New Zealand pilsner

[Pharmbrewer]

So I read about this in my latest all about beer issue. The author described it as a beer that "will have pilsner and sauvignon blanc lovers reaching for the same glass" I have access to some new zealand hops here and was thinking of trying to brew one. I was hoping some of the southern hemi BN'rs could help me out. Which hops are you guys using when and what IBU's are you shooting for? Any help would be appriciated.

Thanks in advance.
PB

[Hoser]

I am not from the Southern Hemisphere and nor I have I tried the beer, but based on your description is that it is a pilsner hopped with Nelson Sauvin hops. Here is the description of Nelson Sauvin hops:

http://www.nzhops.co.nz/varieties/nelson_sauvin.html

I actually have a pilsner fermenting away with nothing but Nelson Sauvin hops. I have made it 3 or 4 times and it is very tasty. My wife and mother-in-law damn near polished off a 5 gallon keg in 1 weekend! I have found in small amounts it works wonderfully with a very unique grape, fruit, goosebeery flavor that is subtle, i.e. pilsners. With big beers like a single hopped IPA, not so much. Subtle is better in the case of this hop. I have not blended it with any other hop varietals to this point which may work wel? Delicate is definitely better with this hop, especially with 13%AA being typical.

I know Seven Bridges carries whole leaf Nelsons, but I know longer see them listed on their website?

[beerhog]

do you remember the name of the beer? if it is the knapstien lager this thread from another forum may be of some help.
http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/i ... ntry425247

[Pharmbrewer]

I'll have to look at the article again to see if they mention a specific beer. Is anyone layering in the Riwaka, Motueka, and Nelson Sauvin? This was what I was specifically looking to do.

[argon5000]

Nelson Sav sounds like the hop that is being described in the article... definitely can have those white wine flavours.

I've done this simple recipe a few times which make good use of NS;
OG 1.048
93% Pilsner (Bohemian) - Floor Malted) Malt (Weyermann®)
7% Wheat Flaked/Torrified

Nelson Sauvin @ 80min for 20IBU
Nelson Sauvin @ 20min for 12IBU
Nelson Sauvin @ 5min for 4IBU
Nelson Sauvin 5 day Dry Hop

as an ale = WY1007 or dry US05 @16C
as a lager = WY228 or dry S189 @11C

Motueka pairs well with Cascade... try this;
OG 1.048
70% Pilsner (Bohemian) - Floor Malted) Malt (Weyermann®)
20% Vienna Malt
5% Cara-Pils/Dextrine
5% Wheat Malt
Motueka @ 60min for 8IBU
Cascade@ 60min for 8IBU
Motueka @ 20min for 8IBU
Cascade@ 20min for 8IBU
Motueka @ 0min 1g/L
Cascade@ 0min 1g/L

as an ale = WY1056 or dry US05 @18C

Never used Riwaka but reports are good.
The NZ hops tend to work pretty well in lighter, more delicate light ales and lagers.

[denimglen]

Some tips for an NZ pils -

You'll want to showcase Nelson Sauvin. Maybe with a touch of Riwaka, Motueka or NZ Cascade to support. Hop to the level the low-mid end of an APA. Bitter enough to balance malt sweetness, kinda like a blonde ale, say 30 - 35 IBU. Can dry hop if needed, try to get most flavour/aroma from the boil additions though. If anyone recalls Jamil talking about Riwaka tasting like burnt rubber, this is due to the way some batches of hops were pelletised, similar case with some Sauvin too, use whole leaf if you can, the burnt rubber hops are heinous.

Base malt is usually Continental or NZ lager, more likely NZ lager though. I'd imagine US 'two-row' malt would be similar. It's common for these beers to also include a good chunk of carapils and/or light caramel malts. Highest kiln should be 20L. You shouldn't get any caramel flavours, just sweetness and body.

Any good lager yeast should suffice, word on the street is one of the most popular craft NZ pils is brewed with Cal ale at pretty low temps.

Water should be pretty soft, maybe with a touch of SO4 to crisp up the bitterness.

Mash lowish to dry out the beer, around 66C.

[LC123]

http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/alpine-beer-company-emerson-lager/48643/

alpine beer company from the san diego area made an imperial pilsner much like the one you are describing. It had the nice grainy malt flavor you get from a good pilsner but with the citrus, grape, and grassy notes you get from those hops. It was pretty unique and worth trying

[Pharmbrewer]

Some tips for an NZ pils -

You'll want to showcase Nelson Sauvin. Maybe with a touch of Riwaka, Motueka or NZ Cascade to support. Hop to the level the low-mid end of an APA. Bitter enough to balance malt sweetness, kinda like a blonde ale, say 30 - 35 IBU. Can dry hop if needed, try to get most flavour/aroma from the boil additions though. If anyone recalls Jamil talking about Riwaka tasting like burnt rubber, this is due to the way some batches of hops were pelletised, similar case with some Sauvin too, use whole leaf if you can, the burnt rubber hops are heinous.

Base malt is usually Continental or NZ lager, more likely NZ lager though. I'd imagine US 'two-row' malt would be similar. It's common for these beers to also include a good chunk of carapils and/or light caramel malts. Highest kiln should be 20L. You shouldn't get any caramel flavours, just sweetness and body.

Any good lager yeast should suffice, word on the street is one of the most popular craft NZ pils is brewed with Cal ale at pretty low temps.

Water should be pretty soft, maybe with a touch of SO4 to crisp up the bitterness.

Mash lowish to dry out the beer, around 66C.

Thanks denimglen! this was exactly the information I was looking for.

Prost!
PB