Gladfield Lager Light Malt

[Mark Weusten]

Has anyone used Gladfield Lager Light Malt in their recipes? Seems that most homebrewers use pilsner grains in lagers. I find this quite sweet even with a dry lager yeast and the lagering process. Also has anyone tried pale ale malt to make a lager/

[Peter Smith]

I use Gladfield's Pilsner in lagers, hops seem to overcome sweetness

Good things take time......

[Mark Weusten]

Good looking head there. I didn't word my discussion well. It should have been will lager malt produce a drier lager than pilsner or is it all in the yeast. If the two malts are similiar then what is the yeast I should be using to promote a bitter then dry and crisp finish?

[Peter Smith]

I think Gladfields light lager is a light pilsner malt, have to say there pilsner malt isn't as light as I expected, not that I really care, but thats why I think they do the extra light one.

All the crispness, AMAZING HEAD comes from the yeast,  the base malt has the flavour profile, but that genuine german pilsner thing is mainly yeast.  Now I have my process down I am switching to german Pils malt and Carahell from here in. just these two and some acid malt for ph control.

I like the Wyeast boh pils 2124 yeast, huge starters or use a can of coopers lager kit in a 10L bucket as a starter... (do a 2L starter into this).   I liked the Munich yeast they did a while back as well, perhaps we could get some old used up munich yeast from Governors if we asked nicely....

[Sam DT]

I haven't yet but have been doing some reading on grain bills for NZ pilsners. I'm looking at putting down three different grain bills with the same hop schedule to see what I like.

Two that I've settled on giving a go have pale / pale ale malts:

JamesPs here

One of Peter Smiths here (cheers Peter)

Do you step mash?

[Mark Weusten]

I don't, is this the way to go?

[Sam DT]

I can't speak from personal experience but I've seen it mentioned a fair few times. Some claim that highly modified malts don't need it but quite a few of the pros still seem to use it. I'd also imagine that more time at lower temperatures would favor less residual sugars.

From Dougals commentary on his silver medal winning pilsner from NHC 2012 (the third grain bill I'm going to try) he certainly backs it as the path to a clean crisp finish.

[Peter Smith]

yeah the germans love there step double decotion 12 hr brewdays....

I reckon start with just pils malt (i would go german) and 1 other like carapils or CARAHELL...  and some acid malt...

I dont do anything special  I made mistake of adding to many things aurora malt etc etc etc, start real simple and add if there is an issue rather then other way..

and I would prob not do the jamesp  first up as too many hops hide any mistakes

I would go pils plus say 5% carahell plus 2% acid the bitter with  a noble and the 1 only flavour hop possibly saaz

simple to see if you have it,  I cannot overstate massive too big starters and oxygen  my first brew was a biff, but the yeast cake went well 2nd time around.  not enough yeast i reckon.   you need to brew cold, as it = clean 10C then warm to 16 for D rest for up to 5 days. then cold again for weeks, I left on yeast for lager, then I bottle cold 2 carb drops.  no bombs so far takes 3-6 months in bottle before its at its best , possibly better to keg and force card, never gets warm = better beer.

take good notes it will be 3-5 months before you taste the results

[Mark Weusten]

Maybe brewing will be where I learn patience. Had a liberty halo pilsner last weekend and want to make something like that.

[Peter Smith]

then just pils carahell noble then late 10/5/0 what do you reckon it is?  

[Mark Weusten]

Riwaka maybe