Classic American Pilsner
(5 gallons/19 L, extract only)
OG = 1.060 (14.7 °P)
FG = 1.014 (3.6 °P)
IBU = 35 SRM = 4 ABV = 6%
Ingredients
6 lb. Pilsner liquid malt extract
2.2 lb. Rice RME
6.5 AAU Czech Saaz hops
(1.87 oz./53 g at 3.5% alpha acids) (60 min.)
3.5 AAU Czech Saaz hops
(1 oz./28 g of 3.5% alpha acids) (15 min.)
3.5 AAU Czech Saaz hops
(1 oz./28 g of 3.5% alpha acids) (0 min.)
White Labs WLP800 (Pilsner Lager) or Wyeast 2001 (Urquell) yeast
Step by Step
I have used a number of Pilsner-type extracts, all with success. Always choose the freshest extract that fits the beer style. If you cannot get fresh liquid malt extract, use an appropriate amount of dried extract instead. Using fresh extract is very important to this style. Finding high maltose rice or corn syrups can be difficult in smaller quantities, but some homebrew shops do carry them. Alternatively, you could use
dextrose in place of the syrup. Ideally, you would do a partial mash with corn or leave this style to all-grain.
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Add enough water to the malt extract to make a pre-boil volume of 5.9 gallons (22.3 liters) and the gravity is 1.051 (12.6 °P). Stir the wort thoroughly to help dissolve the extract and bring to a boil.
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Once the wort is boiling, add the bittering hops. The total wort boil time is 1 hour after adding the first hops. Add Irish moss or other kettle finings and the second hop addition with 15 minutes left in
the boil. Add the last hop addition just before shutting off the burner. Chill the wort rapidly to 50 °F
(10 °C), let the break material settle, rack to the fermenter, pitch the yeast and aerate thoroughly.
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You will need to pitch 4 packages of fresh yeast or make a large starter to have enough yeast to best ferment this beer. You might consider first brewing a small batch of lower gravity Munich helles or something similar to grow up the yeast you need. Once you have pitched enough clean, healthy yeast, ferment at 50 °F (10 °C). When fermentation is finished, carbonate the beer to approximately 2.5 volumes.
