Category Archives: pilsner

Dad’s 3P 2024

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pale yellow beer with white head in conical pilsner glass

I’ve made two previous versions of Pre-Prohibition Pilsners, distinguished as such by having a bit more body and malt character than a typical American macro lager, and distinguished from European pilsners by adjuncts and the frequent use of American hops. My dad’s version originally comes from the April 1999 issue of BYO; it stands out in having a bit of flaked rye in it. Additionally, 6-row malt is nowhere to be seen in my version of this recipe.

This year’s edition is broadly inspired by the 2016 version, but you can check out the last version for differences. I used all American hops (Mt. Hood) instead of German ones, and brought Novalager into the mix, too. The main goal is to have something drinkable for the dog days of summer, but not so inoffensive as to be boring.

Dad’s 3P 2024

  • 6.75 lb. 2-row malt (Briess)
  • 2.25 lb. pilsner malt (Rahr)
  • 1 lb. yellow corn, flaked (Briess)
  • 0.5 lb. rye, flaked (Briess)
  • 0.5 lb. Carafoam (Weyermann)
  • 0.25 lb. rice hulls
  • 0.5 tsp. BrewTanB, in mash
  • 1 oz. Mt. Hood hop pellets (6.0% alpha), 60 minute boil
  • 1 oz. Mt. Hood hop pellets (6.0% alpha), 10 minute boil
  • 0.5 tsp. BrewTanB, 10 minute boil
  • 1 Whirlfloc tablet, 5 minute boil
  • 2 pkg. Novalager yeast (Lallemand)

Target Parameters

  • 1.050 s.g., 1.009 f.g., 30 IBU, 5.5% abv, 4 SRM
  • Full volume mash with recirculation for 60 minutes at 152°, 10 minute mash-out at 168°
  • Water blended from RO and Claremont tap water to hit target of 52 ppm Ca, 10 ppm Mg, 64 ppm Na, 82 ppm SO4, 113 ppm Cl, 5 ppm bicarbonate, alkalinity=4 ppm, RA=-39.

Procedure

  • I built my water the night before with 4 gallons of distilled water and 3.5 gallons of Claremont tap water, adding a Campden tablet and 3.2 mL of 88% lactic acid to drop out the carbonates.
  • I mashed in by heating the strike water to 158°, and then adding the grains and 2.4 mL of 88% lactic acid for pH adjustment.
  • I held the mash, with recirculation, at 152° for 60 minutes, before raising the temperature to 168° for a 10 minute mash-out.
  • At the conclusion of the mash, I removed the grains and let them drain. In total, I collected 6.6 gallons of runnings with a gravity of 1.043, for 69% mash efficiency.
  • As the runnings came to a boil, I added 2.5 g of calcium chloride. Once the runnings boiled, I added the hops and finings per the recipe.
  • After the full 60 minute boil, I chilled the wort to 78° before transferring to the fermenter and letting it chill to 46° in the fermentation chamber.
  • I pitched the yeast at 46°, and then let the fermenter free rise to 52° for fermentation.
  • I brewed the beer on 19 May 2024. Starting gravity was 1.049.
  • I let the beer free rise to 60° on 25 May 2024, and then to 65° on 29 May 2024.
  • The beer was kegged using a closed transfer on 3 June 2024. Final gravity was 1.009, for 5.2% abv.

Tasting

  • Appearance
    • Brightly clear, straw yellow beer, which pours with a fine and persistent white head. It just looks nice!
  • Aroma
    • Grainy sweet malt aroma; no appreciable yeast character or hop character apparent.
  • Flavor
    • Medium-high bitterness at the forefront, with a slightly herbal quality. Malty notes and a light hint of corn sweetness are behind that, but the beer definitely tilts toward bitter. Clean fermentation character, Crisp finish.
  • Mouthfeel
    • Medium body with a rounded feel. Dry finish. Medium carbonation.
  • Would I Brew This Again?
    • This is an interesting American lager, and highly drinkable. It’s a great summer beer! I’ve never done a six-row version of this, and might have to try it sometime in the pursuit of historical accuracy. Relative to the BJCP guidelines for Pre-Prohibition Lager (Category 27, Historical Beer), it hits most of the notes but should have perhaps a bit more hop aroma and a slightly taller head. Overall, though, this is a solid beer and recipe! It’s really enjoyable to drink on a hot afternoon, which is really all I demand from such a beer.
  • Overall
    • 9/10

No. 11 Bohemian Pilsner

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According to my records, I have made 18 batches of German pils over the years (starting in 2016), but only five batches of the original pilsner beer, Bohemian (Czech) pils. After a more than four year hiatus, it was time!

