Tag Archives: German pils

Pfriem Pilsner 2024

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I have done a version of this three times previously, usually with some minor variations for hops or yeast. This time, I decided to do the hop varieties and timings exactly as written (with adjustments for alpha acid), to follow the original Pfriem Pilsner clone recipe from Dave Carpenter’s Lager book. Without further ado, here’s what I did.

Pfriem Pilsner 2024

  • 9.75 lb. pilsner malt (Rahr)
  • 6 oz. Carafoam malt (Weyermann)
  • 0.5 tsp. BrewTanB, in mash
  • 0.75 oz. Perle hop pellets (6.3% alpha), 60 minute boil
  • 0.5 oz. Tettnang hop pellets (2.4% alpha), 60 minute boil
  • 0.5 oz. Tettnang hop pellets (2.4% alpha), 10 minute boil
  • 0.75 oz. Saphir hop pellets (2.3% alpha), 10 minute boil
  • 0.5 oz. Spalt Spalter hop pellets (4.3% alpha), 10 minute boil
  • 0.5 tsp. BrewTanB, 10 minute boil
  • 1 Whirlfloc tablet, 5 minute boil
  • 1.5 oz. Tettnang hop pellets (2.4% alpha), 10 minute whirlpool
  • 0.75 oz. Saphir hop pellets (2.3% alpha), 10 minute whirlpool
  • 0.5 oz. Spalt Spalter hop pellets (4.3% alpha), 10 minute whirlpool
  • 2 pkg. Diamond dry lager yeast (Lallemand)

Target Parameters

  • 1.046 s.g., 1.007 f.g., 5.1% abv, 4 SRM, 38 IBU
  • Full volume step mash, with 45 minutes at 142°, 45 minutes at 156°, and 10 minutes at 168°; 70 minute boil
  • Water built up from RO, to hit target parameters of 62 ppm Ca, 11 ppm Mg, 121 ppm SO4, and 51 ppm Cl, with RA=-50 ppm

Procedure

  • I built up my mash water from 7.5 gallons of RO water, with 3 g calcium chloride, 3 g epsom salt, and 4 g gypsum. Then, I heated it to 146° before adding the grains and holding at 142° for 45 minutes, with recirculation. Then, I raised the mash to 156° for 45 minutes and finished up at 168° for 10 minutes.
  • After the mash, I pulled the grains. I collected 6.8 gallons of runnings with a gravity of 1.041, for 74% mash efficiency.
  • I brought the runnings to a boil, boiling for 10 minutes before adding the first round of hops and proceeding with the rest of the recipe as written. In total, this was a 70 minute boil.
  • At the end of the boil, I turned off the heat, added the whirlpool hops, and whirlpooled for 10 minutes before continuing with the rest of the chill.
  • Once the beer was down to 72°, I transferred to the fermenter and chilled down to 46° in my fermentation chamber, before pitching the yeast.
  • I brewed this beer on 28 October 2024, and the starting gravity was 1.049.
  • The starting fermentation temperature was 48°, and I held it here until 3 November 2024, when I raised the temperature to 52°. On 17 November, I raised the temperature to 54°, and then to ambient (~62°) on 24 November 2024.
  • I kegged the beer on 25 November 2024. Final gravity was 1.009, for 5.3% abv.

Tasting

  • Appearance
    • Clear, but short of brilliant; there is just a tiny touch of barely visible haze. It is a straw-colored beer that pours with a fine and persistent white head, which leaves some nice lacing on the glass.
  • Aroma
    • Light notes of cracker and honey in the malt, and a pleasant light floral hop aroma, with a touch of fresh hay. This beer smells awesome!
  • Flavor
    • Medium-high bitterness, grainy sweet malt character; hop flavor is lightly herbal. Minerally feel to finish out the flavor.
  • Mouthfeel
    • Medium carbonation, medium light body, dry finish. Minerally, but not unpleasantly so.
  • Would I Brew This Again?
    • I am feeling pretty good about this recipe overall. It is perhaps a touch more bitter than I prefer in all of my pils, but I like the hop aroma and malt character; the overall aroma is amazing! I wouldn’t mind a touch taller head (but that may be in the pour), and I also must ding the beer a bit for its clarity. I wonder if the persistent light haze is from the large dose of whirlpool hops? I could have used some finings, and might do that next time for a pilsner-type beer, because clarity is something important to me for these.
  • Overall
    • 8/10

Collaboration Brews – Citra Blonde Ale and Andy’s Pilsner

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This past summer, I got to brew with my dad, who first got me thinking about brewing many years ago (I remember helping him way back as a teenager, even if I couldn’t enjoy the product at the time). He started as an extract brewer decades ago, took a break, got back into it, and then eventually switched to all-grain brewing (alongside wine making). Dad makes almost exclusively lagers, with his regular rotation including a Pre-Prohibition PIlsner and a Vienna Lager.

