. – Vinnie Cilurzo

Ingredients 
9.5 lbs. (4.3 kg) Dingemans Pilsner malt
4.8 oz. (136 g) acidulated malt
3.4 AAU Aramis hops (first wort hop) (0.4 oz./11 g at 8.5% alpha acids)
3.4 AAU Aramis hops (60 min.) (0.4 oz./11 g at 8.5% alpha acids)
2.8 AAU Hallertau Mittelfrüh hops (15 min.) (0.4 oz./11 g at 4% alpha acids)
0.8 oz. (23 g) Aramis hops (whirlpool)
1.5 oz. (43 g) Aramis hops (dry hop)
0.75 oz. (21 g) Hallertau Mittelfrüh hops (dry hop)
Imperial Yeast L17 (Harvest), White Labs WLP680 (Munich Lager), Wyeast 2352 (Munich II), or SafLager W-34/70
¾ cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by step
Use a lager water profile with an eye towards being low in minerals. Russian River starts with reverse osmosis water and adds a little calcium chloride and even less gypsum. Target a mash pH of 5.35–5.45 and utilize a thin mash. Conduct a step mash beginning at 132 °F (56 °C) for 20 minutes. Heat to 142 °F (61 °C) and hold for 20 minutes. Heat to 152 °F (67 °C) and hold for 30 minutes. Heat to 162 °F (72 °C) and hold for 20 minutes. Ensure conversion is complete and conduct a 170 °F (77 °C) mash out step, if desired. Vorlauf until your wort is clear, then run off into the kettle. Sparge the grains with 168 °F (76 °C) water to obtain 6 gallons (23 L) of wort (or more, depending on your evaporation rate).

Boil for 60 minutes following the hopping schedule. After the boil is complete, add the whirlpool hop additions and stir the wort briskly to form a whirlpool, then cover and let stand for 15 minutes. Russian River adjusts the pH in the whirlpool down to 5.0–5.1.

Chill the wort to 50 °F (10 °C). Aerate the wort if using a liquid yeast strain, pitch the yeast, and add yeast nutrient if desired. Ferment at 52 °F (11 °C) until final gravity is achieved and let the beer sit for one to two additional days.

If possible, remove yeast from fermenter and reduce temperature to 42 °F (6 °C) before adding the dry-hop additions. If able, after three more days, dump the cone of your fermenter to remove as much dry hops and yeast as possible. Drop temperature to 32 °F (0 °C), or as close as you’re able, and let sit two additional weeks. Bottle or keg and force carbonate as usual.

Extract version:
Replace the Pilsner and acidulated malts with 6.6 lbs. (3 kg) Pilsner liquid malt extract and ½ tsp. 88% lactic acid. Add 6.5 gallons (24.5 L) water to your brew kettle and bring to a boil. Remove kettle from heat and carefully stir in the liquid malt extract until totally dissolved, as well as the lactic acid. Return to boil and boil for 60 minutes, following the remainder of the all-grain recipe.

Notes from Vinnie:
One of my favorite malt companies is Dingemans from Belgium and we use Dingemans Pilsen malt as the base malt in STS Pils and our other lager (and Belgian-inspired) beers. If your homebrew shop doesn’t have Dingemans Pilsen malt, of course another Pilsner malt will do. However, I encourage you to ask the homebrew shop to order some Dingemans Pilsen malt as it is an amazing malt with rich malt character.

Since we first started brewing STS Pils in 2014, the main hop in it has always been Aramis. This is a French hop grown by Hop France. Aramis was originally bred to be a replacement for Strisselspalt for a large, multi-national brewery. In time, this brewery decided not to use it, which opened the door up for smaller breweries like Russian River (and others) to use it. It is one of my favorite hops we use. It is available in homebrew quantities, but if you can’t find Aramis, try to find Strisselspalt or feel free to make a mix of other German hops.

Augustiner yeast is sometimes hard to find as a homebrewer. 34/70 also works great on this beer. Augustiner leaves a slightly fruitier flavor on the palate and if you want this but are using 34/70, you can bump up the temperature a degree or two to get a similar result.