Taking lessons learned from previous recipes, I went for very fresh Saaz hops (from Yakima Valley Hops). Furthermore, I built the malt bill to have a touch of melanoidin malt, to avoid messing with a decoction but also not overwhelming with the honey-character that melanoidin brings at higher percentages. I used the Rahr pilsner malt as a base–although it is not “traditional,” I have found it to be an absolutely excellent malt for my tastes.

This isn’t my 11th batch, but I brewed it on 11/11 (Nigel Tufnel Day!), so the name was unavoidable.

No. 11 Bohemian Pilsner

  • 10 lb. pilsner malt (Rahr)
  • 0.5 lb. Carafoam malt (Weyermann)
  • 0.25 lb. melanoidin malt (Weyermann)
  • 0.5 tsp. BrewTanB, added to mash
  • 3.5 oz. Saaz hop pellets (2.4% alpha), 60 minute boil
  • 1.5 oz. Saaz hop pellets (2.4% alpha), 10 minute boil
  • 0.5 tsp. BrewTanB, 10 minute boil
  • 1 Whirlfloc tablet, 5 minute boil
  • 1 oz. Saaz, 5 minute boil
  • 1 tsp. tsp. WLN1000 yeast nutrient, 5 minute boil
  • 2 pkg. Diamond Lager yeast (Lallemand)

Target Parameters

  • 1.049 s.g., 1.014 f.g., 4.7% abv, 37 IBU, 5 SRM
  • Full volume infusion mash, held at 154° for 60 minutes and 168° for 10 minutes
  • RO water built to hit target of 6 ppm Ca, 5 ppm Na, 6 ppm SO4, 6 ppm Cl, 14 ppm HCO3, RA=7 ppm

Procedure

  • To 7.5 gallons of RO water, I added 0.3 g gypsum, 0.3 g calcium chlorie, and 0.5 g baking soda, to hit my water target parameters.
  • I heated the water to 160°, and added the grains to hit a mash target of 154°. I added 4 mL of 88% lactic acid to adjust the mash pH, and recirculated for 60 minutes.
  • Next, I heated the mash to 168° for 10 minutes, before pulling the grains and starting the ramp-up to the boil.
  • In total, I collected 6.75 gallons of runnings with a gravity of 1.042, for 71% mash efficiency.
  • I boiled for 60 minutes, adding hops and finings per the schedule. Finally, I turned off the heat and chilled to 75° before transferring to the fermenter.
  • Once in the fermenter, I chilled the wort to 52° before pitching the yeast.
  • I brewed this beer on 11 November 2023. Starting gravity was 1.049, exactly on target!
  • I held the fermentation temperature at 52° until 2 December 2023, when I moved the beer to ambient (~60°).
  • I kegged the beer on 26 December 2023. Final gravity was 1.014, for 4.7% abv.
  • Because I’ve been a bit slow to finish kegs lately, this beer ended up lagering for a full three months before tasting.

Tasting

  • Appearance
    • Beautiful medium gold color, brilliant clarity, pouring with a long-lasting, creamy white head that leaves nice tracks on the side of the glass.
  • Aroma
    • A whiff of spicy Saaz at the front, at some maltiness (slightly bready) back of that.
  • Flavor
    • Bitterness-forward, which lingers on the tongue, followed by a subtle maltiness. Clean fermentation profile. Tiny bit of caramel. I feel like the melanoidin is perhaps too much in the background–I would like a tiny touch more.
  • Mouthfeel
    • Medium body, medium carbonation, off-dry mouthfeel.
  • Would I brew this again?
    • Yes! It’s probably the best Bohemian pilsner I have made to date! It has a nice mix of malt/hops….It maybe could be a bit deeper gold in color, and I wouldn’t complain with a touch more melanoidin character. It was well worth the (not entirely intentional) extended aging, too.
  • Overall
    • 9/10 (for color)

Super SMaSH Pils

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It’s no secret that German Pils is one of my very favorite styles, and one that I finally feel like I’ve mastered. I brewed German pils recipes 18 times in the past seven years, with some batches turning out well, and others less well.

