Unorthodox Pilsner

Unorthodox Pilsner

(5 gallons, 19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.048 (11.9 °P)   FG = 1.014 (3.6 °P)
IBU = 40  SRM = 3  ABV = 4.4%

Ingredients
8 lb. (3.6 kg) Briess Pilsner malt (1 °L)
1 lb. (0.45 kg) Briess Carapils® malt (1.3 °L)
1 lb. (0.45 kg) German Vienna malt (3.8 °L)
10.4 AAU Northern Brewer pellet hops, (1.3 oz./37 g at 8% alpha acid) (90 min.)
1 oz. (28 g) German Hallertau hop pellets (0 min.)
1 oz. (28 g) Saaz pellet hops (dry hop)
Wyeast 2124 (Bohemian Lager) or White Labs WLP800 (Pilsner Lager) yeast

Step by Step
Infusion mash at 154–156 °F (68–69 °C) for 90 mins. Run off and sparge with hot water to collect 6 gallons (23 L) of wort. Boil wort for 90 minutes, adding Northern Brewer hops at start, and Hallertau hops at end. Pitch yeast (preferably as a 1-quart/1-L starter) when cool and ferment at 50 °F (10 °F) for seven to ten days. Remove the beer from cooler, and let temperature rise to about 65 °F (18 °C) to reduce diacetyl level.

Rack to secondary, add Saaz hops in weighted sanitized bag, and lager at 33–35 °F (0.6–1.7 °C) for 2–4 weeks. Rack again, and bottle with priming sugar (2.0 oz. corn sugar maximum), or force carbonate in keg.

*If you prefer, use an upward infusion approach — 15 minutes at 120–122 °F (49–50 °C), 5 minutes at about 150 °F (66 °C), 1 hour at 154–156 °F (68–69 °C).