N.T.S. Faux Pilsner (previous recipes)

This is the archive of the N.T.S. Faux Pilsner beer. For the most recent recipe see N.T.S. Faux Pilsner.

Summer of 2021.

I brewed my 2nd Shoddy Pale Ale. The plan was to use my Lithuanian Farmhouse yeast that I got from a local brewery.

However, somehow I killed off that yeast and it wouldn't take off. (see Shoddy Pale Ale Take II (Batch 294) )

I had been seeing on lots of forums and podcasts people claiming that you could use Kveik yeast fermented hot to make lager-like beers.

I didn't really believe it, and since I had the yeast, I decided to give it a try.

What does N.T.S. Stand for?

Noble. Tettnang. Saaz?

Nocturnal Tired Spider?

Napping Troll Saint?

Night Time Sleep?

Never Try Slime?

Not Too Special?

Nachos Take Slop?

Nefarious Taco Soup?

Naval Troublesome Snake?

Nepotism Tributes Socialism?

Nuclear Training System?

Napoleon Tried Sheep?

Northern Telescope Snow>

Not The Same?

Nothing To Say?

Not To Scale?

Needless To Say?

Note To Self?

Number the stars?

Not Too Shabby?

Norad Tracks Santa?

Note the Sarcasm?

For more information about this beer, see Sheppy's Blog: NTS.

For more information about Kveik yeast, see Sheppy's Blog: Kveik

NTS Faux Pilsner (double batch) --- Batch 2

Style	Experimental Beer	Batch Size	11.00 gal
Type	All Grain	Boil Size	13.44 gal
Brewhouse Efficiency	70.00	Boil Time	60 minutes

Recipe Characteristics

Recipe Gravity

1.047 SG

Estimated FG

1.011 SG

Recipe Bitterness

26.1 IBUs (Rager)

Alcohol by Volume

4.8 %

BU : GU

0.552

Recipe Color

3.6 SRM

Color

Measured OG:

1.047

Measured FG:

1.010

ADF:

78.1

Measured ABV:

4.9

Ingredients

Ingredients
Amt	Name	Type	#	%/IBU	Volume
15.66 gal	Denver, Colorado	Water	1	-	-
12.00 g	Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) (Mash)	Water Agent	2	-	-
4.00 g	Calcium Chloride (Mash)	Water Agent	3	-	-
3.00 tsp	Lactic Acid (Mash)	Water Agent	4	-	-
18 lbs	Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (2.0 SRM)	Grain	5	90.0 %	1.41 gal
2 lbs	Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM)	Grain	6	10.0 %	0.16 gal
1.000 oz	Magnum [13.20 %] - Boil 40.0 min	Hop	7	20.9 IBUs	-
2.00 Items	Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 mins)	Fining	8	-	-
2.000 oz	Saaz [3.50 %] - Boil 5.0 min	Hop	9	2.4 IBUs	-
2.000 oz	Tettnang, U.S. [3.90 %] - Boil 5.0 min	Hop	10	2.7 IBUs	-
2.0 pkg	Voss Kveik Ale Yeast (Lallemand #- ) [50.28 ml]	Yeast	11	-	-
1.00 tsp	Gelatin (Bottling 1.0 days)	Fining	12	-	-

Mash Profile

Mash Steps
Name	Description	Step Temperature	Step Time
Mash In	Add 25.00 qt of water at 163.7 F	152.0 F	60 min

Batch sparge with 3 steps (Drain mash tun , 4.80gal, 4.80gal) of 168.0 F water

Recipe Notes
Nobel Tettnang and Saaz. Lager - like recipe fermented with Voss Kveik yeast.
If harvesting yeast from previous batch, make 6 cup starter a day or two before brew day.
Brewing salts in the mash water. This should bring Denver water profile (as defined by BeerSmith) to
Ca=90,Mg=14,Na=21,SO4=156,Cl=66,HCO3=104
Acid addition based on BeerSmith predicted pH. Should lower from 5.7 to 5.4.
Mash and boil as directed
"Chill" to around 85 degrees. Rack half of the wort to fermentor and add Kveik yeast. Keep warm for 2 to 3 days.
Chill the rest of the beer to close to 50 as possible. Rack to fermentor and add lager yeast. Ferment cold for a few days and then let rise to ambient.
Keg. Add geletin after a day or two in the refridgerator.
Carbonate and drink.

