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Pilsner Malt (Base Malt)

A very pale, continental base malt kilned gently for a light, sweet, grainy character, the base of pale lagers.

What Pilsner Malt (Base Malt) is

Pilsner malt is a continental base malt kilned at a lower temperature than English pale ale malt, which keeps it very pale and gives it a soft, sweet, honey-like grain character. It is the foundation of German and Czech pale lagers.

Its delicacy is also its demand: because there is nowhere for a flaw to hide, a beer built on pilsner malt needs a clean fermentation and good process. It is used well beyond lagers, forming the base of many Belgian ales too.

Colour and flavour

Colour: 1.2 to 2 degrees Lovibond. Malt colour is measured in degrees Lovibond, or the metric EBC, and is a rough guide to flavour intensity as well as to the shade the malt lends the beer.

Flavour and character: Very pale, soft, honeyed and grainy-sweet, cleaner and lighter than standard pale ale malt..

How much to use

Typical proportion of the grist: Up to 100% of the grist. Adjust to taste and to the style you are brewing; the figures here are a starting point, not a rule.

Pilsner Malt (Base Malt) is a base malt. Being a base malt, it is mashed with the rest of the grain so its enzymes convert the starch to fermentable sugar; it is not a steeping grain. It is central to styles such as German Pilsner, Czech Pilsner, Munich Helles, Belgian Tripel and Saison, where it does much to define the flavour and colour, and it can be used in smaller amounts in many other beers. As with any grain, the right amount depends on the beer you are building, so treat the proportions here as a tested starting point rather than a fixed rule.

Related

Sources: BJCP Beer Style Guidelines · How to Brew (John Palmer), malt reference