Looking to Brew a fake Pilsner

Skip the Crystal malt since you have carapils.

 

How is this a fake pilsner?

 

I am guessing that since he is using a California Common yeast strain he intends to ferment this batch warm.

Personally I would suggest Wyeast 2124 instead. I have read numerous posts that 2124 ferments very clean even at warm temperatures like 68 degrees F.

Cheers!

 

I just tasted an old batch of Marzen I fermented with 34/70 (supposedly the dry equivalent of 2124) last night. I had forgotten how clean and "lager-like" the beer is, despite likely being fermented in the high 50s to mid 60s. I did not have temperature control at the time, and attempted to keep temperatures low via a water bath with frozen bottles during the frigid Phoenix winter. This beer was also "lagered" in the bottle at normal fridge temps.

I'd suppose that this is a better route for a pilsner than the Cali Common yeast, which is said to be more fruity.

 

I made a pils with 810 warm last year. I can't remember specifics but it wasn't awesome. When I can get to my computer later to find tasting notes I will followup with more info.

 

With Pils, less is more. (except yeast, you want a lot of yeast to begin fermentation).

So get rid of everything other than Pilsner malt. Preferably a Continental malt if available. Carapils is not needed and will actaully make your beer less Pils and more Ale. It's not like it is used in any commercial example worth noting.

Saaz or Herbrucker. Choose one.

Got your OG right. Mash low.

Now, yeast. OK, I hear you. 810/2112 is a fine yeast, if dull. And it meets your needs. But more importantly, you will need to lager your pils. That means extended cold storage, as cold as possible. All bets are off if you can't let your beer sit for 2 or more weeks below, let's say, 45 degrees. More like 40 or 35 but that probably is not possible. Think about an ice bath in your basement or a cold closet. This beer may require some serious baby sitting if you really want to get it right.

So a fake Pils, sure. But the lagering is really the most important step. How close to a Pils you can get is going to depend on your lagering capabilities.

Cheers.

 

Too late to edit so...

Water is extremely important for a proper pils.

If you do not not know your water profile or you only know it is hard or soft, this is the one time where I suggest you alter your water without knowing where you are starting and where you are going. Go ahead and cut your water with 1 or 2 gallons of distilled water. Pils is made with very soft water and few sources are as soft as the water found in Pilsen. Assume your brew water is too hard.

Dilution of the water can be accomplished with a 50/50 ratio for the sparge.
Cheers.

 

I know a guy... who claims he ferments all his lagers in the low-mid 60s...gonna have to try that with a couple of wide-band lager yeasts just to see.

 

Is it Eddie Crispo!?!

Cheers!

 

Okay... so it was a good thing I didn't trust my memory because it was flawed. I made my pils with different yeast. The WLP810 was used for a sticke altbier 2 years ago. Fermented at 65 F until done, then crashed for a couple months before drinking so I guess you could say it was lagered, but not until primary was done. Tasting notes from the get-go in primary say it was clean as a whistle, no diacetyl, no fruity esters, just a very fine beer. Lagering probably just helped to perfect it even more. Like a German IPA, noble hops to around 80 IBUs. Yeah, it was gooood.

The altbier was a split batch. I used W-34/70 for the other half... and I dumped this second half. I've used W-34/70 warm twice now in the last couple years, the the alt and for a pils, and both times it sucked. I won't use W-34/70 anymore. YMMV.

 

I used a dry California Lager yeast (Mangrove Jack) to make a Baltic porter a year back. It was very good, seemed clean. I think it would work in a lighter beer, or maybe all the dark goodness covered up some fermentation quirk that would be perceived as flaws in a lager. You never know until you try.

 

You could "lager" in the bottle and put the bottles in the refrigerator.

 

Wyeast 2124 will reportedly produce a very clean beer at those temperatures (and even warmer).

Cheers!