Belgian Pilsner

Mash Out and Sparge

• After the 60-minute mash, raise the grain bed temperature to 168°F (76°C) for 'mash out'. This stops enzymatic activity and makes the wort less viscous.
• Slowly drain the sweet liquid (wort) from the mash tun into your boil kettle. This first running is the most concentrated.
• Gently rinse the grain bed with 3.5 gallons of 170°F (77°C) water. This process, called sparging, washes the remaining sugars from the grain. Continue until you have collected approximately 6 gallons of wort in the kettle.

Boil the Wort

• Bring the 6 gallons of wort to a vigorous, rolling boil. Once boiling, start a 60-minute timer.
• At the start of the boil (60 minutes remaining), add 1 oz of Saaz hops. This is the bittering addition.
• With 15 minutes left in the boil, add 1 oz of Hallertau hops (for flavor) and the Whirlfloc tablet (for clarity).
• When the timer reaches zero, turn off the heat and add the final 1 oz of Saaz hops. This is the aroma addition. Let it steep for a few minutes.

Chill Wort and Pitch Yeast

• Using a wort chiller, cool the wort as quickly as possible to your yeast pitching temperature of 50-55°F (10-13°C). Rapid chilling helps create a clear beer and reduces contamination risk.
• Carefully transfer the chilled wort into a sanitized fermenter, leaving the sediment of hops and protein (trub) behind in the kettle.
• Aerate the wort thoroughly by shaking the fermenter for several minutes or using a sanitized aeration stone and oxygen tank. Yeast needs oxygen for a healthy start.
• Pitch the Belgian lager yeast into the aerated wort. If you made a yeast starter, decant the liquid off the top before pitching the yeast slurry.

Ferment and Lager

• Seal the fermenter with a sanitized airlock and place it in a temperature-controlled environment set to 52°F (11°C).
• Allow the beer to ferment for 2 weeks. After this primary fermentation, raise the temperature to 65°F (18°C) for 2 days. This is a 'diacetyl rest' which helps the yeast clean up off-flavors.
• After the diacetyl rest, gradually lower the temperature by a few degrees each day until it reaches 32-35°F (0-2°C).
• Hold the beer at this cold temperature for 4-6 weeks. This 'lagering' period mellows the flavors and allows the beer to become crystal clear.

Bottle and Carbonate

• Create a priming solution by boiling the 5 oz of corn sugar in 2 cups of water for 5 minutes. Let it cool to room temperature.
• Carefully transfer the cold, lagered beer into a sanitized bottling bucket, making sure to leave the yeast sediment behind.
• Gently pour the cooled priming solution into the beer and stir slowly with a sanitized spoon to mix without introducing oxygen.
• Fill sanitized bottles, leaving about an inch of headspace at the top. Cap each bottle securely.
• Store the bottles at room temperature (around 70°F or 21°C) for 2-3 weeks to allow the beer to carbonate.
• Finally, chill the bottles thoroughly in the refrigerator for at least 48 hours before serving. Enjoy your homebrewed Belgian Pilsner!