For a pilsner brewed in 10 days – from grain to keg – this is a crushable little beer. It’s not the best beer I’ve made – after all, it’s a pilsner for God sakes – but it’s just fine to drink and I sort of like it. I wouldn’t dare enter this into competition, and it has flaws. If you look at the recipe, it’s more like a pale ale really; it’s hoppy and lemony, soft and creamy. My brewer friend said it had a slight DMS thing going on, which I don’t detect. I believe him. Probably the short, 30 minute boil, is to blame for that. My family liked it. My wife doesn’t. I do believe that controlling the mash pH would help this beer significantly, something I didn’t do; giving it a crispness and acidity that I like in beers. Also I would mash less (15 minutes), to allow for a slightly longer boil (40 minutes). Time is money baby.
The process was the same as always: 30 minute mash (15 maybe?), 30 minute boil, no yeast starter. Normally “lagers” are fermented at 50 for several weeks. This beer was fermented for 7 days at 66. It has a California Common character, I’ve been told, which makes sense.
Based on the recipe alone, I wouldn’t brew this beer again. Too hoppy. Before dry hopping, I actually really like the beer; it tasted like a good lager. Interestingly, the first 10 pints were hazy and cloudy. After 4 more days, it cleared up real nice:
I got the recipe from a book (can’t remember what one).
Mermaid Pilsner Clone
brewed: ?
8.3 2-Row
1 lb Vienna
.4 lb Carapils
.6 lb Rye malt
.5 lb white wheat malt
.2 lb flaked wheat
.1 lb Carm/Crystal 10
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1 oz Crystal FW (30 minute boil)
.3 oz Tettnag FW
.5 oz Amarillo FW
.5 oz Crystal FO
.5 oz Amarillo FO
.5 Crystal DH (3 days)
.5 Amarillo (3 days)
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W-34/70 (dry lager yeast, sprinkled on top)
One Pot Brewing 