Helles

this is mine, its good


Title: Munich Helles

Brew Method: All Grain
Style Name: Munich Helles
Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 12 gallons (ending kettle volume)
Boil Size: 14.5 gallons
Boil Gravity: 1.040
Efficiency: 80% (ending kettle)


STATS:
Original Gravity: 1.048
Final Gravity: 1.010
ABV (standard): 5.08%
IBU (tinseth): 20.81


FERMENTABLES:
17 lb - Weyermann Pilsner Malt (87.2%)
2 lb - German - Munich (10.3%)
0.25 lb - German - Melanoidin (1.3%)

HOPS:
3 oz - Hallertau Hersbrucker, Type: Pellet, AA: 4, Use: Boil for 60 min, IBU: 20.81
 
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46.1 weyermanns pilsner
46.1 weyermanns pale ale
7.8 carahell

.40 oz magnum 60 min
.50 oz mittlefruh 10 min

34/70 yeast (big 2 litre starter)

I now control ph biologically using sauergut
 
I dough in at 131°f immediately raise to 145°f over a 15 min ramp, hold for 30 min. 15 minute ramp to 158°f hold for 40 min. 15 min ramp to 170°f hold for 15 min.

Mash pH 5.4 end of boil pH 5.1

Chill the Wort to 50°f aerate the wort two 10 PPM or about 90 seconds with the cinder Stone

Pitch your yeast ferment for 2 to 3 days at 48 degrees Fahrenheit raise temperature to 50 degrees Fahrenheit for another 2 to 3 days Four Points above terminal gravity transfer to spunding keg approximately three to five days then cold crash it for lager
 
Pilsner malt
Hallertau hops.
German yeast.

Noch fragen?
 
46.1 weyermanns pilsner
46.1 weyermanns pale ale
7.8 carahell

.40 oz magnum 60 min
.50 oz mittlefruh 10 min

34/70 yeast (big 2 litre starter)

I now control ph biologically using sauergut
When there's acidulated malt to be had (made with sauergut, by the way)?
 
this is mine, its good


Title: Munich Helles

Brew Method: All Grain
Style Name: Munich Helles
Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 12 gallons (ending kettle volume)
Boil Size: 14.5 gallons
Boil Gravity: 1.040
Efficiency: 80% (ending kettle)


STATS:
Original Gravity: 1.048
Final Gravity: 1.010
ABV (standard): 5.08%
IBU (tinseth): 20.81


FERMENTABLES:
17 lb - American - Pale 2-Row (87.2%)
2 lb - Belgian - Munich (10.3%)
0.5 lb - German - Melanoidin (2.6%)

HOPS:
3 oz - Hallertau Hersbrucker, Type: Pellet, AA: 4, Use: Boil for 60 min, IBU: 20.81
Looks good, thanks. That's another malt combination I'm looking at but I prefer German Pils of NA 2 row. I also prefer a late hop addition to balance out that maltiness some.
 
46.1 weyermanns pilsner
46.1 weyermanns pale ale
7.8 carahell

.40 oz magnum 60 min
.50 oz mittlefruh 10 min

34/70 yeast (big 2 litre starter)

I now control ph biologically using sauergut
Interesting blend of 50/50 Pils/pale as your base. Doesn't it give you some English character?
 
Pilsner malt
Hallertau hops.
German yeast.

Noch fragen?
C'mon man! That's too simple, you need to throw in some specialties, lol. Seriously I should do a straight Pils recipe, it's been awhile.
 
When there's acidulated malt to be had (made with sauergut, by the way)?

The amount of sauergut is approximately 300 to 500 ml

Sauergut is a tasty way of adding the lactic acid, acidulated malt adds no or nearly no flavor.
 
Pilsner malt
Hallertau hops.
German yeast.

Noch fragen?
That's the ticket! :)
I've had good luck just adding a quarter pound of Aromatic Malt. I've thought about a little Acidulated. Keep it simple. Helles should be light and flavorful without being sweet or heavy. I used Melanoidin in my first batch and after a year of aging I still don't like that beer all that much.
 
