Making a delicious light beer at home... part 2 Merican Pilsner

So, in our last installment we learned about de-branching enzymes and how they can be used to create a crisp low-calorie, low-carbohydrate beer.   In today's episode we will be using a different approach.  In today's episode, we will be making a lager that anyone can make.  If you can control fermentation temperatures for an ale, you can make this lager.

The research brewery at Weihensttephan Institute

Fermentis Saflager 34/70 is an excellent yeast.  It is actually the most popular yeast strain in the world.   And considerable development has gone into this yeast over the last fifty or so years.   It is a lager yeast, Saccharomyces Pastoranus.  It is clean and malty.   However, did you know it will ferment just fine at low ale temperatures? I have used it over and over a 65 F (18 c) with undetectable ill effects. The yeast was developed at the world's premier lager research institute,  The Weihenstephan Institute at The Technical University of Munich (TUMs), a university where learning about beer is taken very seriously.

Now you may have heard it said that this yeast is a "hybrid yeast".  And you may be thinking it is a "hybrid" in the slang sense of the word, like a San Francisco lager yeast.   Or like a "cream ale yeast."  I want to assure you this is a strain of Saccharomyces Pastoranus, one of the two most prevalent strains of lager yeast.  It is a hybrid only in the fact that it is hybridized from Saccharomyces carlsbergenis.  We have to be careful with the word hybrid when we are talking about genetics.   Genetically if something is a hybrid, it doesn't exist in nature. Of course if you want to get truly technical, all lager yeasts are hybrids.... but that is a topic for another blog entry.  It was developed at the Weihenstephan Institue. But it isn't just a combination of S. Carlsbergenis and S. Cerevisiae; it is an actual lager strain, most commonly classified as a S. Pastoranus. 

Genome map of 34/70 and
Saccchoromyces Pastoranus vs. S. Carlsbergenis

Understanding yeast genetics and yeast genomes is not necessary to brew great beer.  But it can be interesting.  If you ever want to really geek out go to the TUMs website. There is so much information there, I think even the geekiest of home brewers would learn something new.  The 34/70 strain does exceptionally well from 48.5 F to 71 F.  Average attenuation is about 83%, in an 18 plato (1.064) wort.  Marshal, over at Brulosophy reports great results up to 70 F with this yeast.  I am not that brave.  But I have used it for years at 62 to 65 F (16 to 18 C) with excellent results.  I know this is just a blog on the internet.  I know I am not a brewing scientist (wish I'd known that was a choice on junior high career day).  I am just a guy sharing practical experience with you.  So please do your own research and remember my 45% 45% 10% rule. Great brewing is 45% cleaning, 45% learning, 10 % brewing.   But I will tell you this,  I have done the research. I have read the articles and even struggled through the research studies.   The knowledge I have gleaned is that this yeast will work fine at ale temperatures.  

Knowledge is power!

So, how do we apply this knowledge?  Well, we brew of course.   We use this knowledge to realize that you can make any lager with this yeast at cool ale temperatures without the need for advanced temperature control.   And we understand that when we make a low original gravity beer the primary fermentation will only last a couple of days.  So the critical time to hold the temperature down is during these first days of fermentation.   Anyone can hold the temperature down early with a swamp cooler set up.   It isn't hard and you probably already have the equipment.   If you have temperature control, you can literally treat this yeast like an ale yeast.   Start at 62 F for a couple of days then ramp up to 66 F,  then cold crash.   No big deal.   This practice is for low and medium OG lagers; when we make higher OG lagers, we tend to follow the Lager method explained here.   

So here is the recipe.  Good ol' Merican Pilsner... 5.5 gallons of good "merican" beer.  72.5% efficiency. So adjust yours for your system.  Remember we tend to not sparge this beer.  I have never decocted this recipe, but I am considering it.   To do that I'll dough in for a 132 initial rest / enzyme wash.  When I dough in it will only be the barley.  Then I'll pull a 2/3rds decoction.   After I add back the decoction, I'll add the corn and rice for the remainder of the mash.  But as you all know I enjoy decoction.  It is not necessary, I just want to see what it would do to this recipe. 

