I brewed this recipe nearly a year ago, and found the result to be super enjoyable. Why not give it another try? I made a few modifications for hopping rate, and ditched the whirlpool hops, which were apparently a mistake in the originally published recipe (now corrected at the link).

Bierstadt Pils Clone 1.1

• 9.75 lbs. Barke Pilsner malt (Weyermann)
• 0.5 lb. Acidulated malt (Bestmalz)
• 1.25 oz. Hallertauer Mittelfrueh hop pellets (3.0% alpha), first wort hopping, 90 minute boil
• 1.5 oz. Hallertauer Mittelfrueh hop pellets (3.0% alpha), 70 minute boil
• 1.25 oz. Hallertauer Mittelfrueh hop pellets (3.0% alpha), 5 minute boil
• 1 Whirlfloc tablet, 10 minute boil
• 1 tsp. Fermax yeast nutrient, 10 minute boil
• 2 pkg. Saflager lager yeast (W34/70)

Target Parameters

• 1.048 s.g, 1.007 f.g., 5.4% abv, 34 IBU, 3.4 SRM
• Infusion step mash with decoction
• Water built from 8.75 gallons of RO water, with 4.3 g CaCl, 3.4 g gypsum, 2.7 g epsom salts, to achieve -47 RA, 59 ppm Ca, 8 ppm Mg, 89 ppm SO4, 63 ppm Cl

Procedure

• I mashed in with 12 quarts of water at 140°, to hit 132°. After 10 minutes, I added 3.5 quarts of water just below boiling, to hit 145°. I let it rest here for 30 minutes. Finally, I added 5.5 quarts just below boiling, to hit 158°. After 40 minutes, I pulled 1.66 gallons of thin decoction and boiled it for 10 minutes. I added it back to the mash, which raised the temperature to 164°.
• Next, I let the mash sit for 10 minutes, vorlaufed, and collected the first runnings. I added the first hop charge to the kettle at this time.
• Next, I added the remaining sparge water (3.5 gallons) at ~170°, to hit a 164° mash temperature. I let it sit for 10 minutes, vorlaufed, and collected the second runnings.
• In total, I collected 7 gallons at a gravity of 1.041, for 77% mash efficiency. I added 0.25 gallons of RO water to raise the volume to 7.25 gallons.
• I brought everything to a boil, adding hops and other ingredients per the schedule.
• After a 90 minute boil, I chilled and transferred. Gravity at this point was 1.052, a bit above my target. So, I added 7 cups of water heated to near boiling to top up and hit a gravity of 1.049.
• I chilled in the fermenter down to 48°, before oxygenating and pitching the yeast.
• I brewed this beer on 14 September 2019, fermenting at 50°.
• I raised the beer to 60° on 30 September 2019. I cooled down to 50° on 4 October 2019, and down to 35° on 5 October 2019.
• I kegged the beer on 11 October 2019, with a partially closed transfer. Gravity at this point was 1.010, for 5.2% abv.

Tasting

• The Basics
  • 1.049 o.g., 1.010 f.g., 5.2% abv
• Appearance
  • Clear, nearly brilliantly so, light yellow beer, with a fine, white, and persistent head.
• Aroma
  • Clean, lightly malty aroma, with slight floral hop presence.
• Flavor
  • Light, slightly sweet, and grainy malt character, with a crisp bitterness against that. The balance tilts slightly towards bitter, but not overly so.
• Mouthfeel
  • Crisp and light-bodied, with moderate carbonation and a smooth finish.
• Would I brew this again?
  • This is a great recipe. It’s a really smooth and drinkable beer, and was worth repeating from last time. I enjoy the grainy malt character, and the pleasant German hops alongside that. The head isn’t quite as firm and frothy as I might like (that honor belongs to the last German pils I did), but I’m not sure if that is a recipe flaw or something else. I think it will be worth playing with malts some more to see what happens when I switch those up. This recipe lacks some of what makes my other recent pils great, but in all it’s pretty decent.
• Overall
  • 8/10