Sierra Nevada Pils: A Brief Review

Posted on by
Reply

I love a good German pils, and it’s no surprise that this has been one of my most-brewed styles. Many North American breweries are now doing versions of this classic, and a handful stand out. For what I’ve tasted to date, this includes pFriem Pilsner (for which I have brewed an homage on several occasions) and Slow Pour Pils from Bierstadt Lagerhaus (a brewery that is on my must-visit list any time I am in Denver, and which offers some of the most beautiful pours I have seen at any craft brewery). I can now add a third to this list: Sierra Nevada’s Pils.

First, a salute to the packaging and marketing folks at Sierra Nevada – I hadn’t intended to buy any beer when I was at the grocery store, but a package of the Pils caught my eye in the crowded cooler case. Anything by Sierra Nevada is generally worth a look. I was further intrigued when I saw it wasn’t the typical 12 or 16 oz. cans! Instead, I found an 8-can package of 8.4 oz. cans–although it’s ostensibly to match European-sized pours and keep the beer cold and crisp through the entire can, it really melds with my desire to have smaller serving sizes.

The marketing copy is great – “A smooth malt body with upfront sweetness, pleasant hop character, and hints of citrus peel create a soft, dry finish that’s refreshing sip after sip,” and “Aromas of citrus, tangerine, and a touch of sweet malt dance in the air thanks to the addition of Crystal Lupulin Hops.” This marketing fluff matches surprisingly well with what I actually taste–in the aroma, I also get a bit of fresh hay (in the good way, not the rotten barnyard way). It’s a smooth and drinkable lager, and not overly flinty or bitter, as some of the more aggressive versions can be.

Based on the website, the recipe seems quite simple–pilsner malt, lager yeast, with Saphir and Crystal Lupulin hops, to hit 4.7% abv and 25 IBU. I’ve done a little looking to investigate a clone-type recipe; Crystal Lupulin doesn’t seem to be readily available for homebrewers; Loral Cryo might be roughly in the ballpark, although not identical. To approximate the Sierra Nevada brew, I would aim for 100% of a good North American pilsner malt with a Hochhurz mash, use Saphir in the full length of the boil and perhaps at ~15 minutes, and then use a small dose of Loral Cryo in the last 5 minutes or for a brief whirlpool addition.

To wrap this up, Sierra Nevada Pils is a phenomenal example of a German pils, and well worth sampling if you can find it! What do you readers think?

glass of light gold pilsner in a tall cylindrical glass, next to a cylindrical can, on a black background
Sierra Nevada’s promotional image of their beer (image from Sierra Nevada)

Belgian Wit 2026

Posted on by
Reply

I enjoy Belgian witbier, as a flavorful and highly drinkable summer beverage. I’ve brewed the style semi-frequently, especially in my early years of all-grain brewing, and sometimes as a base for a hibiscus-infused beer. I haven’t touched witbier recipes in awhile (most recently in 2022), though, and wanted to give the style another round.

My current recipe is patterned after the 2022 version, but following the notes from that I added more oats to round out the mouthfeel. I also dropped the Munich malt, which was only two percent of the original recipe anyhow. From a liquid yeast, I switched over to Lallemand’s wit dry yeast. My previous version of the witbier didn’t have as much yeast character as I wanted (using a fermentation at 64°), so I also decided to ferment at 70°.

Recipe Name

  • 5.5 lb. Synergy Select pilsen malt (Briess)
  • 5 lb. flaked red wheat (Briess)
  • 1 lb. flaked oats
  • 0.5 tsp. BrewTanB, in mash
  • 1.5 oz. Tettnang hop pellets (2.4% alpha), 60 minute boil
  • 0.5 tsp. BrewTanB, 10 minute boil
  • 9 g chamomile flowers, 5 minute boil
  • 1.5 oz. fresh navel orange plus Meyer lemon zest, 5 minute boil
  • 0.5 oz. coriander seed, slightly crushed, 5 minute boil
  • 2 pkg. LalBrew Wit dry yeast (Lallemand)