Good ol' Merican Pilsner 145 calories
1.047 OG
1.007 FG
12.00 IBUs
3.00   SRM
4.8%  ABV

Grain Bill  - Mash at 148 for 60 minutes, rinse or sparge to volume.  
7 lbs of Pilsner
1 lbs of flaked corn
1 lbs of flaked rice

Hops
.2 oz of Magnum 13% AA - 2.6 AAUs - at 60 minutes
.2 oz of Liberty 4% AA - .8 AAUs at 30 minutes
.5 oz of Liberty 4% AA - 2 AAUs at 0 minutes

Yeast

17 grams of Fermentis Saflager 34/70 - (that is 1 & 2/3 packs) Ferment at 62 for 5-7 days, then let rise to 70 for 2-3 days, then cold crash.    Or make a starter, if you start with 1 pack of 34/70 then you only have to do a single step to get to 345 B Cells.  Make sure you oxygenate well. 

Extras
1 Whirlflock tablet 
1 tsp of Wyeast yeast nutrient. 


What's that?  you say you don't like 12 IBU beers... fine... turn it into a Pivo Pilsner Clone... If you have never had Pivo Pilsner it is a 59 IBU pilsner beer made by Firestone Walker brewing.  It is made to honor the classic Czech Pivo.  But really it is more like an India Pale Lager to me.  Either way it is delicious.  This grain bill stands strong as a great back ground for many of your lager experiments.  

A laundry tub and some frozen bottles of  ice are all you need
to make this fantastic lager.   Anyone can do it. 

You want to make a true tasting Czech Pilsner? Ok, go with all Saaz hops.   You want to make a German Pilsner,  Go with all German Noble Hops... Hallertauer family.  You could even use this beer as the base for a truly American India Pale Lager,  just load it up with west coast hops, Centennial, Cascade, Columbus...etc...   

Pivo Pilsner Clone 145 calories
1.047 OG
1.007 FG
53.00 IBUs
3.00   SRM
4.8%  ABV

Grain Bill  - Mash at 148 for 60 minutes, rinse or sparge to volume.  
7 lbs of Pilsner
1 lbs of flaked corn
1 lbs of flaked rice

Hops
1 oz of Magnum 13% AA - 13 AAUs - at First Wort Hop
1 oz of Spalt Select 5% AA - 5 AAUs at 10 minutes
1 oz of Spalt Select 5% AA - 5 AAUs at 5 minutes
2 oz of Saphir  3.4% AA - 6.8 AAUs  5 day dry hop

Yeast
17 grams of Fermentis Saflager 34/70 (that is 1 & 2/3 packs)- Ferment at 62 for 5-7 days, then let rise to 70 for 2-3 days, then cold crash.    Or make a starter, if you start with 1 pack of 34/70 then you only have to do a single step to get to 345 B Cells.  Make sure you oxygenate well. 

Extras
1 Whirlflock tablet 
1 tsp of Wyeast yeast nutrient. 

Lager at Ale Temps: German Pilsner Brew day STEP MASH... back in the counterbrew kitchen... by myself

Saturday Brew day in the counterbrew kitchen.  All by myself. The other members of the brew crew all had other plans.  MA is on a "beercation" in Denver.  Jake and John have valentines plans with their lovely wives.  So it was up to the old man to carry the torch.  To keep the momentum going.  So I spent Saturday doing general home brew stuff and brewing a 2.5 gallon German lager the easy way, kind of...

What is the easy way?  Is there a magic way to make a lager at home?  Is there a way to ensure that a lager comes out crisp and clean, with out all the extra fussing with pre chillers,  fermentation chambers, and months of lagering?   Well simply put, yes there is, and it is all about yeast selection.

There are a handful of lager yeasts that work just fine at ale temperatures.  Particular strains that just don't happen to throw off many off flavors even at higher temperatures.   Just last week over at Brulosophy, Marshal displayed that you can use Fermentis 34/70 at 70 F and produce a clean crisp lager.  Now this is not true of all lager yeasts.  But some of them will work just fine.  So which one?  What yeast can you turn to for reliable lagers at ale temperatures?  Note, this doesn't mean un controlled fermentation.  You need to keep these around 62 F - 65 F.