That's the ticket! :)
I've had good luck just adding a quarter pound of Aromatic Malt. I've thought about a little Acidulated. Keep it simple. Helles should be light and flavorful without being sweet or heavy. I used Melanoidin in my first batch and after a year of aging I still don't like that beer all that much.
I'm experimenting by brewing Helles with everything I can find that will convert itself. Or better said, a SMASH beer of the base grain and Hallertau Hersbruecker hops. I'm learning quite a bit about base grains and water treatment and the effect of water on the finished beer. I'm also learning quite a bit about the effect of gelatin fining on beer. Helles is a great beer to experiment with: You're controlling the temperature of the fermentation so you eliminate a major variable and can learn what the treatment is actually doing to your beer.

My last "production" Helles was 3/4 Pilsner, 1/4 Colorado Malting's Pale Two-Row. I racked it last night and it's a minimalist symphony. The Kunze text that's been mentioned here a few times in the past couple of weeks is a manual of how to prepare Helles. From it I've learned that a long boil (I've been doing 120 minutes) destroys long-chain proteins needed for head retention, for example, and that it's better to acidify the wort after the boil to pH 5.2. I'll give these a try as I continue my Helles tests.

As to Melanoidin, I've discovered once you get it in, it won't come out. I use it rarely, if at all.
 
I've not made a Helles but a couple of pilsners the Grists to both these beers looks similar just hopped different. It looks to be a very hard beer to master one to test your brewing abilities :).

@Noseybear so your extra long boil has been killing your head retention eh? That's interesting how about mash schedules to try and improve retention I've been resting at the end of my mashes @ 71c for half hour as this is reported to aid in head retention it seems to be working.
 
I've not made a Helles but a couple of pilsners the Grists to both these beers looks similar just hopped different. It looks to be a very hard beer to master one to test your brewing abilities :).

@Noseybear so your extra long boil has been killing your head retention eh? That's interesting how about mash schedules to try and improve retention I've been resting at the end of my mashes @ 71c for half hour as this is reported to aid in head retention it seems to be working.
Next Helles I'll be testing that theory. I've been using 90 minute boils as my standard. Sometimes I get rock-hard heads on my beers, sometimes a little foam. I don't know that I agree with everything Herr Kunze writes but it's a lot to take in, mostly geared toward commercial breweries operating in a certain small, central European nation that's obsessive over a certain archaic food purity law....

Should help out my Helles, though.
 
I do a 90 on all my beers mostly to boil down over sparging, a longer boil seems to help get rid of a lot of off flavors as well as any fused oxygen in the wort
 
I'm not going to ram kunze down anyone's throat, I have read the book 5 times, it just makes sense to me and it works for my brewing practices.

I have been constantly running a 50/50 blend of pilsner and pale ale malts specifically for head retention, and it works nicely, as shown here.

I very softly boil for 60 minutes practically a rolling simmer.

All systems react differently whether it's big or small margins of difference I have learned an amazing amount of knowledge in a very short time due to the help and guidance of many you guys both here and on 2 other forums.

Biggest things I learned was keep it fun, never quit, be as thorough with details as possible and these guys can help figure it out.
 

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I'm not going to ram kunze down anyone's throat, I have read the book 5 times, it just makes sense to me and it works for my brewing practices.

I have been constantly running a 50/50 blend of pilsner and pale ale malts specifically for head retention, and it works nicely, as shown here.

I very softly boil for 60 minutes practically a rolling simmer.

All systems react differently whether it's big or small margins of difference I have learned an amazing amount of knowledge in a very short time due to the help and guidance of many you guys both here and on 2 other forums.

Biggest things I learned was keep it fun, never quit, be as thorough with details as possible and these guys can help figure it out.
Yeah will deffinetly try that 50/50 pils ale base on next light larger style.
Hear higher protein = better head stability retention eg adding wheat which is high on protein as part of your base grist will/result in tighter foam but risk clarity in final product through probable proteine haze:rolleyes:.

Ive had a solid tight creamy head with nice lacing on my last 2 brews whatever im doing seems to be working lol. But working out exactly what and how is the key.
 
Clarity is the reason i have not tried wheat, and with the foam im getting, i wont be trying wheat anutime soon.
 
Clarity is the reason i have not tried wheat, and with the foam im getting, i wont be trying wheat anutime soon.

My previous post i was supposed to mention malts proteine content on ale and pils malts. my theory being high protein content in malts may aid in that foam stability we're after in them fine creamy lagers the kind where you have to wipe your top lip after imbibing upon:p.
 

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