AkTom
Well-Known Member
So I just had a Warsteiner German Pilsener. It is the best lager I’ve had. Can someone help me with a recipe. I do have a fermentation chamber, so I can lager.
Thanks
Thanks
Confession time, I’m not a lager fan... however Warsteiner is pretty good.
- Thread starter AkTom
- Start date
Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:
Robert65
Major Obvious (recently promoted)
^This. The ingredients are dead simple in German beers, and vary very little from brewery. The flavor is all down to process.
My suggestions: use soft water, tettnang or saaz hops, keep OG under 1.050, use only pilsner malt, ferment cold, do everything you can to clear the beer before kegging/bottling.
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2013
- Messages
- 3,890
- Reaction score
- 2,938
What he said!
Agreed. Warsteiner is probably just soft water; 90/10 Weyermann Pilsner/Munich II to 1.045; and a single addition of noble hops around 40-45 minutes to get to 28-30ibu. Then cold pitch a metric s*** ton of 34/70 and ferment at 48F until spunding.
+1 to that. when i made my first lager i just used 100% pale malt, lightly hopped...and instead of budweiser, or milwaukee's.....i ended up with something with a very pleasent....uhhh, creamy mouth feel.....
For yeast, I like S-189. It's the only one I use now for pilsners. I did have some success with liquid yeasts (I think Wyeast Munich Lager was one that made a good pilsner), but I find dry to be so convenient. I had some bad experiences with W34/70, so I don't use that any longer.
monkeymath
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 18, 2019
- Messages
- 704
- Reaction score
- 859
I somehow can't get over the sheer number of people on here that brew with the goal of producing a product as bland and generic as Warsteiner, Bitburger, Krombacher and the likes.
If you hate flavour so much, why not stick with water?!
If you hate flavour so much, why not stick with water?!
brewbama
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Sep 20, 2013
- Messages
- 3,739
- Reaction score
- 2,509
Love this quote from the link above:
[quote author=bluesman link=topic=1812.msg21456#msg21456 date=1269882465]
... While all of the beers were good, the German varieties have a distinct taste that I can't quite put my finger on. ...
[/quote]
There are a lot of bleh lagers brewed in the world.
Then there are the few epiphanies of the style that make the hunt worthwhile.
If one doesn't appreciate how such a simple style can actually amaze, that's on him/her, imo.
Cheers! (Probably immature palettes always looking for 'splosions
)
Then there are the few epiphanies of the style that make the hunt worthwhile.
If one doesn't appreciate how such a simple style can actually amaze, that's on him/her, imo.
Cheers! (Probably immature palettes always looking for 'splosions
)
Ditto. S-189 is great. W-34/70, meh.
I couldn't disagree more. Countersuit: To those who love hops so much, why don't you just down a pellet with a shot of vodka, prolly be cheaper.
A very well made Pilsner is truly a memorable beer and a treat to have on tap at home!
John
John
OP
OP
AkTom
Well-Known Member
Thanks for all the info. I should really do some research... and go to Germany and try them all first hand. I know, I know, I’m delusional. At least I have you guys to help me.
Cheers
Cheers
Die_Beerery
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Aug 21, 2017
- Messages
- 842
- Reaction score
- 641
water doesn't make me smile?
cheaper? maybe, if you get a pouch of turbo yeast and make your own out of a 25lb bag of sugar......(and if you DO like flavor it only takes a couple weeks on a bit of toasted wood to get flavor, probably cheaper then the hops pellet)
So, just how many weeks ago did you start drinking beer?
I'm not a pilsner fan, and generally don't like most lagers. But I have had a few that were really good.
When it comes to brewing, they are possibly the most difficult. Their clean profile is easily muddied by the slightest flaw. Its a challenge and an honor to do it well.
OP
OP
AkTom
Well-Known Member
Pandaemonium ensues all over again.[/QUOTE]
How long is this Pandaemonium layered?
And whom is it ensuing?
Cheers
How long is this Pandaemonium layered?
And whom is it ensuing?
Cheers
Who. (usually have to correct people the other way)
monkeymath
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 18, 2019
- Messages
- 704
- Reaction score
- 859
It's marvelous how people on here look down on "BMC" and its consumers, only to jump to a slightly more sophisticated version of bland.
(I'm deliberately exaggerating, mind you. Haters gonna hate.)
I suppose the mentioned "maturity of one's palette [sic!]" has to be achieved through years of drinking Bud Lite?
I'm not much of a hop head myself, honestly. I'm certainly not - as some here would suggest I am - opposed to a good (!) pilsner. Not at all.
Edit: Only now do I realize what I should've written to begin with:
"Confession time, I’m sort of a lager fan... however Warsteiner kinda sucks"
(I'm deliberately exaggerating, mind you. Haters gonna hate.)
I suppose the mentioned "maturity of one's palette [sic!]" has to be achieved through years of drinking Bud Lite?
I'm not much of a hop head myself, honestly. I'm certainly not - as some here would suggest I am - opposed to a good (!) pilsner. Not at all.
Edit: Only now do I realize what I should've written to begin with:
"Confession time, I’m sort of a lager fan... however Warsteiner kinda sucks"
Last edited:
To each his own. I love me a good Warsteiner, as much as I love almost any German import. Because it’s always got “it”. Hard to find “it” in the States. “It” is not in BMC.
I love Hofbräuhaus festbier (Oktoberfestbier). I look forward to it every September. It's got “it”. I'll never be able to brew it myself because I can't do “it”. That's okay, there are plenty of good and a few great beers that I can do. I haven't had a Warsteiner in a while; don't know where to get reasonably fresh ones.
