The Unrepeatable Pilsner

Source: Cubby Lash
Recipe added: 05/08/98
Email: jl5@dana.ucc.nau.edu
URL: http://dana.ucc.nau.edu/~jl5

This was an all day brewing extravaganza. Almost everything that could go wrong, did. I couldn't get the mash up to the 150s to save my life!! We ran out of propane 1/2 way through the boil!! But the beer, oh the beer, is damn tasty! Will I will not be trying another decoction mash anytime soon, the malt profile of this beer is unlike any other that I've made. It has a depth of malt flavor that is very pleasent to compliment the dry hoppiness. All in all I am very happy with this beer.

Specifics

Recipe type: All Grain
Batch Size: 10 gallons
Starting Gravity: 1.050
Finishing Gravity:
Time in Boil: about 90 minutes
Primary Fermentation: 7 days
Secondary Fermentation: 4 weeks

Ingredients:

1.5 # Carapils
9.5 # German Pilsner malt
9.5 # Great Western 2-row
1.5 oz Saaz (whole) First wort hopping
1.5 oz Saaz (whole) 60 minutes (approximately)
1 oz Saaz (whole) 10 minutes
1 oz Saaz (whole) 0 minutes
0.5 oz Saaz (whole) dry hopped in 2ndary
White labs pitchable German lager yeast

Procedure:

I tried my first (last?) "simple" decotion mash. Added 6 1/2 gallons of 136F H2O to get mash to 126F for dough-in/protien rest, left it for 1/2 hour. Took about a third of the thickest part of the mash and heated it to 149F. Overshot and added a quart of cold water. Rested for 15 minutes. Brought decocted protion to a boil for 15 minutes stirring constantly. My arms are falling off by now. Added back to main mash. My main mash temp is 135F. Hmmm. Need to raise it up. Took another decoction and heated it, added 2 gallons of boiling H2O. Finally heated it directly on the stove (thankfully my brewing partner and I could lift it--20+ pounds of grain plus 8 1/2 gallons of water plus the converted keg it was all in.) Sparged to collect 13 gallons of runnings. Started boiling--ran out of propane--got more propane, boiled some more. Total boil of approximately 90 minutes.

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