My latest iteration is a SMaSH-esque beer, testing out Rahr’s pilsner malt. I tend to favor European pilsner malts, but that is more through habit than actual comparison. Weyermann, Viking, and Best have all made semi-regular appearances. This past fall, I picked up a 55-lb. sack of Rahr pilsner at the local store, and I wanted to test it in a beer like this. For the hops, I focused on the Edelweiss hop blend from Hop Heaven. In the past, I have absolutely loved the product, and wanted to see what it could do here. Because Edelweiss is a blend, it’s important to note that this is a “SMaSH-esque” beer, rather than a true SMaSH. So, I named my recipe “Super SMaSH Pils”, as a nod to the blend and an homage to a well-known video game.

For yeast, I selected S-189. I’ve been doing lots with Diamond and Novalager lately, and they are truly great yeasts, but I wanted to expand my horizons a little bit. I had a good experience with S-189 in one previous batch, and thought I’d test it out again.

Super SMaSH Pils

  • 10.5 lb. pilsner malt (Rahr)
  • 0.5 tsp. BrewTanB (mash)
  • 1.25 oz. Edelweiss hop pellets (5.8% alpha), 60 minute boil
  • 0.75 oz. Edelweiss hop pellets (5.8% alpha), 10 minute boil
  • 0.5 tsp. BrewTanB, 10 minute boil
  • 1 Whirlfloc pellet, 5 minute boil
  • 1 oz. Edelweiss hop pellets (5.8% alpha), 5 minute boil
  • 2 pkg. SafLager German Lager (S-189)

Target Parameters

  • 1.048 s.g., 1.007 f.g., 5.3% abv, 37 IBU, 4 SRM
  • Full-volume infusion mash, held at 144° for 60 minutes, 160° for 45 minutes, and 168° for 10 minutes
  • Water built up from RO, to hit target parameters of 53 ppm Ca, 11 ppm Mg, 123 ppm SO4, and 52 ppm Cl, with RA=-51 ppm

Procedure

  • Starting with 7.25 gallons of RO water, I added 4 g gypsum, 3 g epsom salts, and 3 g calcium chloride, to hit my water target. I heated this water to 149° and added the grains along with 1.5 mL of 88% lactic acid. This hit a mash temperature of 144° for 60 minutes, with recirculation. Then, I raised the mash to 160° for 45 minutes, and finally to 168° for the final 10 minutes of the mash.
  • I pulled the grain basket, and collected 6.5 gallons of runnings at a gravity of 1.043, for 71% mash efficiency.
  • I brought the runnings to a boil, boiling for 60 minutes and adding hops and finings per the recipe. After the boil, I turned off the heat and chilled to 75° before transferring to the fermenter.
  • Starting gravity was 1.049, pretty close to my target. I chilled the wort further to 48° in the fermentation chamber, before pitching the yeast.
  • I brewed the beer on 29 October 2023, and fermented at 52°.
  • On 12 November 2023, I moved the beer to ambient (~62°).
  • I kegged the beer on 29 November 2023, with a closed transfer.
  • Final gravity was 1.011, which works out to 5.0% abv.

Tasting

  • Appearance
    • Brilliantly clear, straw yellow beer that pours with a dense and persistent, creamy white head.
  • Aroma
    • Clean, lightly floral, and slightly spicy aroma. Very pleasant! Malty sweet character, too.
  • Flavor
    • Clean, lightly floral hop flavor, with moderately high yet smooth bitterness. Light malty sweet flavor, with a nice balance against the hops. No yeast character detectable — it is very clean and crisp!
  • Mouthfeel
    • Medium-light body, moderate carbonation; nice and smooth finish.
  • Would I brew this again?
    • This is a near-perfect pils! It hits every mark of the classic style and is just plain enjoyable. I am incredibly pleased, and would absolutely brew it again.
  • Overall
    • 10/10

Pfriem Pils 2023

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German pils is perhaps my favorite style. It’s surprisingly complex, highlights both malt and hops in a non-IPA sort of way, and is a fun challenge to do well. At current count, I’ve made 16 batches over the past 7 years.