Target Parameters

  • 60 minute infusion mash, 149°, full volume mash
  • 1.047 o.g., 1.007 f.g., 5.2% abv, 13 IBU, 4 SRM
  • Blend of RO water and Claremont tap water (neutralized with lactic acid), to hit 81 ppm Ca, 6 ppm Mg, 71 ppm Na, 55 ppm sulfate, 81 ppm Cl, 7 ppm bicarbonate
  • 5 gallon batch

Procedure

  • I mixed 5.5 gallons of tap water (with 5.3 mL of 88% lactic acid) and 2 gallons of RO water, to hit my water profile. I heated the strike water to 155° before adding the grains.
  • I held the mash, with recirculation, at 149° for 60 minutes. Then, I removed the grains and brought the runnings to a boil.
  • In total, I collected 6.5 gallons of runnings with a gravity of 1.042, for 67% mash efficiency.
  • During the 60 minute boil, I added hops and finings per the recipe. For the citrus, I used two navel oranges and one Meyer lemon from our yard.
  • After the 60 minute boil, I turned off the heat and chilled to 75°. At this point, I transferred to the fermenter and pitched the yeast. I finished the chill down to 70° in the fermentation chamber, and held this temperature for fermentation.
  • I brewed this beer on 23 May 2026, and had a starting gravity of 1.049.
  • The beer had vigorous fermentation by the morning after pitching, less than 18 hours into fermentation.
  • I kegged the beer on 5 June 2026, using an open transfer into the keg with the addition of 6 oz. of corn sugar boiled in a cup of water. I figured the natural carbonation would help the quality of the beer (and foam), and also scrub any oxygen introduced during transfer. Belgian styles seem to do well with an open transfer and natural keg carbonation.
  • Final gravity was 1.014, for 4.6% abv.

Tasting

  • Appearance
    • Hazy, light straw colored beer, with a creamy and persistent white head
  • Aroma
    • Medium chamomile aroma, and a fresh breeze-like aroma from the yeast
  • Flavor
    • Doughy malt at a medium level, with medium herbal chamomile notes. Light tartness. Light spicy hop flavor. Very light, fresh fruitiness in the yeast.
  • Mouthfeel
    • Medium-high carbonation, light body, slightly dry yet smooth finish.
  • Would I Brew This Again?
    • This is a good recipe from the yeast and grain end. Oats were an excellent addition to the grain bill. The chamomile should be dialed back to let the coriander shine through; despite using fresh coriander and citrus peel, both are just overwhelmed by the chamomile flavor. I might even consider ditching chamomile entirely, or dialing it back by 50 percent. That would get the recipe more into line with BJCP style–without considering style factors, this is a really great (and quaffable) beer! The yeast character is surprisingly mild; I think it might be fun to try in a gose-style sour or fruited sour.
  • Overall
    • 7/10

Mosaic SMaSH Pale Ale

Posted on by
Reply

Last year I did a Mosaic SMaSH pale ale, and was supremely happy with the combination of Maris Otter, Mosaic, and Stalljen kveik. The first version was a little light on gravity (1.043)–I learned the Thomas Fawcett branded malt doesn’t do well with only a 30 minute mash–which caused the beer to suffer from a thin body and slight astringency. I stepped up to a full 60 minute mash. I also wanted to amp up the Mosaic character, so included a dose of Abstrax Quantum Brite Mosaic at kegging. The end result is nothing short of amazing–it’s probably one of the best beers I have brewed recently!

Mosaic SMaSH Pale Ale

  • 10.75 lb. Maris Otter pale ale malt (Thomas Fawcett)
  • 0.5 tsp. BrewTanB, in mash
  • 1.25 oz. Mosaic hop pellets (10.7% alpha), 20 minute boil
  • 0.5 tsp. BrewTanB, 10 minute boil
  • 1 Kick Carrageenan tablet, 5 minute boil
  • 1.75 oz. Mosaic hop pellets (10.7% alpha), 15 minute whirlpool at 190°
  • 1 pkg. Stalljen kveik (Kveik Yeastery #K.22)
  • 3 oz. Mosaic hop pellets (10.7% alpha), dry hop in fermenter
  • 2.5 mL Quantum Brite Mosaic, Abstrax, added to keg

