Bewilder Kefi Greek Pilsner Recipe

1. Mash

Heat 16 L of strike water to about 74 °C to target a mash temperature of 65 °C after dough-in. Add the crushed malts (Pilsner, Munich, CaraPils) and flaked maize or rice slowly while stirring to avoid clumps. Rest the mash at 65 °C for 60 minutes. Perform a 10-minute mash-out by raising temperature to 75 °C (optional) to improve lautering.

2. Sparge

Vorlauf until wort runs clear, then sparge with approximately 10–12 L of water at 75 °C to collect a pre-boil volume of ~24 L. Aim for about 23–25 L into the kettle accounting for boil-off to yield ~20 L finished beer.

3. Boil and Hops

Bring the wort to a rolling boil and boil for 60 minutes. Add Magnum hops at 60 minutes for bittering (18 g total). With 15 minutes left in the boil, add Irish moss or Whirlfloc (1 tsp) and add Saaz hops (18 g) at 15 minutes for flavor. At flameout (end of 60-minute boil) perform a quick chill target to 80 °C and add whirlpool Saaz hops (10 g) and steep for 10–15 minutes to extract delicate noble aroma, then chill rapidly to yeast-pitching temperature.

4. Chill and Transfer

Chill the wort quickly to 10–12 °C (lager yeast pitch range; if using ale yeast for a hybrid Pilsner you can pitch at 16–18 °C). Transfer to a sanitized fermenter, leaving hop/trub behind. Top up with water to reach 20 L if necessary, and take a pre-fermentation gravity reading (target OG ~1.046). Aerate the wort thoroughly (oxygenate or shake) for at least 60–90 seconds with pure oxygen or vigorous shaking.

5. Pitch the prepared german pilsner yeast (or chosen strain) into the cooled, aerated wort. If using liquid yeast, make a small starter for best performance. Ferment at 10–12 °C for a true lager profile with clean fermentation. If you are using an ale lager hybrid yeast, ferment at 12–15 °C. Primary fermentation should take ~7–14 days; check FG target ~1.010 (approx).

6. After primary fermentation is complete and gravity is stable for 2–3 days, perform a diacetyl rest by raising temperature to 16–18 °C for 48 hours (if using lager yeast). Then gradually cold-crash to 0–2 °C over 2–4 days and condition for 2–4 weeks to improve clarity and flavor.

7. When ready to package, sanitize bottles or keg. If bottling, dissolve priming sugar (110 g) in 250 ml boiling water, cool and add to bottling bucket. Rack beer onto priming solution and gently mix to avoid oxygen pickup. Bottle and cap. Condition at room temperature for 10–14 days then cold-condition 1–2 weeks. If kegging, carbonate to ~2.4–2.6 vols CO2 and lager cold for 1–2 weeks.

8. Estimate final ABV around 4.8–5.2% depending on final gravity. Chill and serve bright, crisp, with a restrained noble hop profile and a clean lager yeast character.

9. Sanitize all fermentation and packaging equipment with a no-rinse sanitizer before transferring or bottling. Follow manufacturer's contact time. Clean your kettle, mash tun and hoses immediately after use.