My latest batch retreads the Pfriem Pils recipe from Dave Carpenter’s Lagers book. I’ve made versions of this twice previously, and it’s a really solid beer. Every iteration has some changes in hops, grist, and yeast, and this version is no different. I leaned into the HOPBOX European hops I had on hand, ending up with a nice combo of Hallertauer Mittelfrueh, Saaz, and Tettnang. Although the original recipe calls for acidulated malt, I worked with lactic acid instead, which provides pretty much the same effect. Lallemand’s Diamond Lager yeast rounded out the recipe–this strain is (in my opinion) one of the best dry lager yeasts out there right now. It ferments quickly and cleanly, and drops clear with minimal fuss.

Pfriem Pils 2023

  • 9.5 lb. Viking Pilsner Zero malt
  • 0.5 lb. Carafoam
  • 0.5 tsp. BrewTanB (added to mash)
  • 1.5 oz. Hallertauer Mittelfrueh hop pellets (5.2% alpha), 60 minute boil
  • 0.5 tsp. BrewTanB, 10 minute boil
  • 1 Whirlfloc tablet, 5 minute boil
  • 1 oz. Saaz hop pellets (2.4% alpha), 5 minute boil
  • 0.5 oz. Tettnang hop pellets (2.2% alpha), 5 minute boil
  • 1 oz. Saaz hop pellets (2.4% alpha), 10 minute whirlpool
  • 1.5 oz. Tettnang hop pellets (2.2% alpha), 10 minute whirlpool
  • 2 pkg. Diamond Lager dry yeast (Lallemand)

Target Parameters

  • 1.046 s.g., 1.007 f.g., 5.1% abv, 4 SRM, 36 IBU
  • Full volume step mash, with 45 minutes at 144°, 30 minutes at 156°, and 10 minutes at 168°; 60 minute boil
  • Water built up from RO, to hit target parameters of 59 ppm Ca, 8 ppm Mg, 89 ppm SO4, and 63 ppm Cl, with RA=-47 ppm

Procedure

  • To 7.5 gallons of RO water, I added 2.9 g gypsum, 2.4 g epsom salt, and 3.7 g of calcium chloride, in order to hit my target parameters.
  • I heated the strike water to 146°, and added the grains and BrewTanB. I set the mash for 144° with recirculation, holding it here for 45 minutes. Then, I raised the mash to 156° for 30 minutes, and finally mashed out at 168° for 10 minutes.
  • After removing the grains, I had 6.6 gallons of runnings with a gravity of 1.037, for 66% mash efficiency.
  • I brought the kettle to a boil, boiling for 60 minutes and adding the hops and finings per the recipe. Finally, I turned off the heat and chilled down to 82°. I let things settle, transferred to the fermenter, and let it chill to 50° before pitching the yeast.
  • Starting gravity was 1.044. I brewed this beer on 12 August 2023.
  • The beer was held at 52° for the bulk of fermentation, and raised to 60° on 19 August. I crashed it to 34° on 27 August 2023.
  • I kegged the beer on 7 September 2023, using a closed transfer. It tastes amazing at this point, with notes of hay in the aroma. In terms of appearance, it’s still reasonably hazy. Final gravity was 1.012, for 4.2% abv. It’s a true session beer!

Tasting

  • Appearance
    • Very clear, nearly brilliant; a light yellow beer with a persistent and creamy white head.
  • Aroma
    • Lightly spicy (like a spice cake); malt aroma is slightly sweet.
  • Flavor
    • Medium-high bitterness with a lingering finish; slightly herbal quality to the hop profile. The beer has a crackery malt flavor, with a bit of sweetness also. The balance is tilted towards the bitter side.
  • Mouthfeel
    • Smooth, moderate body, with medium-low carbonation (especially when “slow-poured”). Moderately dry and very crisp finish.
  • Would I Brew This Again?
    • Yes! It’s a great recipe. I might like to try it with more floral-type hops, such as the Edelweiss blend, for something different. I perfected a slow-pour on my faucet, to approximate the creamy and highly persistent heads you can get with the “side-pour” taps. Now that I’ve figured this out, I’m happy with the beer on home draft.
  • Overall
    • 10/10

Dakota Gold Pils

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Summer is a great time for pale lagers! For this recipe, I riffed on the Schell’s Pils clone I’ve brewed in the past. It is intended to be a German pils, which is a style I quite enjoy. This recipe uses only 2-row malt, rather than pilsner malt, for the base, with a bit of CaraPils or similar malt.

