Brewing Pilsner

[alealex]

I'm brewing pilsner ATM:
3,5 pilsner malt
0,5 carapils
0,1 accid malt
not sure which hops to choose, up to the very last minute.
Thinking of perle or magnum + saaz.
Any tips from pilsner brewers out there?

[Eoin]

Germans only ever specify bittering and aroma additions, I have never seen a hop variety mentioned by name in their recipes. Either of your combos will work.

[alealex]

Thats what I was thinking either way I'll drink it 
Cheers.

[DEMPSEY]

What yeast are you planning

[alealex]

Nothing fancy, something dry. Lets say it is spontaneous brewing so no time for starter.. 
I'll check what's in the fridge..

[alealex]

Choice of Fermentis: s-23 or w-34/70

[Eoin]

Choice of Fermentis: s-23 or w-34/70

Use w-34\70, it's the most commonly used on German forums I visit.

[Ciderhead]

+1 on Yeast if you are going to be lazy, min 2 packs required tho
Be meticulous with process pilsners pick up every fault and will punish you.
Perle or saaz will work.

[alealex]

Just reading a little about w-34/70 and s-23 and it seems like 34/70 is cleaner.
Would I leave much sugar for them to eat for diacetyl rest?

[alealex]

I've only one pack of 34/70 (and 3 of s23) but only 15 ltrs goes to the fermenter, another gallon to experiment with..

[alealex]

1 gallon goes for red ale with pilsner as base malt 

[Ciderhead]

I got my w34/70 pitch rate numbers from Beersmith but datasheet says

dosage instructions: 
80 to 120 g/hl for pitching at 12C – 15°C (53-59°F).     
increase dosage for pitching below 12°C (53°F), up to 200 to 300 g/hl at 9°C (48°F)

So if its circa 100g for 100L a 20L batch should be 20g or 2 packs as they are 11.5g.

Is there an exponential with pitch rates?

Really interesting that they require 2-3 times that volume at lower temps, jesus at nearly €5 a packet you'd be broke.

[Ciderhead]

I think you are mixing it up with something else, it's 10-15 litres, but you obviously got away with it with no funky flavours from stressing yeast.

[Ciderhead]

Wow, they must have changed it since I used it last. Alex, what doesn't your pack look like? Mine's the pink sachet like so:

I have emailed them for clarity!
That packet pic is from a reseller and could be a couple of years old though?, anybody got an old packet in their yeast bank?

[Ciderhead]

its the same pink colour just a shitty camera phone and supplied by HBC.
I am wondering is the EU and US product different as this 2010 article has the higher pitch rates?
http://www.google.ie/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CD8QFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fermentis.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2010%2F07%2F2010_TT_EN_HD.pdf&ei=875uU92vNq7o7Aas54D4Dg&usg=AFQjCNE5SErbPUkaiztGqrL_iaTF8v6StA&sig2=ecWXv5JknQkxozvEUNM77Q