mash schedule for a pilsner

[Brycey]

I'm about to try and work out a recipe for an authentic pilsner or as near as realistically possible.

Could anyone help out with the temps and times for a step mash. I have also read on here that you can use some Munich malt to imitate a decoction. I have some Vienna in stock would this do the same job or does it have to be Munich.

So I'm looking at bohemian pilsner malt some Munich or (Vienna if suitable) sazz for bittering and aroma if I went with a liquid yeast would I need to make a starter. Never made a starter how do you go about this?
What kind of ibu am I looking for? (Pilsner urquall is my aim)

Cheers
B

 

[Diggerg]

There is an urquell clone recipe in tess and mark szamatulski clone recipe book. Hoping to make this my self in the future.

 

[Good Ed]

well first of all have a read of this

step mashing is different to decoction mashing, but you can use some Melanoidin malt to give a fair pass at decoction flavour, along with some Munich or Vienna and Weyermann pilsner malt, not authentic of course, but not bad all the same. Saaz are the only hops to use imo, and if you don't want to use liquid yeasts (starter definitely required, see Mr Malty for more info) you can use a couple of packets of W-34/70, which is the Weihenstephen strain (WLP820) or use WLP800, the Pilsner Urquell strain

come back with any more questions

 

[Brycey]

Hi
I had a quick read of the link you posted (bookmarked for future reference)
Aleman mentions that you don't need to step mash the normal bohemian pilsner malt but would doing a step mash improve the end result?
Also would you only add the melonoidin or Munich if you were doing a single step infusion?

I put a biab pilsner step mash into beersmith and it came back with
Acid rest 35oc-5mins
Protein rest 52oc-15mins
Saccharification 63oc-45mins
Saccharification 2 72oc-30mins
Mash out 78oc-10mins
Does this sound about right?

I used a grain bill of
4.5kg bohemian pilsner malt
0.25kg melanoiden (could be swapped for 10% Vienna)
Hops
68g sazz@90min
26g sazz@30min
20g sazz@ flameout
Est og 1049
Ibu 37

Any advice would be a great help.

Cheers
B

 

[Good Ed]

I don't know about beersmith, but I'd be wary about software telling you how to brew. I don't have a HERMS which would allow you to do a stepped mash, so unless you want to do a decoction mash, which was the practice for malts not modified to todays standard, I would use pilsner malt with some Melanoidin and Munich or Vienna and do a single infusion mash.

If I had the time and the facilities and SWMBO was not around then I would do a decoction mash with 100% Weyermann floor malted Bohemian Pilsner and some local Saaz hops, but as homebrewers we have to do what we can, and most times we do a pretty good job.

I bet you Aleman will be along in the morning to also give you some advice :thumb:

 

[Brycey]

I brew biab on gas so doing a step mash isn't that much hassle and if it makes a difference to the beer then a little extra effort is worth it.

Cheers
B

 

[Brycey]

I must have read Aleman's post about half a dozen times now and still can't get my head around some of the stuff in it.

So I'm going to bump this brew one back in the queue. I have a lager in the fridge just now so when this has finished lagering in around four weeks I will stick on a wheat beer that should be ready quite quickly. Hopefully the lager and wheat beer should be bottle conditioned around the same time to boost my stock levels in preparation for the long wait for the pilsner.

So i still need to make the decision on whether to go with the floor malted pilsner and do the step mash with some melonoiden and Vienna or go for the normal bohemian pilsner malt and a single step. I also need to decide on dry or liquid yeast having to make a large starter is kinda putting me off the liquid as this is adding another process.

So another few weeks before i need to order the yeast for the wheat when I'll order the pilsner ingredients.

Cheers
B

 

[pittsy]

Hi , forget the acid rest not needed and if using german pilsner malt do a 15 min rest at 55c for better head retention . I would also do the 63c and 71c rest too . This will be worth it . Lager for 6 weeks for improvement too .

 

[Aleman]

Be careful at that 55c rest you will get significant beta amylase activity which can lead to an over attenuative beer.

If doing a decoction mash do not skip the 35C rest

 

[Brycey]

So would you leave out the 55 rest out and start on the next one?

 

[Aleman]

I would probably go for a 50C rest and then to 62. . . You don't really want to hang around in the 55 to 60 point for too long . . And if you go for 55 to 64 you get too much beta amylase at 55 and still have proteolytic activity at 64

 

[Brycey]

Cheers guys

Can't wait to get this one on! :thumb:

B