For this iteration, I tried out Mecca Grade’s pale American malt as the primary base grain, using a bit of Rahr 2-row to finish out that supply. I also subbed in Carafoam instead of Carapils. The hops are entirely whole cones from South Dakota (thanks, Dad!). I had to guess on the alpha based on what is typical for the style, and as you’ll see in the results probably guessed high.

Dakota Gold Pils

  • 7 lb. 9 oz. Lamonta Pale American malt (Mecca Grade)
  • 2 lb. 7 oz. 2-row pale malt (Rahr)
  • 0.5 lb. Carafoam malt (Weyermann)
  • 1.09 oz. Hallertauer whole hops (3.0% estimated alpha), 60 minute boil
  • 1 oz. Sterling whole hops (4.5% estimated alpha), 60 minute boil
  • 1 oz. Saaz whole hops (3.5% estimated alpha), 15 minute boil
  • 0.5 tsp. BrewTanB, 10 minute boil
  • 1 Whirlfloc tablet, 5 minute boil
  • 1 oz. Saaz whole hops (3.5% estimated alpha), 5 minute boil
  • 1 tsp. yeast nutrient (WLN1000, White Labs), 5 minute boil
  • 2 pkg. Diamond Lager dry yeast (Lallemand)

Target Parameters

  • 1.047 s.g., 1.010 f.g., 4.8% abv, 35 IBU, 5 SRM
  • Full volume mash, 149° for 60 minutes, 168° mash-out for 10 minutes
  • RO water with minerals added to hit target of 59 ppm Ca, 8 Mg, 89 SO4, 63 Cl, RA=-47, alkalinity=0.

Procedure

  • Starting with 7.6 gallons of RO water, I added 2.7 g gypsum, 2.2 g epsom salt, and 3.4 g of calcium chloride, to hit the target water profile. I also added half of a sodium metabisulfate tablet, to remove any latent oxygen in the water.
  • I heated the water to 154° and added the grains to hit a target mash temperature of 149°. I did not add any lactic acid, because the pH was calculated to be approximately fine (pH of 5.4) without any additions.
  • After a 60 minute mash, I heated to 168° for the mash-out, and pulled the grains after 10 minutes of this.
  • In total, I collected 6.8 gallons of runnings with a gravity of 1.039, for 70% efficiency.
  • I brought the runnings to a boil, adding hops and finings as indicated by the recipe. After a 60 minute boil, I turned off the heat and chilled to ~70°. I transferred the wort to the fermenter, and chilled down to 50° before pitching the yeast.
  • Starting gravity was 1.047. I brewed the beer on 15 April 2023, fermenting at 52°. I held it here until 13 May 2023, when I cold crashed the beer.
  • I kegged the beer with a closed transfer on 28 May 2023. Final gravity was 1.009, for 5.0% abv.

Tasting

  • Appearance
    • Brilliantly clear, straw-colored beer that pours with a fine and persistent white head. Absolutely beautiful!
  • Aroma
    • Sweet malt aroma. Not really much for hops.
  • Flavor
    • Cracker and sweet malty flavor. Moderately low bitterness, with a very clean fermentation profile. There is not a ton of hop character, surprisingly.
  • Mouthfeel
    • Medium-light body, moderately high carbonation, and smooth finish with a slightly extended bitterness.
  • Would I Brew This Again?
    • This is an excellent beer! A touch more bitterness and hop flavor/aroma would be great, but it is otherwise fantastic in drinkability and appearance. It’s not really a German pils at all–it should be more bitter–but that’s OK. Were I to assign a BJCP category, I would probably put it in International Pale Lager. This is the definition of a lawnmower beer!
  • Overall
    • 10/10 as a beer on its own; 6/10 as a German pils.