Samuel Adams Brewing Company: Noble Pils clone
Noble hops are the showcase in this smooth and easy drinking pilsner, fashioned in the German-style. According to Boston Beer Co.’s website, “This unique Pilsner showcases all 5 Noble hops from the world’s oldest growing regions for a distinct, complex hop character. The floral, citrusy aroma and flavors from the Noble hops are balanced by the honeyed malt notes of special Bohemian spring barley, for a crisp, fresh taste.”
Samuel Adams Brewing Co.’s Nobel Pils clone, All-Grain
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.048 FG = 1.012
IBU = 34 SRM = 5 ABV = 4.9%
Ingredients
7.4 lbs. (3.4 kg) 2-row pale malt (2 °L)
2.5 lbs. (1.1 kg) Bohemian Pilsner malt (2 °L)
0.5 tsp. yeast nutrients (15 min.)
7.4 AAU Hallertau pellet hops (90 min.) (2 oz./56 g at 3.7% alpha acids)
1.5 AAU Tettnang pellet hops (5 min.) (0.4 oz./11 g at 3.8% alpha acids)
2.3 AAU Saaz pellet hops (5 min.) (0.6 oz./17 g at 3.8% alpha acids)
1 oz. (28 g) Tettnang pellet hops (dry hop)
0.75 oz. (21 g) Saaz pellet hops (dry hop)
0.5 oz. (14 g) Strisselspalt pellet hops (dry hop)
0.25 oz. (7 g) Hersbrucker pellet hops (dry hop)
White Labs WLP830 (German Lager), Wyeast 2206 (Bavarian Lager) or Mangrove Jack Bohemian Lager yeast (~ 3 qts./2.9 L starter or 1.5 sachets dry yeast)
2/3 cup (133 g) dextrose (if priming)
Step by Step
Mix the crushed grains with 3.75 gallons (14 L) of 165 °F (74 °C) strike water to stabilize the mash at 153 °F (67 °C). Hold at this temperature for 45 minutes. Vorlauf for 15 minutes then begin sparge. Run off into kettle to achieve volume about 6.8 gallons (25 L) and pre-boil standard gravity of 1.035.
Boil for 90 minutes, adding hops and yeast nutrients according the ingredients list. Turn off the heat, give the wort a stir for a minute to create a whirlpool and let that settle for about 15 minutes. Cool the wort down to 53–55 °F (12–13 °C), aerate, and pitch yeast. Ferment at 57 °F (14 °C) for 2 weeks or until signs of fermentation have died down. Rack to a secondary and lager for an additional three weeks at 40 °F (5 °C). Add the dry hops for the final two weeks of the lagering phase. If signs of diacetyl are apparent during racking, then a diacetyl rest is recommended. Give the beer 2 days at 70 °F (21 °C) to allow the yeast to process any diacetyl before racking over to the secondary vessel. After the lager period is complete, bottle or keg and carbonate to 2.4 volumes of CO2.
Extract option: Substitute both of the malts in the all-grain recipe with 3.3 lbs. (1.5 kg) light liquid malt extract, 3.3 lbs. (1.5 kg) Pilsner liquid malt extract, and 3 oz. (90 g) extra light dried malt extract. Heat 6.25 gallons (24 L) soft water in your brew kettle. If you have hard water (> 150 ppm calcium carbonate), you can soften by boiling the water for half an hour and decanting off the precipitated chalk or by cutting your tap water with distilled or reverse osmosis (RO) water. Just before the water reaches boil, remove from heat and stir in the malt extract until all extract is dissolved. Boil for 90 minutes. Follow the remaining portion of the all-grain recipe.
