wheatley vodka, pear puree, rosemary simple syrup

PEARSTAR MARTINI

Med Bag of Chips

Ham, cheddar cheese, fresh tomatoes, and arugula.

Ham and Cheese Sandwich

Sliced turkey, lettuce, tomato, and mustard in a whole wheat wrap.

Fit Turkey Wrap

Make a 20 L finished batch (approximately 23 L pre-boil) targeting original gravity ~1.048 (5% ABV) and final volume 20 L.

Target batch and gravity

Heat 18 L of strike water to about 75 °C. Mash in the grist (all malts) to reach a mash temperature of 65 °C (149 °F). Stir well to eliminate dry pockets. Maintain mash at 65 °C for 60 minutes for full conversion and a balanced body characteristic of Helles.

Water and mash-in

After 60 minutes, perform an iodine test to confirm conversion. If complete, raise mash to 76 °C (169 °F) for 10 minutes to mash out. Hold for that time before vorlaufing.

Mash rest and mash out

Recirculate (vorlauf) until wort runs clear. Sparge with ~10 L of water at 75 °C to collect approximately 23 L of wort pre-boil.

Sparge and collect wort

Bring wort to a vigorous boil and boil for 60 minutes. Add hops as follows: at 60 minutes remaining add 40 g Hallertau (bittering) — expected to produce ~20 IBU. At 15 minutes remaining add Irish moss/Whirlfloc and 15 g Hallertau (flavor/aroma).

Boil and hop schedule

At end of boil chill wort rapidly to 10–12 °C (50–54 °F) using a plate or immersion chiller. Transfer to a sanitized fermenter and aerate/oxygenate thoroughly (aim for ~8–10 ppm dissolved oxygen) to support healthy lager yeast fermentation.

Cooling and oxygenation

Rehydrate or prepare yeast per manufacturer guidelines (make a starter if using liquid yeast to ensure adequate cell counts). Pitch yeast into the cooled, oxygenated wort at 10–12 °C.

Pitch yeast

Ferment at 10–12 °C for about 7–10 days until primary activity slows and gravity has dropped significantly (target around FG ~1.012–1.014). Monitor gravity to confirm fermentation progress.

Primary fermentation

After primary fermentation slows (about 7–10 days), raise temperature to 16–18 °C for 48 hours to encourage diacetyl cleanup. After the rest, drop temperature gradually to 1–3 °C over 2–4 days for cold conditioning.

Diacetyl rest and cold crash

Lager at 0–3 °C for 4–6 weeks for flavor rounding, clarity, and smooth finish typical of a Helles. Longer lagering (6–8 weeks) will yield an even cleaner beer.

Lagering (cold conditioning)

If kegging: transfer beer to a CO2-purged keg and carbonate to about 2.3–2.6 volumes CO2 (approx 12–14 psi at 3 °C)—adjust to taste. If bottling: gently prime with 110 g dextrose dissolved in a small amount of boiling water, cool, and bottle. Condition bottles at room temperature for 2 weeks then cold condition.

Packaging

Serve cold (6–8 °C) on draft. Expect a pale golden color, soft malt sweetness, low hop bitterness (~20 IBU), clean lager yeast character, and a smooth, slightly bready Munich malt profile.

Serving

If your source water is very soft or lacks mineral content, add small amounts of CaCl2 and gypsum to the mash or strike water to improve mash performance and mouthfeel. Dissolve additions in strike water before heating; the amounts listed are approximate — adjust per your water report to target balanced chloride:sulfate ratio (~1.5–2:1 chloride to sulfate) favoring maltiness.

Munich Style Recipe

Descriptors

Tasting Notes

Food Pairings

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