I brewed this beer a few months back and entered it in to my first BJCP home brew competition over the weekend (Welsh National Homebrew Comp). I was shocked when I looked at the results and found it scored a 44/50 and came 1st in its category and 2nd in the Best of Show (132 entries in total). Absolutely chuffed with the results

I based the recipe on Jamil’s Munich Helles recipe and made some tweaks to it. What I loved about brewing a lager is how simple they can be…one type of hop, simple malt grist and more involved yeast and fermenting schedule.

I fermented this at 10.5°c until 70% attenuation. Then slowly increased for a diacetyl rest until FG was hit then crashed cooled for a few days. Then I lagered in corny kegs until ready to drink.


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Recipe Overview

Brewer: Windrider
Style: Munich Helles
ABV: 4.5% (assumes any priming sugar used is diluted.)

Original Gravity (OG): 1.048
IBU's (Tinseth): 16
Bitterness to Gravity Ratio: 0.33
Colour: 9.6 EBC = 4.9 SRM

Kettle Efficiency (as in EIB and EAW): 83 %
Efficiency into Fermentor (EIF): 71.1 %

Note: This is a Pure BIAB (Full Volume Mash)

Times and Temperatures

Mash: 90 mins at 66 C = 150.8 F
Boil: 90 min
Ferment: 14 days at 10.5 C = 50.9 F

Volumes & Gravities
(Note that VAW below is the Volume at Flame-Out (VFO) less shrinkage.)
The, "Clear Brewing Terminology," thread at http://www.biabrewer.info/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Total Water Needed (TWN): 40.64 L = 10.74 G
Volume into Boil (VIB): 37.19 L = 9.82 G @ 1.038
Volume of Ambient Wort (VAW): 28 L = 7.4 G @ 1.048
Volume into Fermentor (VIF): 24 L = 6.34 G @ 1.048
Volume into Packaging (VIP): 23.11 L = 6.11 G @ 1.013 assuming apparent attenuation of 73 %

The Grain Bill (Also includes extracts, sugars and adjuncts)

91.2% Pilsner Malt (4 EBC = 2 SRM) 4984 grams = 10.99 pounds
6.8% Munich Malt (25 EBC = 12.7 SRM) 374 grams = 0.82 pounds
2% Melanoidin Malt (70 EBC = 35.5 SRM) 110 grams = 0.24 pounds

The Hop Bill (Based on Tinseth Formula)

13.9 IBU Hallertauer Mittlefruh Flowers (2.9%AA) 57.3 grams = 2.022 ounces at 60 mins
2.1 IBU Hallertauer Mittlefruh Flowers (2.9%AA) 42.5 grams = 1.498 ounces at 5 mins

Mash Steps

Mash Type: Pure BIAB (Full-Volume Mash): Saccharifiaction for 90 mins at 66 C = 150.8 F

Strike Water Needed (SWN): 41.45 L = 10.95 G 66.6 C = 151.9 F

Chilling & Hop Management Methods

Hopsock Used: N

Chilling Method: No Chill Cube

Fermentation & Conditioning

Fermentation: WLP838 Southern German yeast for 14 days at 10.5 C = 50.9 F
Diacetyl Rest: 3 days at 16.5 C = 61.7 F
Secondary Used: N
Crash-Chilled: Y

Special Instructions/Notes on this Beer

Epsom salt: 4grams - Calcium chloride: 4grams (added @mash) MASH PH: 5.2-5.3 Diacetyl rest: 75% attenuation 1.022 (for 3 days) then slowly decrease temp (2.5°c every 12 hours) Pitch yeast starter slightly below ferment temp

Couple of pics: (standard…grain shot)
(mash near the limits)
(mash gravity & PH spot on)
(OG hit)
(nice big yeast start – 3 steps)
(Pitched cold and set @ 10.5°c)

goulaigan wrote:Nice work! Ive been entering BJCP comps here and there for a couple years now and still haven't been able to capture that elusive Gold. Congrats!

Thanks I entered to get some honest feedback and hopefully improve my beers. I entered a Sorillo IPA that didn't score greatly...don't think it helped i over carbed the bottles (getting use to bottling from a keg)

Mad_Scientist wrote:Pictures, or it didn't happen

Go ahead a brag over here: http://biabrewer.info/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=342#p2503" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I'll upload some in to that thread