Recipe Formulation - Pilsners
Guarantee: A Recipe question, in this format, will be on the exam
T14. Provide a complete ALL-GRAIN recipe for a [STYLE], listing ingredients and their quantities, procedure, and carbonation. Give volume, as well as original and final gravities. Explain how the recipe fits the style's characteristics for aroma, flavor, appearance, mouthfeel, and other significant aspects of the style.
We will be covering recipes for all three Pilsener styles. We will, for discussion purposes start with the Bohemian Pilsener, then the German Pilsner, and finally the Classic American Pilsner. And show how these beer styles are related. Pilseners are among the simplest recipes because they are mostly single grain recipes and as such are the easiest to learn how to design.
On the exam be sure to answer all aspects of the question, many testees fail to describe how/why the recipe fits the style's characteristics.
These recipes are basic recipes, highlighting the key characteristics of the style. The secondary purpose of the presented recipes is to teach the beginning brewer, and the extract brewer the principles of designing recipes. Mastery is shown by "embelishments" and stating why the embelishments were used and how they work. Get the basics down first.
Bohemian Pilsener
- Volume: 5 Gallons
- OG 1.050 (range 1.044 - 1.056)
- FG 1.015 (range1.013 - 1.017)
- IBU's 35 (range 35 - 45)
50 * 5 gallons gives us the total gravity points from the grist = 250 gravity points in 5 gallons
Assuming 75% efficiency and the chosen malted grain to have a potential of 1.036 (36 PPPG) will have an effective yield of 75% of this or 27 PPPG potential (remember these numbers)
250 / 27 PPPG for the malted grain = 9.25 pounds of grain. For a Bohemian Pilsener we choose 100% Moravian malted barley to achieve a traditional flavor and the characteristic light color of this beer.
Assuming a standard 75% attenuation we would get a FG of 1.0125 so we must effectively get 2 more points of attenuation. (Actually should target 80% attenuation)
Assuming 3.5 IBU's = 1 AAU (remember this to calculate your hops usage)
40 IBU / 3.5 IBU per AAU = 11.5 AAU's = 4.6 oz of 2.5% AA Saaz hops for bittering
The Recipe
is characteristic of Pilzen and is important for this style of beer
We also choose a Czech lager yeast because this matches the regional characteristics of this beer. It also imparts a limited amount of diacetyl to the beer which enhances the perception of a fuller palate.
To help with the ester profile (no fruity esters) this beer needs to be fermented with a standard lager profile.
Cool your wort several degrees below fermentation temp and pitch a large starter or slurry from a previous batch, and allow the beer to warm up to fermentation temp of 50F
Hold temp at 50F until the fermentation starts to slow noticably. This method noticiably minimizes diacetyl and therefore a diacetyl rest may be skipped.
For a Diacetyl rest allow the wort temp to rise about 10F and hold for several days until fermentation is complete.
When fermentation is complete rack to a carboy or keg for lagering. Lower the wort temp by 2-5F per day (split the 5F to am and pm to maintain a slow rate of cooling) until the beer temp reaches 32-34F. Hold at this temp for several weeks to months.
Carbonation should be high to provide the effervescent character of this beer which with its alcohol content and sugar profile contribute to its perception of a dry finish.
German Pilsner
- Volume: 5 Gallons
- OG 1.047 (range 1.044 - 1.050)
- FG 1.010 (range1.008 - 1.013) Note: This varies from 75-82% Apparent Attenuation
- IBU's 35 (range 25 - 45)
Hint: Where it is reasonable pick 35 IBU's for easier math. 35 IBUs / 3.5 IBUs per AAU = 10 AAU's = 2 oz of 5%AA hops at 60 minutes.
How is this beer different from Bohemian Pilsener? A bit of a drier finish, actually at a "standard" 75% attenuation vs 70%, a bit smaller of a beer (1.050 vs 1.056 high OG), and German Malt, Hops and Yeast instead of Czech.
47 * 5 gallons gives us the total gravity points from the grist = 235 gravity points in 5 gallons.
if you choose 1.050 for the OG, Picking 1.050 for an OG makes the math simpler. Stating that we know that this is at the high end of the range indicates knowledge of the style. When writing exam answers always look for ways to demonstrate knowledge, as long as it is appropiate to the question.
Assuming 75% efficiency and the chosen malted grain to have a potential of 1.036 (36 PPPG) will have an effective yield of 75% of this or 27 PPPG potential (remember these numbers)
235 / 27 PPPG for the malted grain = 8.7 pounds of grain. For a German Pilsner we choose 100% Pilsener German Malt to achieve a traditional flavor and the characteristic light color of this beer.
We will mash at a slightly lowered temp of 149F for 60 minutes to get a slightly increased attenuation and slightly dry out this beer. Note that this beer is traditionally decocted though we are choosing a single infusion mash fortime and ease of process.