Dad currently brews on an Anvil Foundry 10.5 (gifted by us kids a few years back), doing a handful of batches annually to keep his cellar stocked. Awhile back, I shared my Citra Blonde Ale recipe with him, and he liked it enough to add a version into his repertoire. I also helped him put together a simple German pils, which is made with hops he grows himself.

We’ll usually brew something when I’m visiting, but I almost never get to sample the results due to the distance. So, it was extra nice to get a shipment with a bottle of each of the beers we made this summer. I was also able to get my hands on the notes (thanks, Dad!), which are presented in only lightly edited format.

Citra Blonde Ale

  • 5.25 lb. Briess Pilsen malt
  • 5 lb. Briess 2-row malt
  • 0.75 lb. Munich malt
  • 0.5 lb. Vienna malt
  • 0.5 lb. Carapils malt
  • 0.5 oz. Citra hops (boil 10 min.)
  • Whirlfloc tablet (boil 1- min.)
  • 0.5 oz. Citra hops (boil 5 min.)
  • 1.0 oz. Citra hops (steep for 5 min. after shutting the heat off).
  • BRY-97 American West Coast Ale (dry) and Safale US-05 (dry) yeast, 1 packet each

Procedure

Double-milled grains with 0.035 in. gap.  Steeped grains at 152 degrees.  Mashed out at 168 degrees for 10 minutes.  Boiled for 50 minutes.  Added 0.5 oz. Citra hops, Whirlfloc.  Boiled for 5 minutes.  Added 0.5 oz. Citra hops. Boiled for 5 minutes.  

Shut off heat.  Added 1.0 oz. Citra hops.  Steeped for 5 minutes.  Removed hops and cooled to 69 degrees.  S.G.=1.054.  Added American West Coast Ale yeast BRY-97 (best by 08-2024) and Safale US-05 (best by 01-24).

Fermented in the basement at approx. 65 degrees for 12 days.  S.G.=1.006.  Continued to ferment in the basement for 3 more weeks, then moved to 34-degree fridge.  Chilled for about 3 weeks, then filtered, force carbonated and bottled.

Brewed July 18, 2024.

Tasting

  • Appearance
    • Medium yellow color, relatively clear. A touch of chill haze. Thin white head that subsides after pouring.
  • Aroma
    • A nice orange/ citrus hop aroma at a moderate level; moderate/low malty aroma
  • Flavor
    • Citrus hop flavor, low bitterness level, grainy malt character, no yeast to speak of. Nice round maltiness.
  • Mouthfeel
    • Medium-light body, moderate carbonation, smooth finish.
  • Would I Brew This Again?
    • This is a great recipe, even after a few months. Clean, drinkable, interesting but not overpowering.
  • Overall
    • 8/10

Andy’s Pilsner

This is a SMaSH-esque recipe, based on various SMaSH pilsners that I have made over the years. The closest equivalent would be Farke’s Best Pils.

  • 10 lb. Briess Pilsen malt
  • 1.0 oz. Saaz (2023) hops in boil (60 minute boil)
  • 1.0 oz. Mt. Hood (2023) hops (10 minute boil)
  • Whirlfloc tablet, 10 minute boil
  • 2 pkg. DIamond Lager dry yeast (Lallemand)

Procedure

Double-milled grain at 0.035 in. gap.  Steeped grain at 150 degrees for 50 minutes.  Mashed out at 168 degrees for 10 minutes.  Brought to a boil and added Saaz hops.  

Boiled for 60 minutes.  Added Whirlfloc tablet and Mt. Hood hops.  Boiled for 10 minutes.  Cooled to 70 degrees.  S.G.=1.051.  Added 1-1/2 qts. tap water.  S.G.=1.047.

Chilled to 52 degrees.  Added 2 packages of Diamond Lager yeast (BB 08-2024 & 09-2023).  Fermented for 10 days.  S.G.=1.006.  Racked to 5 gal. carboy.   Continued to ferment at 52 degrees for 12 days.  Warmed to 74 degrees for diacetyl rest for 4 days.  Chilled to 34 degrees for approximately one month, then cold filtered, force carbonated and bottled.

Brewed July 18, 2024.

Tasting

  • Appearance
    • Very clear, straw color, with thin white head that subsides fairly quickly.
  • Aroma
    • A bit of spicy hop at the forefront, and some grainy maltiness behind that. Very nice!
  • Flavor
    • Malty sweetness at the front, and medium level of spicy hopping. Clean fermentation profile.
  • Mouthfeel
    • Medium-low carbonation level; medium mouthfeel; smooth and slightly dry finish.
  • Would I Brew This Again?
    • This is a great recipe! Carbonation might help with giving a touch more head. Malt and hop levels are perfect. This is a nice pilsner.
  • Overall
    • 8/10

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.