WOTW XIV Best of Show Recipe: German Pilsner

Keith Seguine, Keystone Homebrew Supply customer and WHALES member, kindly shared his German Pilsner recipe which won Best of Show at the 2009 War of the Worts. Congratulations, Keith!

Send us an e-mail or stop by one of our stores if you’d like more detailed instructions and suggestions. If you have a cool spot in your house (65°F or below), but can’t maintain the 50°F fermentation temperature, you can make a good version of this beer using Wyeast #2112 California Lager yeast.

Original All-Grain Version (5 gal.)
Ingredients
8 lb Weyermann Pilsner malt
13 oz Dingemans Carapils malt
2 oz Tettnang (60 min.)
2 oz Tettnang (20 min.)
2 oz Tettnang (2 min.)
White Labs 802 Czech Budejovice Yeast

Directions: Mash for 90 minutes at 152°F. Pitch plenty of yeast (consider making a starter or pitching multiple vials) and ferment for 2–3 weeks at 50°F. Transfer to a carboy (filled close to the top) or corny keg and lager for 6–8 weeks.

Extract-Only Version (5 gal.)
Ingredients
3.3 lb Briess Pilsner liquid malt extract
2 lb Briess Pilsner dried malt extract
2.5 oz Tettnang (60 min.)
2.25 oz Tettnang (20 min.)
2.25 oz Tettnang (2 min.)
White Labs 802 Czech Budejovice Yeast