Target Parameters

  • 60 minute infusion mash, 152°, full volume mash
  • 1.050 o.g., 1.012 f.g., 4.9% abv, 43 IBU, 5 SRM
  • Claremont tap water neutralized and adjusted with water salts, to hit estimated profile of 145 ppm Ca, 16 ppm Mg, 97 ppm Na, 189 ppm SO4, 110 ppm Cl, 10 ppm bicarbonate
  • 5.25 gallon batch

Procedure

  • To create my strike water, I added 7.2 mL of 88% lactic acid to 7 gallons of Claremont tapwater, to neutralize carbonates. Then, I added 2 g of epsom salt and 4 g of gypsum salt, and heated the water to 158°.
  • I added the grains, and mashed at 152° for 60 minutes, before raising the temperature to 168° for a 10 minute mashout.
  • After removing the grains, I had 6.2 gallons of runnings with a gravity of 1.046, for 70% mash efficiency.
  • I brought the runnings to a boil, adding hops and finings per the recipe.
  • After a 60 minute boil, I chilled to 190° and added the whirlpool hops, for a 15 minute whirlpool. The Anvil Foundry makes it easy to maintain temperature during the whirlpool!
  • After the whirlpool, I chilled down to 95°, transferred to the fermenter, and pitched the yeast.
  • I brewed the beer on 10 May 2026. It had a starting gravity of 1.052.
  • A vigorous fermentation kicked off within three hours of pitching the kveik; I left the fermenter in the sun to keep the fermentation temperature up.
  • Fermenter temperature was 86° on the morning of 11 May 2026, and was down to 78° on 12 May 2026.
  • I added the dry hops to the fermenter, at ambient temperature, on 21 May 2026. I cold crashed the beer on 23 May 2026.
  • I kegged the beer on 5 June 2026, and used forced carbonation to carbonate.
  • Final gravity was 1.014, for 5.0% abv.
  • I added the Abstrax hop product three days after kegging.

Tasting

  • Appearance
    • Pours with a persistent and “sticky,” frothy white head that leaves abundant lacing. Hazy, straw-colored beer.
  • Aroma
    • Ripe tropical fruit at a high level; passion fruit, guava, blueberry, sweet orange. Abundant blueberry and clementine orange. An aroma of fresh-cut hay, also.
  • Flavor
    • Medium-high bitterness, clementine and a bit of passion fruit flavor on the hops; some blueberry. Light level of maltiness. Lingering bitterness on the finish.
  • Mouthfeel
    • Medium body, moderate carbonation, slightly dry finish.
  • Would I Brew This Again?
    • This is a fantastic recipe! The hop character is absolutely perfect; everytthing plays together well. The persistent haziness is a mild annoyance, but I figure it is from the kveik. Overall, this is a phenomenal recipe as a hop showcase.
  • Overall
    • 10/10

Alta California Lager 2026

Posted on by
Reply

I’ve enjoyed my Mexican-style pale lager recipe over the years, which has followed the same core ingredients but with variations in how I handle the corn. This includes either flaked corn directly in the mash or grits in a cereal mash. The latter is a lot of work, but opens up varieties of corn and subtle flavors not possible with the standard flaked ingredients. So, I aimed for the extra effort of a cereal mash on this iteration.

This particular batch was brewed to celebrate the major accomplishment of a friend who defended her master’s thesis (I served on her committee as a outside member, too). She had shared that even though she’s not really a beer person, the original version of this recipe was a favorite of hers. That was all the excuse I needed to return to the cereal mash!

