Warsteiner

[Uncle Joshua]

Has anyone got a good clone of Warsteiner? I had a sip of it at the weekend and would love to brew something like it.

[seymour]

Yeah. As basic, neutral lagers go, that's a good one. You may've noticed I buy it by the mini-cask-ful, then reuse for homebrew:



Warsteiner Pilsner
Warsteiner Brauerei, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
OG: 1046
ABV: 4.8%
IBU: 33
Colour: clear golden, 4°SRM/8°EBC
Grainbill: 96% German Spring Barley Pilsener Malt, 4% CaraPils/Dextrine Malt
Bittering hops: Magnum (60 min)
Late hops: Tettnang, Hallertau (15 min)
Dry hops: Hallertau, Saaz
Yeast: German lager strain, ideally Weihenstephan 34/70, available as Wyeast 2124, White Labs WLP830, Saflager W-34/70. Ferment low and slow.

Be patient if you want the real deal. Otherwise, a quick-and-dirty English ale strain would produce a fun "golden ale" version. You know me, I'd include about 3% oats too. Also, no need to knock yourself out trying to source all three specified noble hops. I'd think Magnum plus a single German noble variety for the other additions would come out extremely close.

[Barley Water]

You'd put oats in a German pils.....really?

I've got a CAP going right now, actually I may have gone overboard on the hops as the stuff is approching 50IBU's (calculated) so I may have screwed it up. Of course, it a pre-prohibition version so the O.G. was about 1.056-1.057, I may get away with it. I have 10lbs of Wyerman pils malt that needs a home, I may do a Helles or perhaps a German pils with it. Warsteiner is a very good beer as is Bitburger for those who want to get slightly more agressive.

[seymour]

You'd put oats in a German pils.....really?

I've got a CAP going right now, actually I may have gone overboard on the hops as the stuff is approching 50IBU's (calculated) so I may have screwed it up. Of course, it a pre-prohibition version so the O.G. was about 1.056-1.057, I may get away with it. I have 10lbs of Wyerman pils malt that needs a home, I may do a Helles or perhaps a German pils with it. Warsteiner is a very good beer as is Bitburger for those who want to get slightly more agressive.

I know I would no longer be allowed to call it a German pils for competitions, but hell yeah, I know that a recipe along the lines of 93% Pilsener Malt, 4% CaraPils/Dextrine Malt, 3% Steel-Cut Oats is delicious. All the desired pilsener traits plus added head retention and lace, creamier and silkier mouthfeel. Absolutely. What's not to like?

As always, your mileage may vary, no absolute right or wrong answers here. You see what I did, right? I gave the true-to-style recipe for the purists, and then some of my own cheats.

P.S. Did you know the Wernesgrunner pils sold at Aldi for $5/6-pack is the same Reiheitgebot beer from the same brewery as Bitburger? It's definitely one of my go-to summer lagers, a cheap and tasty one to have in the fridge for guests, making shandies, etc, plus good reusable bottles.

[Barley Water]

I have seen recipes for a German pils that had maybe a pound or so of flaked barley. Supposedly, that is used to imitate some stuff they call Chit Malt over in der Fatherland (whatever the hell that is). I would imagine that doing that would increase the head as well as create a somewhat "creamy" mouthfeel similar to what the oats would do. I am somewhat tempted to make a German pils instead of a Helles even though I have alot of relatively hoppy stuff in my kegs right now (and I generally brew such that I have maximum variety in my three taps at any given time). In my long and somewhat doggey brewing career, I have really never screwed around with a straight pils before, maybe I'll try something a little like Bitberger with the flakes. Sounds like a single decoction brew day coming up for me......

[Fuggled Mind]

I too must confess to having a soft spot for Warsteiner. It's quite floral and lemony in its flavour and yes, it's not very bitter but it does have a very good flavour. In regards to bitterness, then it has to be Jever - the pilsner's answer to IPA.

I quite often enjoy both in the summer months.

Cheers

Jason

[Invalid Stout]

I have seen recipes for a German pils that had maybe a pound or so of flaked barley. Supposedly, that is used to imitate some stuff they call Chit Malt over in der Fatherland (whatever the hell that is).

Chit malt is pretty much barley that is malted just far enough to be called malt, so the brewery will still technically comply with the Reinheitsgebot ...

[Barley Water]

Interesting, thanks for that. Now for the million dollar question; what does using that do for the beer?

[Invalid Stout]

makes it cheaper?

[mysterio]

I guess it would be undermodified so it would help with head retention... although they usually filter the crap out of it afterwards.

[Uncle Joshua]

I got all the hops, my LHBS has never heard of German Spring Barley Pilsener Malt, any idea's? I bought Mangrove Jack's Belgian yeast, is that wrong?

[seymour]

I got all the hops, my LHBS has never heard of German Spring Barley Pilsener Malt, any idea's?...

You're over-thinking it. That just means pilsener style malt, grown in Germany, made from a type of barley planted in the spring (as opposed to a winter barley cultivar.) Any pilsener malt will do, hell, plain ol' English lager malt is supposedly similar.

...I bought Mangrove Jack's Belgian yeast, is that wrong?

That Belgian yeast will make a nice spicy Belgian golden ale, but to clone a neutral Warsteiner you'll need a German lager strain.

[Uncle Joshua]

Found the malt. It isn't cheap so may have to wait a week or two.

Did you mention doing the Citra Gold with Belgian yeast?

[Jymbo]

Think this is pretty much the same as seymour's recipe:

http://hopandgrain.com/recipeSearch.asp ... Warsteiner

[seymour]

Think this is pretty much the same a seymour's recipe:

http://hopandgrain.com/recipeSearch.asp ... Warsteiner

You're right, but I couldn't remember for sure if they call for the Weihenstephan 34/70 lager strain, so thank you for that. I've updated my recipe with that nugget.