Brewing Record

Brew Date:		Strike Temp:
Mash Temps:
Pre-boil OG	(1.041 SG)	Pre-boil Vol	(13.44 gal)
Actual Mash Efficiency		Pitch Temp
Fermentation
Day 1:
Day ...
Day ...

Brewing Notes:

07/31/2022 esheppy
Starter for lager yesterday. Set water to heat up last night. Brew day today. Getting started before 4.

07/31/2022 esheppy
Up at 4 to start brewing. Mash temp was perfect. Pre-boil gravity high so I diluted quite a bit. OG right on. Voss batch was going before 11. A chunk of ice fell on the pond pump in such a way that it broke the outlet. So I had to chill in fermentor more than I would normally. Pitched lager yeast around 11:30. Brew day mostly done in 4 hours.

08/01/2022 esheppy
Voss batch is almost done. Lager has not started yet. If it isn't going by this afternoon, I'll add a package of dry yeast.

08/02/2022 esheppy
Lager took off yesterday evening. Right now, Tilt says 1.045 at 53 degrees. Controller set at 53. Voss starting to clear up a little.

08/03/2022 esheppy
Tilt says 1.035 at 54 degrees in the lager. Bumped up the control to 55. Might try to keg the Voss in the next day or two.

08/05/2022 esheppy
Tilt says 1.015 at 57 degrees. I looked at Voss for the first time in a couple days. Looks the same. Not sure if I'll have time to keg today. Tomorrow for sure.

08/06/2022 esheppy
Forgot to switch ice last night and this morning. By the time I remembered, tilt said 1.015 at 60. I unplugged the cooling system. I probably would have done that in the next couple days anyway.

08/07/2022 esheppy
Kegged the Voss batch. FG 1.010. ABV 4.9%. Really nice flavor. Pretty hazy still. Chilling. Will probably add gelatin in a day or two. Tilt says Lager at 1.014 at 67 degrees.

08/09/2022 esheppy
Tilt says 1.013 at 69 on the lager. For some reason I had turned off the gas on the Voss keg, so it's carbonation is still low. Turned it back on. Should probably add gelatin.

08/11/2022 esheppy
Tilt says 1.013 at 69. The Voss batch has great carbonation and great flavor. Not so great clarity.

08/14/2022 esheppy
Kegged the lager today. Tilt said 1.012 at 70. FG was at 1.010 ... so both batches attenuated the same. Sample tasted good. I think maybe it doesn't taste as hoppy as the Voss batch. Hard to tell comparing warm beer to cold beer. Right now ... there is no fridge or kegerator space, so I need to finish Hail Storm before chilling this one.

08/16/2022 esheppy
Added gelatin to the Voss keg yesterday afternoon and the lager keg this morning. Might have screwed up the lager gelatin. Over-boiled and got a big clump. We'll see how it clarifies.

09/01/2022 esheppy
Did a triangle test. Got the odd beer but it was closer than I thought it would be. The faux has a bit more lemon on the aroma that accentuates the hops a bit. The lager had more firm German -like bitterness. In a glass, color is identical. The faux is clearer, but I think the lager will catch up. Side by side I think the Voss yeast is my favorite of the two.

09/08/2022 esheppy
The lager is catching up in clarity, but still not as brilliant as the Voss.

09/24/2022 esheppy
Both beers still yummy. Both crystal clear. The Voss still comes across as more hoppy.

09/25/2022 esheppy
Killed the Voss keg. Lager keg probably isn't too far behind.

10/02/2022 esheppy
Killed the lager keg. Making room for other beers.

