# 🍺 Top-down Brew: German Pilsner

## Data Entry

Recipe Variables
name: German Pilsner og: 1.048 malt: German pilsner malt, 95, 1.5, 80 malt: CaraPils dextrin malt, 5, 12, 72 ibu: 32 hop: Tettnanger, 80, 4.5, 60 hop: Hallertau, 10, 4.5, 10 hop: Hallertau, 10, 4.5, 0 yeast: lager vol: 5.5 system: US eff: 75 prime: 2.5, 65

### Variations

For malt extract:

- Delete the malt lines.
- For liquid malt extract, add sugar: Liquid pilsner malt extract, 100, 5, 76
- For dry malt extract, add sugar: Dry pilsner malt extract, 100, 3.5, 96

### Explore other malts, sugars, and hops

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## Results

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## Notes

German Pils (also called pilsner or pilsener) was inspired by the Czech pilsner style. It is hoppier than related German lager styles. This is the most popular beer style in Germany.

2021 BJCP 5D - German Pils characteristic ingredients: "Continental Pilsner malt. Traditional German hops. Clean German lager yeast."

Vital statistics: OG: 1.044 – 1.050, FG: 1.008 – 1.013, IBUs: 22 – 40, SRM: 2 – 4, ABV: 4.4 – 5.2%

The water should be low in carbonates, yet have small to moderate amounts of chloride and sulfate. These minerals are important for avoiding a wimpy hop character.

Continental pilsner malt is essential, such as Weyermann or Durst pilsner malt. The malt bill can be 100% pilsner base malt. The sources recommend 0 to 10% light crystal malts for head and body-building purposes, such as CaraPils/CaraFoam. Vienna malt is used in some recipes, but overuse could veer into other beer styles. Decoction mashes were traditionally used. Single-step infusion mashes between 147 to 150 F (64 to 66 C) are effective.

The hops should be traditional German or continental European varieties, like Hallertau, Saaz, Tettnang, and Hersbrucker. The sources recommend Tettnanger for bittering and Hallertau for flavor and aroma. Saaz can be used, but this could result in being more like a Czech pilsner. Crystal, Liberty, and Mount Hood are possible American substitutes. The reviewed recipes have late hop additions for flavor and aroma. Aim for a BU/GU of about .67.

The yeast should be a clean fermenting, German lager yeast. Use fermentation and lagering practices that lower diacetyl.

## Sources

Beer-analytics.com German pils analysis

Dornbusch, H. (2014, November). German pilsener: Crafting the edgy cousin of a Bohemian original. Brew Your Own, 50 - 57.

Dornbusch, H. (2005, July-August). Northern German Pils: An edgy blond lager with a bitter history. Brew Your Own, 19 - 22.

Zainasheff, J. (2010, December). German pilsner: Clean, crisp, and dry. Brew Your Own, 19 - 22.