Thoughts on a helles recipe

[Owenbräu]

Munich Helles

Recipe Overview

Expected Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.039 SG
Expected OG: 1.047 SG
Expected FG: 1.013 SG
Apparent Attenuation: 72.5 %
Expected ABV: 4.6 %
Expected ABW: 3.6 %
Expected IBU: (using Tinseth): 16.1 IBU
Expected Color: (using Morey): 3.8 SRM
BU:GU ratio: 0.34
Mash Efficiency: 75.0 %
Boil Duration: 90.0 mins
Fermentation Temperature: 48 ˚F


Fermentables

Weyermann Bohemian (FM) Pilsner Malt 93.3 %
Weyermann Bohemian (FM) Dark Malt 4.4 %
Weyermann CaraHell 2.2 %


Hops

German Tettnang 13.5 IBU First Wort Hopped
German Hallertauer Hersbrucker 2.5 IBU 15 Min From End

Yeasts

White Labs WLP860-Munich Helles 300 ml


Water Profile

Mash pH: 5.4
pH Adjusted with: Lactic Acid

Total Calcium (ppm): 66 Total Magnesium (ppm): 4
Total Sodium (ppm): 0 Total Sulfate (ppm): 18
Total Chloride (ppm): 116 Total Bicarbonate (ppm): 0


Mash Schedule

Schedule Name: Direct Fire Hochkurz

Step Type Temperature Duration
Rest at 139 ˚F 0 min
Raise by direct heating to 145 ˚F 5 min
Rest at 145 ˚F 30 min
Raise by direct heating to 158 ˚F 10 min
Rest at 158 ˚F 30 min
Raise to and Mash out at 170 ˚F 10 min
Rest at 167 ˚F 5 min

[Bryan R]

OK,
IF it was my recipe I would...

Lower the ibus, tinseth is wrong.

Up the carahell

NO late hops.

Lower mash pH

Longer rests at the steps.

[Owenbräu]

I had planned to drop the pH in the boil (5.2). Would you still drop the mash pH and not drop it in the boil?

I was tempted to up the rests to 45 min. Glad you mentioned those.

[Bryan R]

Infusion should be lower in mash, and leave the boil be.

[Owenbräu]

Interesting. I had not heard that before. If I do a single decoction between beta and alpha on the next batch, then would I drop the pH from 5.4->5.2 in the mash or boil?

[Bryan R]

Beta prefers a lower pH, so your EVG will suffer a bit. Decoction will lower your mash pH, then put you out of the prime band for alpha. I would not decoct it.

[Owenbräu]

I thought you built a motorized decoction vessel. Do you not use it on your helles?

[Bryan R]

I do have one, I have made a few helles with it. My latest helles are all stepped.

[Weizenberg]

For boil adjustment it's best done about 10 minutes towards the end (for a plethora of reasons). The actual pH you are aiming for is not 5.2, but anything between 5.2 - 5.1.

Having impeccable water is the make or break with bright beers. Your chloride is excessively high considering the soft water you have. I'd go with a balanced profile and a Sodium content of 50-75 mg/l max if you want more mouthfeel.

I have no idea where that bullcrap with 100% Pima in Helles comes from.

t's terrible advice. If you make your own malt, then maybe.

Here is a very common grain bill

Carahell @25-30 EBC - 5%
CaraPils @5 EBC - 5%
Acidulated Malt (3 EBC) to bring the mash pH to 5.4
Pima @3.0 EBC - whatever the amount is for you to bring it up to 100% once you worked out the Sauermalz content. Stay away from mineral acids. You may need it to adjust the boil at the very end. Usualy Sauergut is used. But for home brewing technical acid may be ok - albeit the result will be inferior.

For the hops keep it simple for the time being.

100% Hersbrucker 10 minutes into the boil up to 16 IBU Tinseth will do nicely. Again, this is often done.

You want to include a long 60 minute rest at 70-72C in order to make the Glycoproteins necessary for body and foam.

Here is another very common infusion mash.

Dough in at 62C
35 minutes at 62C
60 minutes at 70C
Mash out at 77C

When you rest the mash make sure to put a lid on so that the heat stays in there.

Fermentation.

I would not rest the wort overnight. Best is to keep circulating it through the heat-exchanger until you get to pich temperature - which is 8C for warm fermentation.

At this stage, try and have between 6-8 mg/l of o2 in your wort and pitch your yeast immediately. If you need to aerate make sure that you put the yeast in first.

Your main temperature should be at 10-11C max

Make sure you have enought yeast. Make more cells if necessary. About 1.5-2 vials of lab yeast per 10 litres of wort might be necessary to get the fermentation started quickly and vigorously.

Your EVG for a Helles should be between 81.00 - 83.5 %, yours looks a little low to me. Mabye you always underpitched before?

Hope this helps.

N

[Brody]

This is turning into a great thread to listen into as usual. I notice you guys targeting EVG that seems to be above the ranges usually claimed by the yeast manufacturers. I imagine that's possible through controlling the beta rest, oxygen, and pitch rate?