Wild East “patience & Fortitude” Pilsner Brooklyn, Nyc Recipe

1. Mash-in

Heat 3.5 gallons of brewing water to 165°F (74°C). Mash in grains (Pilsner, Vienna, Munich, CaraPils) to reach a stable mash temperature of 152°F (67°C). Stir to eliminate dough balls and ensure even temperature.

2. Hold the mash at 152°F (67°C) for 60 minutes. Perform gentle stir or recirculation (if using BIAB or mash tun) at 20–30 minute intervals to maintain even temperature and improve conversion.

3. After 60 minutes, perform an iodine test to confirm starch conversion. If conversion is complete, raise mash temperature to 168°F (76°C) for a 10-minute mash-out.

4. Sparge with enough 170°F (77°C) water to collect about 6.5 gallons of wort in the kettle (target pre-boil volume to end with ~5.25 gallons into the fermenter after boil and trub loss). Aim for a slow even sparge to avoid tannin extraction.

5. Boil and bittering additions

Bring wort to a rolling boil. At the start of the 60-minute boil, add 0.75 oz Saaz (bittering). Maintain a vigorous boil to help break proteins and coagulate.

6. With 10 minutes remaining in the boil, add 0.5 oz Tettnang. Also add any yeast nutrient if using and the 4 oz honey (if you chose to include it) quickly dissolved in a small amount of hot wort and added at this time to preserve aromatic character.

7. Flameout / Whirlpool

Turn off the heat at the end of the 60-minute boil and add 0.5 oz Saaz directly to the kettle. Stir to create a whirlpool and let the wort steep at 170–180°F (77–82°C) for 15–20 minutes to extract late hop aromatics without excessive bitterness.

8. Cold crash the whirlpooled wort by running through a wort chiller (immersion, counterflow or plate) until it reaches 50–55°F (10–13°C). If you don’t have rapid chilling, aim to get below 70°F quickly and then transfer to a sanitized fermenter and chill further in a refrigerator or fermentation chamber.

9. Aerate or oxygenate the chilled wort to approximately 8–10 ppm dissolved oxygen (for a lager strain), then pitch the rehydrated or starter-grown lager yeast. If using a liquid yeast pack, ensure yeast is healthy — consider a 1.5–2 L starter for best results.

10. Ferment at 50–52°F (10–11°C) for 10–14 days, monitoring gravity. Aim for a steady active fermentation for the first 3–7 days, then allow activity to slow. If fermentation is sluggish, allow temperature to rise 2–3°F (1–2°C) for a short period.

11. When fermentation nears final gravity (within ~10–20 points), raise temperature to 62–64°F (17–18°C) for 48 hours to perform a diacetyl rest so the yeast can reabsorb any diacetyl.

12. After the rest, slowly reduce temperature to 34–36°F (1–2°C) over 24–48 hours and condition (lager) at that temperature for 3–5 weeks to clarify and mellow flavors.

13. Optional: During the final week of cold conditioning (about 5–7 days before packaging), place 0.75 oz Saaz hops in a sanitized hop bag and add to the fermenter for a short cold dry-hop to boost delicate noble hop aroma. Remove hop bag before packaging.

14. Prepare priming sugar by dissolving 3.25 oz (approx. 92 g) corn sugar in 1 cup (240 ml) boiling water; cool to room temperature. Transfer beer to a bottling bucket, mix gently but thoroughly with the cooled priming solution to evenly distribute sugar (avoid introducing oxygen).

15. Bottle and cap. Condition at 65–70°F (18–21°C) for 10–14 days to carbonate, then cold condition at 34–36°F (1–2°C) for an additional 3–7 days to settle. Target carbonation ~2.4–2.6 volumes CO2 for a crisp pilsner mouthfeel.

16. Serve cold (38–45°F / 3–7°C) in a clean pilsner glass. Pour gently for a clear presentation or with a little agitation for a headful of fine, long-lasting foam—Patience yields clarity; Fortitude yields flavor.