Market Garden Brewery’s Progress Pilsner clone, All-Grain

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.050  FG = 1.008
IBU = 37  SRM = 4  ABV = 5.5%

Ingredients

9 lbs. (4.1 kg) Avangard German Pilsener malt
0.5 lb. (0.23 kg) Weyermann Carahell® malt (10 °L)
0.5 lb. (0.23 kg) acidulated malt
3.5 AAU Czech Saaz hops (first wort hop) (1 oz./28 g at 3.5% alpha acids)
3.5 AAU Czech Saaz hops (60 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 3.5% alpha acids)
1 AAU Spalter Select hops (30 min.)   (0.5 oz./14 g at 2% alpha acids)
3.5 AAU Czech Saaz hops (10 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 3.5% alpha acids)
2 oz. (57 g) Czech Saaz hops (0 min.)
White Labs WLP830 (German Lager) or Wyeast 2124 (Bohemian Lager) yeast
3/4 cup (150 g) dextrose (if priming)

Step by Step

This is a multi-step mash. Start with 5 gallons (19 L) of low carbonate strike water. This is a ratio of 2 quarts per pound of grain (4.2 L/kg) to provide a thin mash with high enzymatic activity. Follow this mash schedule: Start at 131 °F (55 °C) and hold for 10 minutes for the protein rest. Raise the grain bed to 145 °F (63 °C) and hold for 30 minutes for beta amylase conversion. Raise the grain bed to 158 °F (70 °C) and hold for 10–15 minutes until starch conversion is complete. Finally raise the grain bed to 170 °F (77 °C) for mash out. Sparge with enough water to collect 7.1 gallons (26.8 L) of wort pre-boil. Add the first wort hops during the sparge.

Bring the wort to a boil, and add the hops according to the ingredients list. Boil for 90 minutes. Chill to 48–50 °F (9–10 °C), aerate, and pitch the yeast. Ferment at 52 °F (11 °C) until around 1.012 SG, then let the temperature rise to 56–58 °F (13–14 °C) for a diacetyl rest. After 72 hours at terminal gravity, drop the temperature 2–3 °F (1-1.5 °C) per day until you reach 40 °F (4 °C). Transfer the beer to a secondary and slowly cool to 28 °F ( -2 °C) (or as close to freezing as you can without freezing) for 6 to 8 weeks until clear. Bottle or keg as usual.

Extract with grain option: Replace the Pilsner and acidulated malts with 6.6 lbs. (3 kg) Pilsen liquid malt extract and 7 mL lactic acid (88%). Steep the crushed malt in 5 gallons (19 L) as the water heats up. When the water hits 170 °F (21 °C) remove the grains. Remove from brewpot from heat and add the lactic acid, Pilsen liquid malt and first wort hops. Stir until all the extract is fully dissolved and bring to a boil. Boil for 60 minutes adding the remaining hops according to the ingredients list. After the boil, top up to 5 gallons (19 L) and follow the remainder of the all-grain recipe.