Alta California Lager 2026

  • 5.75 lb. Synergy Select pilsen malt (Briess)
  • 2 lb. white corn grits (Palmetto Farms)
  • 1.75 lb. Vienna malt (Weyermann)
  • 0.5 tsp. BrewTanB, added to mash
  • 0.4 oz. Magnum hop pellets (12.3% alpha), 60 minute boil
  • 0.5 tsp. BrewTanB, 10 minute boil
  • 1 Kick carrageenan tablet
  • 1 oz. Saaz hop pellets (2.4% alpha), 5 minute boil
  • 0.5 tsp. WLN1000 yeast nutrient (White Labs), 5 minute boil
  • 2 pkg. Diamond Lager yeast (Lallemand)

Target Parameters

  • Infusion mash, with 75 minutes at 148°, and 10 minutes at 168°, with cereal mash at first step; full volume mash
  • 1.044 o.g., 1.006 f.g., 5.0% abv, 21 IBU, 3 SRM
  • Water built from RO, to hit 20 ppm Ca and 35 ppm Cl
  • 5 gallon batch

Procedure

  • The first step in the process was a cereal mash. I had intended 0.5 lb. of pilsner malt (as did in my first batch), but mismeasured and had 1 lb. instead. I combined ~0.75 gallons of RO water with the corn grits and pilsner malt, heating the mixture on the stove to 158°. I held the mash here for 10 minutes, before bringing everything to a boil. During a 30 minute boil, I added another 0.5 gallons or so of RO water.
  • In my Anvil Foundry, I started with 6.25 gallons of water, to which I added 1.5 grams of calcium chloride. I heated this to 140°.
  • During the last 7 minutes or so of the cereal mash, I mashed in the rest of the grains to hit a temperature of ~130° degrees. Then, a few minutes later, I added the boiling cereal mash. This heated the entire mash to around 145°, and then I added heat via the Anvil heating element to get up to 148°. I added 2 tbs. of 10% phosphoric acid to adjust pH.
  • I held the mash at 148° for 75 minutes, before raising to 168° for 10 minutes.
  • At the end of the mash, I pulled the grains. The runnings came out to 6.56 gallons at a gravity of 1.038, for 73% mash efficiency.
  • I heated the runnings to a boil, adding hops and finings per the recipe. At the end of the 60 minute boil, I turned off the heat and chilled the wort to 74°, before transferring to the fermenter. I chilled the fermenter the rest of the way in the fermentation chamber, down to 50°. 12 hours after the initial transfer, I pitched the yeast directly.
  • I brewed this beer on 9 April 2026. Starting gravity was 1.045.
  • The fermenter was held at 52° for fermentation, and it was cold crashed to 34 degrees on 4 May 2026. I kegged the beer on 9 May 2026, using a semi-closed transfer. The beer was slightly hazy at this point, with a very slight fruity aroma (corn?).
  • Final gravity was 1.007, for 5.1% abv.

Tasting

  • Appearance
    • Light straw yellow beer, with a modestly persistent white head. There is a very slight haze to this, which is annoying (especially given how long it has been lagering).
  • Aroma
    • The beer has a gorgeous aroma, with a light cracker and corn character. No hop aroma to speak of, nor is there any yeast character that I pick up.
  • Flavor
    • Medium-low cracker-like malt flavor, with a hint of corn sweetness. Medium-low bitterness, clean fermentation profile. Evenly balanced.
  • Mouthfeel
    • Light bodied, crisp mouthfeel, medium-high carbonation.
  • Would I Brew This Again?
    • This is an incredibly tasty and very drinkable beer; it hits pretty much all of the flavor and aroma notes I was hoping for. The sensory contribution from the corn is subtle, but absolutely perfect. I love this recipe! The only minor annoyance is the persistent haze. I need to figure that out in my next batch, because it has been a perpetual issue in most iterations of the recipe. Maybe I need to change water chemistry, and increase the calcium chloride dose? At a minimum, I should hit the keg with a clarifier next time.
    • Serving mod: my friend tells me that the beer is delicious with chamoy and tajin on the rim. Now I have to try this!
  • Overall
    • 8/10

Greg’s Red Lager

Posted on by
Reply

My dad got me started in homebrewing (and he has been brewing for over 50 years!), so it’s always fun to brew together when I’m back home. Planning for a recent session, he mentioned that he would like to make a red lager following a recipe he had previously made. His old version, though, was extract, and he now brews all-grain, so a conversion was in order.

