New pilsner idea

I made a Huell melon pilsner last year. It was good. I'd try it again.

 

Wish I could help you. I don't homebrew and my tastes in pilsners are typically more along the lines of Saaz.

 

I want to offer a suggestion @HorseheadsHopHead, sounds like you should just start homebrewing. If I may make a second suggestion, start simple perhaps a hefe and avoid the temptation to start with a big beer, heavy hopped brew or lagers.

 

I have been toying with doing a pils with these new german cultivars. I opted for mandarina though.

 

My wife had a Mandarina Bavaria Pils while in Bavaria last September, the taste I got was excellent.

 

I have yet to brew a ‘new school’ Pilsner. I have a local brewpub (Iron Hill) that periodically brews a German Pilsner solely using Huell Melon hops and I enjoy drinking that beer; they have this beer on tap right now.

Over the past few months I have brewed the following ‘old school’ Pilsners:

· Bohemian Pilsners (featuring Czech Saaz hops)

· Classic American Pilsner (featuring Hallertau Mittelfruh hops)

· 1896 Michelob (featuring Czech Saaz hops)

Different folks may appreciate differing things but for me I prefer Pilsners that have a nice balance: a nice balance of Pilsner Malt flavors and hop flavors.

What I enjoy about the Iron Hill Huell Melon Pilsner is that there is a nice balance of the Pilsner Malt flavor they obtain from Weyermann Pilsner Malt and the Huell Melon hops.

Cheers!

 

The next Pilsner I brew in the next two months or so will use whole flower noble hops for the boil, but I will likely dry hop it with Mandarina for a "modern" twist.

 

I just brewed a Saison with Huell Melon and really love it. I did a fairly heavy dry hop.

 

https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/wenceslas-pilsner.497352/

I brew a pilsner based off Pivo Pils that is heavily dry hopped with Saphir (well for a pilsner), granted all the hot side hop additions are more classic hops. I really love Saphir, I use it in my kolsch too. I do agree that trying some new German hops in a hop forward pilsner would be a fun project.

 

I read your linked recipe and it reads tasty.

I am a BIG fan of Pivo Pils but it has been my consistent experience that the aroma from the dry hopping with Saphir hops fades pretty quickly (at less than 2 months from the packaging date). How did your homebrewed version hold up dry hopped aroma wise?

Cheers!

 

If I were somewhere that served a Pilsner as you described I would definitely try it. As for home brewing one probably not as I buy my hops in bulk for this style. Also I do not and would not dry hop a Pilsner as there is plenty of aroma and flavor for my tastes. Does every beer need to be hop forward? I enjoy the subtle flavors that a well made Pilsner provides. However if people want to use the newer variety's and hop the shit out of them I say go for it. Take care.

 

Jim, in all fairness it is how (e.g., amounts) you use the hops that matter too. For example, the brewpub near me (Iron Hill) produces a German Pilsner solely using Huell Melon but they do so in a judicious manner such that the malt backbone is in balance with their hopping schedule. The Huell Melon hop aroma/flavor does not dominate but instead complements the malty flavors (at least it does for my palate).

I recognize that you prefer to not dry hop your Pilsners but again if this is done judiciously (e.g., use noble hops and don't use a shit ton of them) the resulting beer can still remain in balance.

Cheers!

Jack


Edit:

"Iron Huell Pils

OG: 1.048 Color: 3 IBU: 28 ABV: 5%

This crisp, golden lager is heavily hopped with a new German variety, Huell Melon, which lends notes of honeydew and spice."

http://www.ironhillbrewery.com/phoenixville/beers-on-tap.htm

The above description ‘sells’ the hops but for my palate this beer is as much about the Pilsner Malt flavors from the Weyermann Pilsner Malt as the hop.

 

I agree. The amounts are everything. Take care.

 

Yes, it does lose it's pungency, though I can't say for sure if it degrades faster than any other hop of similar oil content. That said, I rarely have a beer last longer than a couple months, particularly something that is quite drinkable like a pilsner. Any longer than that I don't really have a data point to provide. I will say that by the end a keg it starts to take on more or a typical pilsner character and loses a fair bit of the initial hop aroma.

 

Thanks for your input here.

My guess is that since Saphir is not a 'powerful' aroma hop (in comparison to Citra, Galaxy, Mosaic,...) that what aroma it does bring initially is 'less' to begin with so as time progresses it notably fades.

I very, very rarely find Firestone Walker beers fresh in my area (they are typically 4+ months old) but a week or so ago I 'found' a 6-pack of bottled Pivo Pils that was bottled on 02/01/17. I am continuously storing this beer cold in the hopes of slowing down hop fade. I had one bottle yesterday and at 7+ weeks (and even with my cold storage) I noticed less hop aroma but some was still there.

An 'old' Pivo Pils is still a nice beer; "more or a typical pilsner character" as you stated.

I prefer this beer fresh since I enjoy the Saphir hop aroma; it has a touch of 'lemony' for my palate and I really, really like it!!

Cheers!

 

Yes Saphir definitely can't hold a candle to most currently popular high alpha hops in regards to overall potency and longevity. It is however very nice in it's own right, especially in a more subtle beer like a pilsner. I was initially worried about losing much of the volatile aromatics with an extended lagering period after dry hopping, however being stored at freezing or slightly below freezing temps seems to lock those aromatics in to some extent. And I agree it has a very nice citrus aroma, not grapefruit, more of a flowery-lemon thing. Very pleasant, IMO and pairs well with the "spicy" Spalt Select flavors.

 

American hops work well in lagers/Pilsners at < half normal dry hopping rates...whatever that is for you.

 

At work I just brewed a hopbursted Pilsener which is lagering now and was dry hopped with Saphir. I honestly think it is the best beer I've ever brewed and I couldn't be happier with it. That said, I don't really think that hazy pils should become a thing. I will be filtering. There's some styles you just don't mess with.

 

Just remembered my very first attempt at brewing something I hoped would be like pils, with German pils malt, Perle and Saphir hops, and US05 yeast, fermented at cellar temp of ~60 F. It was passable, albeit not perfect, and the Saphir didn't seem all that special too me.