Pilsener

This recipe is my winter favourite. From the end of April right through to the end of August it's simply too cold for the ale yeast to work well. The worts will cool down to under 10 degrees, especially at night. This is of course ideal for the lager yeasts. This recipe gives a good honest pilsener as it was meant by the good folk of Plzen.

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Yields 23 l
Start SG: 1040
Alcohol: 6%

Ingredients

• 3 kg Extra Pale Malt Extract
• 50g Saaz hops pellets
• 1 packet of Lager yeast
• 15 g ammonium phosphate
• 1 handful (15 g) Pride Of Ringwood cones

Method

• One day in advance, boil enough water to bring the worts up to 23 liters. About 18 litres should do.
• Make a yeast starter from some malt syrup and a bit of the boiled and cooled water, and the yeast.
• Boil the extracts in about 5 litres of water. Total boiling time: 30 minutes
• Add the spices as the boiling evolves. Times in minutes before the end of the boiling.

  36g Saaz	30 min (immediately)
  7g Saaz	5 min
  7g Saaz	2 min

• When the boiling time is over, strain the worts through the Pride of Ringwood cones into the fermenter. Add the ammonium phosphate. Cool the worts as quickly as possible, e.g. by putting the fermenter in a tub filled with party ice. Add boiled and cooled water to make 23 litres. Add the yeast starter when the temperature of the worts is under 25 degrees.
• Fermentation at an average 15ºC: 14-20 days. Bottle when the SG nears 1000.