Pilsner

Tasting Notes

The most well-known type of lager beer in Germany is Pilsner. Pilsner was first brewed in German-speaking Bohemia, a province in the Austrian Empire. Sometimes the designation is spelled "Pilsener" or it may be abbreviated to "Pils." Pilsner is not regarded as a regional style; there are outstanding examples produced throughout Germany. Pilsner is a golden-colored beer that has good malt and a definite hop accent in both its flowery bouquet and its dry finish.

Ingredients

Traditional Pilsner is brewed using a variety of aroma hops such as Saaz, Hallertauer, Hallertauer Mittelfrüh, Tettnanger, Styrian Goldings, Spalt, Perle, and Hersbrucker. High-alpha varieties such as Northern Brewer can be used for bittering, but they have a high cohumulone content that imparts a coarse, clinging bitterness. The yeast accentuates the sulfury compounds that contribute to the malt aroma of the beer. Some Pilsner yeasts exhibit a slight estery character, imparting a very subtle fruity note to the aroma; however, this is secondary, and some yeasts even exhibit a subtle, though noticeable characteristic of diacetyl. Pilsners should be brewed from water low in total alkalinity - ideally under 50 ppm and certainly not higher than 75 ppm.

Brewing Techniques

After primary fermentation, the beer usually undergoes a diacetyl rest to allow the yeast to reduce the diacetyl before lagering. Traditionally, green beer underwent secondary fermentation for several months. The initial temperature during secondary fermentation was 4ºC, followed by a period of slow fermentation at 2ºC that usually lasted for 3 or more weeks before the beer was chilled to 0ºC. However, economic pressures have forced most brewers to adopt much shorter schedules.

The information on this page was provided by beer-brewing.com (http://www.beer-brewing.com).