So I wanted to recreate the Pale Ale kit, but my local brewer supply store did a bit of a bait and switch on the DME, selling me the Breiss Pilsener DME instead.
Anyway, I ended up brewing a high test Pils that was kinda refreshing. Here's the recipe:
Ingredients:
1 lb. Breiss Pilsener DME
85g dextrose priming sugar (glucose can also be used)
0.5 oz mosaic hop pellets
Saflager S-23 yeast (approx 1/3 of pack)
Method:
1) Prepare Hop Tea
Boil 2 cups water in a small pot. Wait a minute or two after turning off the heat. Check water temp, and add the hops when it's around 175-180F. Add hop pellets inside a tea strainer to prevent too much hop sediment in the wort. Steep for 20 minutes.
2) Prepare the wort
Fill the iGulu keg half full with distilled or filtered water. Add the hop tea, then fill with water to the 116 oz. line. Add the priming sugar, then sprinkle in the yeast. Finally, add the DME.
DO stir the wort. This prevents clumping of the DME, plus aerates the wort. You'll be surprised how quickly the yeast gets to work afterward. Be careful not to bang the stir stick you use against the inside of the keg. We don't want any scratches.
3) Brew
Seal the keg up and install in the iGulu in the usual manner. Brew 8 days at 15C, which is the maximum recommended temp for the yeast.
Results:
OG: 15.5. FG: 8.0. ABV: 7%
Nice golden color, very clear. Foam not excessive at all. Slightly sweet, good carbonation. Not very hoppy.. My tea strainer got clogged so I think there's room to improve the hop tea.
All in all a very refreshing, drinkable Pils with a bit of a kick. I will definitely tweak the hop tea and lengthen the brewing time to see what happens next time!
