Perle Pils
My last lager of the summer season is going to be a German Pilsner. It's been a few years since I've brewed with Perle hops and I recall really liking their fresh taste so I've decided to give them a shot in this pilsner.
Brew day
Recipe Specifications
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Recipe: Perle Pils
Date: 15 August 2021
Batch Size (fermenter): 24.00 L
Estimated OG: 1.044 SG
Estimated Color: 6.4 EBC
Estimated IBU: 34.8 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 75.6 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes
Finished water profile: Ca:28, Mg:3, Na:9, SO4:10, Cl:44
Ingredients:
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Amt Name Type %/IBU Volume
29.51 L Tesco Ashbeck Water - -
3.20 ml Lactic Acid 80% (Mash) Water Agent - -
1.20 g Calcium Chloride (Mash) Water Agent - -
4.31 kg Weyermann Bohemian Pilsner (4.0 EBC) Grain 97.0 % 2.81 L
0.13 kg Weyermann Wheat Malt (3.9 EBC) Grain 3.0 % 0.09 L
0.30 g Calcium Chloride (Sparge) Water Agent - -
0.20 ml Lactic Acid 80% (Sparge) Water Agent - -
20.00 g Magnum [10.70 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 8 24.5 IBUs
12.00 g Perle [5.60 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 9 3.8 IBUs
16.00 g Perle [5.60 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 10 3.7 IBUs
1.00 Items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 7.0 mins) Fining 11 -
22.00 g Perle [5.60 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 12 2.8 IBUs
1.0 pkg Munich Lager II (Wyeast Labs #2352-PC) Yeast 13
Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge
Total Grain Weight: 4.44 kg
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Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Mash In Add 24.51 L of water at 70.9 C 65.0 C 60 min
Sparge: Dunk sparge with 5L of 75C water.
Brew day went off without any hitches. Pre-boil gravity was spot-on and post-boil OG was only a point off at 1.043.
I got it down to about 24C with my immersion chiller before putting it in the brew-fridge to cool down to 13.5C when I'll pitch the 2 litre starter of Wyeast 2352. That should happen early tomorrow morning with a bit of luck.
## Fermentation
Since this is my last lager of the season I don't need to overbuild the starter so it's 'only' two litres this time.
I added my mostly decanted starter of the 2352 yeast to the wort at about 8:00am yesterday and by late in the evening there were early signs of bubbling. By this morning it's off at full speed so everything seems to be in order. The CO2 produced during fermentation is being used to purge the corny that I'll package it in.
Kegging
It's been 3 weeks in the fermenter with the first 5 days or so at 13.5C and then I let it rise of its own free will up to 17.5C where it's now finished after 3 weeks in all.
I sort of had an FG of 1.007 in mind for this and that's where it's finished (after adjusting +1 point for my finishing hydrometer) for an ABV of 4.7%.
Tasting notes
After a good month or so conditioning I've started to pull pints from this keg. Here's a photograph taken during the last of the warm weather that we've had during 2021.
THe flavour notes that I get from this Pilsner are bright, fresh, grassy, herbal and a little floral. I dont get much of the mint that Perle is reputed to provide. I do find it very well balanced against the sweet, honey pilsner malt.