OVHA Chat

I bought a bag of pilsner on the summer grain order, but I'm not set up for lagering just yet. Anyone have any ale recipes they would share that calls for some pilsner grain? Or trade for anything other than special pale?

I have used them both in the same recipes without issues. They are both 2 row barley that has been malted differently. Pils malts provide a more 'grainy' flavor that is just a bit different. I wouldn't really call it more malty, but it is a slightly different flavor I would describe as more 'bready or grainy'. I have not been disappointed with the results that I have gotten. Not bad, just different (which is good sometimes). I would not be afraid to brew anything with either. My opinion is that it is better to drink beer then throw away grain.

Taste is pretty subjective, so hopefully some others will chime in with their experiences.

Jam095 wrote:I bought a bag of pilsner on the summer grain order, but I'm not set up for lagering just yet. Anyone have any ale recipes they would share that calls for some pilsner grain? Or trade for anything other than special pale?

John,
I used it in my "Drunken Monk", Belgian Double. With Candi Sugar and Belgian Trappist High Gravity yeast.

Use it as you would for any base malt. Ferments out great.

Don't be afraid to use it on any beer. I have used it in an irish red and a stout and it turned out great. A lot of people use pils malt in kolsch's which is also an ale.

I'm a purist, so I would do a protein rest (120F to 130F for 10-20 min) before your conversion rest, but it's not absolutely necessary.

Pils malt is more likely to give you low efficiency and starch haze than lager malt since it's supposed to be less modified (steely ends if you chew some) to give better results in a decoction system.

However, modern malts are usually well enough modified you won't have trouble.

Peter

If it is the cargill euro pils from Jack, I have good results with standard mash profiles. I recirculate during the whole mash so haze is not really an issue for me.

It will be good no matter what you use it in. Just different....