Looking to make a Victory Prima Pils like Pilsner (my first attempt at a lager)

Hikjacked this from the green board. Opinions?



A ProMash Recipe Report

BJCP Style and Style Guidelines
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02-A Pilsner, German Pilsner (Pils)

Min OG: 1.044 Max OG: 1.050
Min IBU: 25 Max IBU: 45
Min Clr: 2 Max Clr: 5 Color in SRM, Lovibond

Recipe Specifics
----------------

Batch Size (Gal): 5.50 Wort Size (Gal): 5.50
Total Grain (Lbs): 9.50
Anticipated OG: 1.049 Plato: 12.20
Anticipated SRM: 3.0
Anticipated IBU: 40.1
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75 %
Wort Boil Time: 90 Minutes


Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
100.0 9.50 lbs. Pilsener Germany 1.038 2

Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.


Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.00 oz. Northern Brewer Whole 9.00 31.5 60 min.
1.00 oz. Czech Saaz Whole 3.50 6.1 15 min.
1.00 oz. Czech Saaz Whole 3.50 2.4 5 min.
2.00 oz. Czech Saaz Whole 3.50 0.0 0 min.


Yeast
-----

White Labs WLP830 German Lager

i havn't done many lagers, but i would consider using the pilsener urquel (wlp 800) or budvar (wlp 802) yeast.

OK, I am going for it... Can I primary ferment in plastic? Also - what size starter is adequate?

We are making 10 gallons (split into two fermenters), and plan on at least a half gallon starter from each...

I wouldn't go smaller than a gal. starter for each half.

Check on the starter - thanks Denny.

We are using Weyermann Pils malt - do we need to boil for 90 minutes to keep that DMS thing away? Won't it darken the finished product?

*nudge*

Should I boil for 90 and maybe add some carapils?

Dear Frank B

I tend to make alot more lagers than ales, because everyone drinks them and i make excellent lagers, myself i think making a good lager is A: the water and B: the larging temp and period, i always use a block carbon filter to filter out all the nasties and i think one of the most important factors is to add a lactic acid (mine is 60%Concentrate) to the liquor, i use about 5 to 7ml in my hlt, which i always fill up to 45 liters. It should be lagered close to 34f for three months. Only thing i have lack with my lager is carbonation, when kegging, is is due to horrbile plastic kegs and bottling is a pain in the arse, i have just invested in a corny keg, which cost $90 for second hand here is the uk.



P.S I wouldn't bother boiling for 90 mins or adding carapils. Only one thing to look at, is not to over hop it. By Reading up about it, myself, it contains wheat.


Richard

richard, according to their website it does NOT contain wheat:

COMPOSITION
Malts: 2 row German pilsner malt
Hops: German and Czech whole flowers
Alcohol by volume: 5.3%

on boiling for 90 minutes, i don't think it could hurt. boiling for a long time can affect color/flavor of the wort when you boil for a LONG time (like longer htan 90 minutes) or if your wort is highly concentrated. in a normal strength beer, it won't make a difference. if you think you need 90 minutes to drive off the dms, go for it.

Dear Snappy

The apple flavour and the large head retention is most probley from wheat, as brew alot of wheat lagers, i should know. 90 min would't hurt, denny boiled his for hours LOL.

P.S Apple flavour, there is a correct term for it, i can't think off the top of my head.



Richard

Acetaldehyde. it's usually considered a bad thing ... although some light lagers have a bit of it. as far as the wheat goes ... i know you brew alot of wheat lagers, and that's cool, but victory's site says they use pilsner malt as the only grain in their prima pils. that's all i'm saying.

From BYO:

"Many homebrewers contemplating making their first light lager beer may wonder if such a long boil is really a good idea, preferring instead to minimize color development by employing a short boil. In reality, a 90-minute boil should not darken a very light wort much unless the evaporation rate is excessively high or heat from your burner is focused onto ?hot spots? under your kettle.

When boiling, a small addition of calcium is very helpful. Calcium helps drop the pH of the boiling wort to the proper level and lowers color pickup during the boil. For a 5-gallon (19-L) batch, about 1/4?1/2 tsp of calcium chloride or gypsum during the boil is sufficient."

That said you need a min. 30 minute boil to take care of DMS, we generally boil longer than that because of the increase hop utilization of a longer boil.

Thanks, due to some other minor sanfu's (getting our chilling gear together, drinking beer, etc) and getting distracted, our boil was somewhere around the 90 minute mark...

Went very well - chilled to 58* in 15 minutes, pitched the 2 gallons starter. Just have to be patient for a few months!