Join BYO for a New England Beer & Baseball Adventure, Aug. 2-7, 2026 Click here for details.

recipe

Low Alcohol Pilsner

Low Alcohol Pilsner

(5 gallons/19 L all-grain)
OG = 1.016  FG = 1.013
IBU = 19  SRM = 2  ABV = 0.5%

Ingredients

3 lbs. (1.36 kg) German Pilsner malt 
3.2 oz. (91 g) wheat malt
3.2 oz. (91 g) Carapils® malt
4.5 AAU Hallertau Mittelfrüh hops (60 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 4.5% alpha acids)
4.5 AAU Hallertau Mittelfrüh hops (10 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 4.5% alpha acids)
White Labs WLP306 (Torulaspora delbrueckii) or SafAle LA-01

Step by step

Strike in with a very thin mash, roughly 2 qts./lb. (4.2 L/kg). This is a single infusion mash performed for 60 minutes at 162 °F (72 °C). Begin lautering by raising to mash out at 170 °F (77 °C). An infusion of boiling water is recommended for rapid termination of enzymatic activity. Sparge with enough water so that you are not exceeding 1.5x the amount of initial strike water used between the boiling infusion and sparge water. Top up your kettle to 6 gallons (23 L) with water. Bring wort to a boil. Total boil time is 60 minutes. Add the first hops just after boil is achieved. Add the second hop addition with 10 minutes remaining in the boil.

Chill the wort down to 50 °F (10 °C) and pitch the yeast. Hold at this temperature for one week then check the gravity. If gravity is stable, move the beer to a lager vessel and reduce the temperature to 34 °F (1 °C). Hold at this temperature for two weeks. Keg and force carbonate to 2.8 v/v.

Low Alcohol Pilsner

(5 gallons/19 L extract only)
OG = 1.016  FG = 1.013
IBU = 19  SRM = 2  ABV = 0.5%

Ingredients

1.8 lbs. (0.82 kg) Pilsen dried malt extract
4.5 AAU Hallertau Mittelfrüh hops (60 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 4.5% alpha acids)
4.5 AAU Hallertau Mittelfrüh hops (10 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 4.5% alpha acids)
White Labs WLP306 (Torulaspora delbrueckii) or SafAle LA-01

Step by step

Heat 3 gallons (11.4 L) of water in your kettle. Once boil is achieved, remove from heat and stir in the malt extract and add the hops. Return to heat and follow the remaining boil, fermentation, and packaging instructions from the all-grain recipe.

You might also like…

recipe

Stone Brewing Co.’s 12th Anniversary Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout clone

This beer is bursting with decadant chocolate bitterness and balanced with a big oatmeal mouthfeel.

recipe

King Wenceslas Dunkel

Before Czechoslovakia became home of the light Pilsners, it was in the dark. Learn how to brew a Bohemian Dunkel — the beer that was king b

recipe

Bierkeller Columbia’s Kellerbier Clone

An unfiltered Franconian lager with a bready malt character that is balanced by soft carbonation and clean Perle hops.

recipe

Big Sky Brewing Co.’s Missoula Five-O Chocolate Coconut Imperial Porter clone

Recipe was created by Zoo City Zymurgist member Bill Ruediger, who won the Community Brew contest hosted by Big Sky Brewing Co. The winner o