Sandy Blonde Pilsner Recipe

1. Clean and sanitize all equipment. Heat strike water to about 75°C (167°F). Slowly add milled grains to water to achieve a mash temperature of 64–66°C (147–151°F). Stir to evenly distribute heat.

2. Mash at 64–66°C (147–151°F) for 60 minutes. Optional: perform a 10-minute protein rest at ~52°C (125°F) if desired.

3. Raise mash to 76°C (169°F) for mashout, then vorlauf and lautert to collect wort. Target volume: ~6.5–7 gallons (25–26 L) of wort for a 5 gallon batch after boil losses.

4. Bring wort to a vigorous boil and maintain for 60 minutes. Add hops according to schedule: 28 g Saaz at 60 minutes (bittering), 14 g Saaz at 15 minutes (flavor), 14 g Saaz at 5 minutes (aroma).

5. Cool the wort rapidly after the boil to 10–12°C (50–54°F) using a wort chiller or immersion chiller.

6. Transfer cooled wort to a sanitized fermenter. Pitch 1 pack of Saflager W-34/70 yeast (rehydrated per package instructions).

7. Ferment at 10–12°C (50–54°F) until attenuation reaches target FG around 1.010 (7–14 days).

8. Cold crash and lager at 0–2°C (32–36°F) for 1–3 weeks to improve clarity and conditioning.

9. Prepare priming sugar to reach approximately 2.2 volumes CO2 for 5 gallons. Prime and bottle or keg accordingly.

10. Condition at cold temperatures for 1–2 weeks before serving. Serve at 3–7°C (37–45°F) for best clarity and flavor.