We also choose a German Lager yeast, German hops, frequently noble hops (I like Hallertau) Io match the regional characteristics required of this beer.
To help with the ester profile (no fruity esters) this beer needs to be fermented with a standard lager profile.
Assuming 3.5 IBU's = 1 AAU (remember this to calculate your hops usage) (Valid at normal gravities)
35 IBU / 3.5 IBU per AAU = 10 AAU's = 2 oz of 5% AA Hallertau hops for bittering
- 1 oz of Hallertau at end of boil to provide a noble hop nose.
- 8.7 pounds of Moravian malted barley
- 4.6 oz of 2.5% AA Saaz hops at 60 minutes for bittering
- 1 oz of Saaz at end of boil for a touch of spice in the nose.
- a Large Starter of Czech lager yeast or yeast cake from a previous beer
Moderate Sulfate water is characteristic of the region of Germany that developed this style is important for this style of beer to enhance the perception of hop bitterness
Carbonation should be high (a bit higher than the Bohemian Pilsener) to provide the effervescent character of this beer.
Classic American Pilsener
- Volume: 5 Gallons
- OG 1.050 (range 1.044 - 1.060)
- FG 1.013 (range1.010 - 1.015)
- IBU's 35 (range 25 - 40)
Hint: Where it is reasonable pick 35 IBU's for easier math. 35 IBUs / 3.5 IBUs per AAU = 10 AAU's = 2 oz of 5%AA hops at 60 minutes.
How is this beer different? Local conditions and ingreedients. This beer started with German Immigrant brewers who brought the process and the yeast with them to America. A key ingredient was 6-row barley which had considerably more protein than European 2-row. To compensate 20-30% corn/maize was added to thin the protein.
There are 2 substyles, pre and post prohibition with pre being the stronger beer and the one we are targeting here
50 * 5 gallons gives us the total gravity points from the grist = 250 gravity points in 5 gallons.
Picking 1.050 for an OG makes the math simpler. Even though we have picked 1.050 for all 3 pilseners, the methodology used is the same
Assuming 75% efficiency and the chosen malted grain to have a potential of 1.036 (36 PPPG) will have an effective yield of 75% of this or 27 PPPG potential (remember these numbers) We will assume these number for both the 6-row malt and the maize (corn)
250 / 27 PPPG for the grist = 9.25 pounds of grist. For a Classic American Pilsner we choose 75% American 6-row malted barley and 25% flaked maize to achieve a traditional flavor and the characteristic light color of this beer.
75% of 9.25 pounds id 6.9375, we will round to 7 pounds of 6-row and that leaves 2.25 pounds of flaked maize. The choice of flaked maize is significant because this corn has been pre-gelatinized and can be mixed with the 6-row in the mash. If corn grits (ground corn) are used they must be processed in a cereal mash to gelatinize the starch and thus make the starch accessible to the enzymes to convert into sugars.
For this beer we will mash at 150F for 60 minutes looking for an (apparent) attenuation of 75%. Still a Pilsner, and following procedures fron the Old country, this beer would have been traditionally decocted.
We also choose a German Lager yeast, which would have come over from Germany with thye Immigrant brewers as our prefered yeast.
Native American hops such as Cluster would be my choice to go with other native ingredients (6-row and maize) though German hops, frequently noble hops (Hallertau) from the brewers origin are also appropiate.
35 IBUs so 35 IBU / 3.5 IBU per AAU = 10 AAU's = 2 oz of 5% AA Cluster hops for bittering (Since we are designing the recipe we get to state the AA % of the hops. As long as it is close to reasonable (don't call for 2 oz of 15%AA Saaz which tend to have a low AA%)To help with the ester profile (no fruity esters) this beer needs to be fermented with a standard lager profile.
Cool your wort several degrees below fermentation temp and pitch a large starter or slurry from a previous batch, and allow the beer to warm up to fermentation temp of 50F
Hold temp at 50F until the fermentation start to slow noticably. This method noticiably minimizes diacetyl and therefore a diacetyl rest may be skipped.
For a Diacetyl rest allow the wort temp to rise about 10F and hold for several days until fermentation is complete.
When fermentation is complete rack to a carboy or keg for lagering. Lower the wort temp by 2-5F per day (split the 5F to am and pm to maintain a slow rate of cooling) until the beer temp reaches 32-34F. Hold at this temp for several weeks to months.
- 9 pounds of American 6-row malted barley
- 2.25 pounds of Flaked Maize
- 2 oz of 5% AA Cluster hops at 60 minutes for bittering
- 1 oz of Halertau at end of boil for for that flowery noble aroma
a Large Starter of German lager yeast or yeast cake from a previous beer
Note: Each portion of the question has been addressed, on the exam consider crossing off each part of the question as you answer it to make sure you answer the entire question and get the maximium credit that you are capable of.