The original version, of unknown origin, called for the following:

  • Red Lager (extract version)
    • 8oz. dark crystal malt (75-85L)
    • 8oz. med. crystal malt (50-60L)
    • 5.5lb. DME
    • 0.75 oz. Cascade, 45 minute boil
    • 0.25 oz. Cascade, 15 minute boil
    • Lager Yeast
  • Notes
    • “I think it was the lightest DME I could get at the time. Starting gravity was 1.042. I think I would like the S.G. to be about 1.050.”
    • Hops are whole, homegrown Cascade hops – a past test showed around 5.5% alpha

The conversion was pretty straightforward. I subbed in pilsner malt for the DME, adjusting to hit the target gravity, and used crystal 60 and crystal 80. According to BeerSmith, the color was a little lighter than a “red” lager, so I added a tiny bit of roasted barley for reddish color adjustment.

Although Dad and I planned to brew a five gallon batch, I wanted to test it with a 2.5 gallon batch first.

Greg’s Red Lager (2.5 gallon batch)

  • 5 lb. Synergy Select Pilsen malt (Briess)
  • 4 oz. 80L caramel malt (Briess)
  • 4 oz. 80L crystal malt (Great Western)
  • 0.5 oz. roasted barley (Crisp)
  • 0.35 oz. Cascade whole hops (est. 5.5% alpha), 60 minute boil
  • 0.25 oz. Cascade whole hops (est. 5.5% alpha), 10 minute boil
  • 0.25 tsp. BrewTanB, 10 minute boil
  • 0.5 Kick carrageenan tablet
  • 1 pkg. Diamond lager yeast (Lallemand)

Target Parameters

  • 60 minute infusion mash, 149°, full volume mash
  • 1.051 o.g., 1.007 f.g., 5.8% abv, 16 IBU, 13 SRM
  • Claremont tap water; 110 ppm Ca, 8 ppm Mg, 97 ppm Na, 75 ppm sulfate, 110 ppm Cl, 132 ppm bicarbonate
  • 2.5 gallon batch

Procedure

  • I heated 3.9 gallons of water to .154°, adding a Campden tablet to remove chloramines. I then added the grains and 2 mL of 88% lactic acid to adjust pH, and then held it at 149° while recirculating for 60 minutes. Next, I raised the temperature to 168° for 10 minutes before pulling the grains.
  • In total, I collected 3.5 gallons of runnings with a gravity of 1.043, for 72% mash efficiency.
  • I brought the runnings to a boil, adding hops and finings per the recipe. After 60 minutes, I turned off the heat and chilled to 85° before transferring to the fermenter, chilled to 68°, and then pitched the yeast. I continued to chill down to 53° in the fermentation chamber.
  • Starting gravity was 1.053. I brewed this beer on 8 May 2026.
  • I raised the beer to 54° on 10 May 2026, and then to ambient on 23 May 2026.
  • I kegged the beer on 27 May 2026, using an open transfer and adding 3 oz. of corn sugar to carbonate in the keg.
  • Final gravity was 1.011, for 5.5% abv.
  • I found the pressure to be 32 psi at 70° on 5 June 2026 – perfect.
  • At this point, I transferred the beer to the conditioning chamber, in order to lager.

Tasting

  • Appearance
    • Brilliantly clear, reddish amber beer, with a modest, reasonably persistent ivory-colored head.
  • Aroma
    • Caramel malty aroma at a medium-low level; no hop or yeast character to speak of.
  • Flavor
    • Light caramel flavor; dried fruit at a very slight level. Medium level of bitterness.
  • Mouthfeel
    • Medium-light bodied, moderate carbonation, off-dry finish.
  • Would I Brew This Again?
    • This was fun to try as an exercise, and I think it captured the American craft red lager experience of “microbreweries” and homebrewers circa 1996. It’s not my cup of tea as a beer overall; I think a traditional Vienna lager hits some of the same notes but with more drinkability. Even so, this recipe was worth the experience. And Dad enjoyed it, which was the main goal! If I were to do it again for myself, I’d probably dial back the crystal malts by about 50 percent, to lighten up the mouthfeel and flavor.
  • Overall
    • 6/10