NTS Faux Pilsner --- Batch 1 (295)

Style	Experimental Beer	Batch Size	5.50 gal
Type	All Grain	Boil Size	6.60 gal
Brewhouse Efficiency	68.00	Boil Time	60 minutes

Recipe Characteristics

Recipe Gravity

1.046 SG

Estimated FG

1.009 SG

Recipe Bitterness

26.0 IBUs (Rager)

Alcohol by Volume

4.8 %

BU : GU

0.567

Recipe Color

3.6 SRM

Color

Measured OG:

1.045

Measured FG:

1.009

ADF:

79.4

Measured ABV:

4.7

Ingredients

Ingredients
Amt	Name	Type	#	%/IBU	Volume
7.83 gal	Denver, Colorado	Water	1	-	-
6.00 g	Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) (Mash)	Water Agent	2	-	-
2.00 g	Calcium Chloride (Mash)	Water Agent	3	-	-
1.50 tsp	Lactic Acid (Mash)	Water Agent	4	-	-
9 lbs	Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (2.0 SRM)	Grain	5	90.0 %	0.70 gal
1 lbs	Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM)	Grain	6	10.0 %	0.08 gal
0.500 oz	Magnum [10.90 %] - Boil 50.0 min	Hop	7	21.0 IBUs	-
1.00 Items	Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 mins)	Fining	8	-	-
1.000 oz	Saaz [3.50 %] - Boil 5.0 min	Hop	9	2.4 IBUs	-
1.000 oz	Tettnang, U.S. [3.90 %] - Boil 5.0 min	Hop	10	2.7 IBUs	-
1.0 pkg	Voss Kveik Ale Yeast (Lallemand #- ) [50.28 ml]	Yeast	11	-	-
0.50 tsp	Gelatin (Bottling 1.0 days)	Fining	12	-	-

Mash Profile

Mash Steps
Name	Description	Step Temperature	Step Time
Saccharification	Add 31.33 qt of water at 155.8 F	150.0 F	45 min
Heat	Heat to 156.0 F over 10 min	156.0 F	20 min

If steeping, remove grains, and prepare to boil wort

Recipe Notes
Nobel Tettnang and Saaz. Lager - like recipe fermented with Voss Kveik yeast.
If harvesting yeast from previous batch, make 6 cup starter a day or two before brew day.
Brewing salts in the mash water. This should bring Denver water profile (as defined by BeerSmith) to
Ca=90,Mg=14,Na=21,SO4=156,Cl=66,HCO3=104
Acid addition based on BeerSmith predicted pH. Should lower from 5.7 to 5.4.
Mash and boil as directed
"Chill" to around 85 degrees. Rack to fermentor and add Kveik yeast. Keep warm for 2 to 3 days.
Keg. Dry hop in keg. Add geletin after a day or two in the refridgerator.
Carbonate and drink.

Brewing Record

Brew Date:

Strike Temp:

Mash Temps:

Pre-boil OG

(1.042 SG)

Pre-boil Vol

(6.60 gal)

Actual Mash Efficiency

Pitch Temp

Fermentation

Day 1:

Day ...

Brewing Notes:

08/22/2021 esheppy
Brew day. Started at 5am. Did the water this morning rather than last night. Forgot the acid until about halfway through mash. 1.040 pre boil. 1.045 OG. Chilled to 86 at 9. In fermentor by 9:15. Cleaned up before 9:45.

08/23/2021 esheppy
Fermentation took off by late morning yesterday. Still going today. Temp strip says 84 this morning. I'm sure it will rise over the afternoon.

08/24/2021 esheppy
Put in tilt last night. It was already down to 1.010 at 89 degrees. This morning 1.008 at 84. Still lots of kraussen, but slowing down considerably.

08/25/2021 esheppy
Tilt says 1.005 at 83. Not much bubbling at all now. Still a thin layer of kraussen. Not sure when I'll keg this. Would like to see a little more clarity.

08/26/2021 esheppy
Tilt says 1.004 at 81 degrees. Fermentation seems done. Might have to keg soon.

08/26/2021 esheppy
Blew the keg of Hail Storm, so I could keg NTS. 1.009 FG is right on target. Not as clear as I would like going into the keg, but not bad. Really like the sample flavor. Not really lager-like, but would make a nice pale ale. Need to taste when it's cold and carbed.

08/29/2021 esheppy
Carbonation not quite ready, but close. I like the flavor. Maybe a bit more citrus on the finish than you'd expect from a pilsner, but honestly pretty close to how I like to brew some of my pilsner. Clarity no where close, but I have no added gelatin yet.

09/23/2021 esheppy
Been drinking quite a lot. Really happy with how it turned out. Never added the gelatin,and you can tell. But flavor is awesome. Nice light drinkable beer.

10/07/2021 esheppy
Killed the keg. Nice beer while it lasted.

Brewing Notes