• Fermentis 34/70 - I've used it for years at 62 with absolutely no problems.
• Fermentis K-97 - technically a Kolsch yeast, but you'd never know it.
• Wyeast 2112  California Lager - Used it for years for my Champagne Lager
• Wyeast 2124 Bohemian Lager
• White Labs 810 San Francisco Lager -  Used it on Saturday! Doing great Sunday Morning.  This is a very malt forward style of yeast.
• White Labs 862 Cry Havoc
• White Labs 080 Cream Ale Blend

Began my brew day by racking a strawberry wine, and by checking on the gravity of a Belgian Strong Dark Fruit Beer... What?  you never posted about that!  Well no, no I didn't.  We do make some more advanced beers, and sours that I don't post about on this blog.    I also re dosed a Bret IPA we are working on, as of this morning there is a beautiful pellicle on the beer.  

Ground the grains fine.  I always try to mill my grains on brew day.  I don't know the science for sure, but I feel like the closer to brewing, the better.

step 1:  132 F

Today was a step mash brew day.  I was using the amazing Weyermann Barke Pilsner (TM) malt.  This is my third time using it, and now I am feeling a little possessive of it.  Planning what future brews I am willing to use it for and what I am not.  Definitely going into my upcoming Bierre D' Mars, Saison, Bierre d' Garde, and another lager.  But it's not going into the California Common, or any of the upcoming IPAs, etc.  It is just too special for that.  Too valuable. Too Yummy!

Today was all about the step mash.

The recipe for the "Die Achtung" Pilsner

2.5 gallons

1.048 OG

1.012 FG

33 IBUs

3.3lbs of Weyermann Barke Pilsner

.3 lbs of Cara/Crystal 40 Lovibond

.3 lbs of Corn Sugar Added in 1 quart of water as High Krausen is stable (improves attenuation)

1 ounce of Hallertauer  (4.5 AAU)   at 60 /70  4.5 Alpha Acid

Iris Moss

Yeast Nutrient

Gelatin Fining

Step 2:  146 F for 40 Minutes

Step Mashing is not hard, it is also not strictly necessary on many beers.  But I find it improves extraction, and flavor.  And flavor is what it is all about for me.    So I often step mash.  I brew loads of Belgian beers, and when you are brewing a Belgian, and you want lots of phenolic flavors, you have to step mash.  (More on that in another post).   The first rest was at 132-135 F.  I can get there with the 141 F water that comes out of my tap.  And that is nice.

Step 3: 152 for 15m

After 15 minutes I rose to 146 F  where I rested for 40 Minutes.   Then up to 152-154 F,  Then Mash out at 170 ish.   My efforts produced a delicious wort that clocked in at 1.039 OG.  That is 86.28% sports fans.  So you tell me if it was worth it.  There is a faster way to do a step mash too.  You can use boiling water to more quickly change the temperature of your wort.  But that wasn't an option for me on this brew day.  My other 5 gallon kettle has delicious Chili in it.   Truth told I don't mind it taking a little longer.  It makes for a leisurely calm brew day.  It also involves me more in the process.   

Nailed it.  

The boil was uneventful.  The wort was foamy so there was a lot of foop.  I always scoop the foop.  I have no need for those proteins in my beer.   Single Hop addition.  1 ounce of Hallertauer at 60 minutes.  Irish Moss and yeast nutrient at 15 minutes.   

Chilling the batch,
love the color

Chilling the batch was frustrating as always.  20 minutes is too long.  The ground water seemed to be at around 60.   But with a single coil in a sink full of ice water it still took 20 minutes. Chilling drives me crazy.  Eventually, I'll break down and buy a Jaded chiller.  But for now, I really prefer using 2 chillers at one time.   

I aerated the batch with my aquarium pump and pitched the pack of WLP 810.   Some people say 810 is too malt forward, and I am using Weyermann Barke Pilsner (TM).  So this beer could be a malt bomb. (fine by me, not what was intended but still yummy!)  Only time will tell.  But if it isn't super crisp, I'm sure I'll still love it.  I love malty beers.  As of this morning it has built a beautiful Krausen and millions of tiny bubbles are rising to the surface.   Should be another delicious German Pilsner.    As you can see, I have a fondness for crisp lagers.