OP
OP
AkTom
Well-Known Member
What started all this lager nonsense for me was, I went to dinner with a buddy. I have been learning him bout good beer at the local brewery. Anyway, we went out to Chinese. He had a Coors light. He poured it into a glass, and there was a couple of swallows left in the bottle. Not being too scared, I Manned up and tried it... I didn’t die. In fact, hmmm, let me try that again. Not bad, I’m surprised. Taste is like... watered down apple juice.
A few days later I was relating this to another home brewer. He says he’ll hook me up with a good lager. Hence the Warsteiner. I will be on the lookout for other German beer to research.
I’m thinking I need to get a RO to properly do a lager. Which will be later this year, as I am planning on moving this summer.
Again thanks for the help and jibes. I do appreciate the humor and lip.
Cheers
A few days later I was relating this to another home brewer. He says he’ll hook me up with a good lager. Hence the Warsteiner. I will be on the lookout for other German beer to research.
I’m thinking I need to get a RO to properly do a lager. Which will be later this year, as I am planning on moving this summer.
Again thanks for the help and jibes. I do appreciate the humor and lip.
Cheers
WestMichBrewer
Well-Known Member
We had a German exchange student and her family sent me more than a few beers.
I liked them all, but recall Konig Pilsner in the tall can (no light skunking) as my favorite.
Lucky me we'll be heading there this spring so will get to try some closer to the source.
Cavpilot2000
Well-Known Member
Because we haven't all killed out taste buds by hops overdose, and some of us like subtle flavors.
Cavpilot2000
Well-Known Member
I'm in the "I love German lagers, but not Warsteiner" camp, but if we all liked the same stuff, the world would be a boring place.
I just hate that it's the only beer they serve on Lufthansa (the only time I drink it).
I just hate that it's the only beer they serve on Lufthansa (the only time I drink it).
I still will swear to this day that the best beer I ever drank was more to do with the situation in which it was consumed rather than the quality of the beverage.
For reference, best beer I've ever drank was a Budweiser. I don't want another, I don't claim it to be great. Even then I knew it was a **** beer. Still, the situation>the brew.
For reference, best beer I've ever drank was a Budweiser. I don't want another, I don't claim it to be great. Even then I knew it was a **** beer. Still, the situation>the brew.
brewbama
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Sep 20, 2013
- Messages
- 3,739
- Reaction score
- 2,509
+1. Some of the best beer was sitting under the trees in Bavaria. We have a brewery here with a huge Pecan tree that serves the same purpose. Great times. Great beer.
Cavpilot2000
Well-Known Member
I do lagers year 'round. Probably 70% of my 15-20 batches a year are lagers.
They're not just for summer anymore!
They're not just for summer anymore!
Can I ask what happened with W34/70 to you/your beer? How did you use/ferment it?
What does S-189 do or offer that W34/70 doesn’t?
W34/70 let me down on one batch. I think it was some sort of fruity off flavor. I don't think it was an infection. I remember it was one of four identical fermentors. So, it might have been just one bad packet. In this hobby, and at our scale, those things are gonna happen. But that one bad batch was just the straw that broke the camel's back. I had so many past failures making a pilsner I liked, with that yeast.
Afterwards, I tried S-189 and had really good success getting a pilsner I liked. So, I stuck with that one.
Afterwards, I tried S-189 and had really good success getting a pilsner I liked. So, I stuck with that one.
What I desire is a fairly crisp pilsner - and no odd fruitiness. I suppose everybody has a target and they are all different, so I suppose W34/70 is right for others.
W34/70 let me down on one batch. I think it was some sort of fruity off flavor. I don't think it was an infection. I remember it was one of four identical fermentors - so, it might have been just one bad packet. In this hobby, and at our scale, those things are gonna happen. But that one bad batch was just the straw that broke the camel's back. I had so many past failures making a pilsner I liked, with that yeast.
Afterwards, I tried S-189 and had really good success getting a pilsner I liked. So, I stuck with that one.
Regarding fermentation, I always start fermentation at 50F. If I don't see activity in a day or two, I bump it up a few degrees (that's necessary usually if I didn't start with enough yeast).
I've been to Germany on a number of occasions. I'm always amazed how many local beers there always are to choose from. I'm not always a pilsner fan with the American types, but many I have tried in Germany were actually quite good. I can't recall the brand on any of them, but I try something different in every store I get one from. I do have a picture of one German "bier" that was tasty. All in all, I think pilsners are just as good as any other beer. Isn't that the best part of brewing? There are just about unlimited varieties and flavors a person can brew.
Prost!!
Prost!!
Attachments
Thanks for the reply-it definitely makes sense for you to go with what you like and works for you-that’s what HB is all about after all!
Do you pitch one or two sachets of S-189?
Just one more thing, you mention having had past failures at Pilsner with W43/70 then having the fruity flavor that pushed you over the edge. Were the things about the other batches you didn’t like attributable to the yeast or they were just not overall what you wanted and that was the yeast you were using in them?
Die_Beerery
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Aug 21, 2017
- Messages
- 842
- Reaction score
- 641
That's a wheat beer yo.
Two per 5g fermentor, or I used saved yeast. I brew a lot of lagers, and usually save yeast in mason jars in the fridge. BTW, I really liked the yeast in the image below for pilsners. According to Wyeast, it's not the right yeast for it, but I tried a lot of them and this one was dynomite (I stuck with it for a while, but availability became an issue and I decided to go back to dry yeast for convenience).
