American Premium Pilsner

Description:

For anyone wishing to reproduce “American Premium-style” pilsner beer — here is my all-grain offering for 5 gallons.

This makes a remarkable beer with an incredible Cascade nose and an edge-of-the-tongue bitterness perception — This is one to convince the ‘non-homebrewing’ friend that you really know what you are doing!

I hope that some ambitious person with a spare fridge can use this recipe — it is 100% my own formulation — if anyone finds something to adjust here, please let me know and I’ll give it a try!

Ingredients:

• 6 lbs Lager malt (I use 2-row, but 6-row is appropriate for the amount of adjuncts)
• 1 lb Mild ale malt
• 1 lb Rice
• 1/2 lb Flaked barley
• 1/2 lb Flaked maize
• 4 oz Malto-dextrin powder
• 3/4 oz Saaz (4.2%AA for 90min)
• 1/4 oz Saaz (4.2%AA for 30min)
• 1 oz Cascade (4.9%AA for 2min)
• 1 oz Cascade (4.9%AA for dry-hopping)
• Nottingham Ale yeast (dry — I know, I NEVER use dry yeast…) or Wyeast #2112 California Lager (optional)

Procedure:

Boil rice for 30 minutes and add grains and water for mash —
First rest at 94F for 30 minutes to help breakdown the adjuncts —
Raise temp to 122F for 30 minutes for protein degradation —
Raise temp to 140F for 15 minutes for better head retention and clarity —
Raise temp to 153F for 45 minutes for starch conversion —
Raise temp to 158F for 20 minutes for complete conversion —
Mashout at 168F for 10 minutes — Sparge w/168F water at < 6 pH --
Boil wort and add 3/4 oz Saaz — boil 60 min —
Add 1/4 oz Saaz — boil 30 min —
Add 1 oz Cascade — boil 2 min —
Force chill (if possible) — rack to primary and aerate —

Rehydrate Nottingham yeast and pitch at 65F —
Ferment for 4-7 days or until no noticeable airlock activity —
Rack to secondary — Drop temp to 55F —
Pitch Wyeast #2112 starter (>=400ml) at 55F —
Drop temp to 34-40F for 4-6 weeks (or until you decide to bottle) —

72 hours before bottling:
Add 1 oz Cascade directly to secondary —
48 hours before bottling:
Add your favorite clarifier (if necessary), gelatine, polyclar, etc —
24 hours before bottling:
Raise temp to 60F:

Bottle and let sit at 60F for 1 week, then drop temp back down for either extended lagering (34-45F) or for drinking (48-55) —