Loaded question regarding Pilsner LME / DME

[brewdvm]

Does anyone know if manufacturers of Pilsner LME / DME perform step and / or decoction mashes when making these products? Still seeing lots of recipes online requiring these additional mashing steps to make a Pils. If the manufacturers do not perform these extra steps, it would, in my mind, go a long way in the argument that these steps are unnecessary.

[damian_winter]

Most of the time LME and DME are made with single step mashing. Here is article https://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=AwrJ7JwnhUNf_fMAdnNx.9w4;_ylu=X3oDMTByNXM5bzY5BGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMzBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzcg--/RV=2/RE=1598289319/RO=10/RU=https%3a%2f%2fwww.homebrewersassociation.org%2fhow-to-brew%2fhow-malt-extract-is-made%2f/RK=2/RS=yXjFb0nysSrzubVe4aZNylpOd_w-

[dannyboy58]

I've brewed pilsners for years and have done many different varieties of step and decoction mashes. Honestly, the only difference I've noted in the finished beer is the color.

Like everything else in this hobby everyone has a different opinion. To each their own. I just can't justify a 7-8 hour brew day with no recognizable improvement in the finished beer. Not going to waste my energy trying to change someone's opinion though.

You must've been on the german brewing forum. They'll kick you out if you argue with them too much. hahaha

[brewdvm]

That's the loaded part of the question. If manufacturers don't perform any extra steps to make Pilsner extracts compared to what they do for the other types of extracts, why should we? I agree with you. I think it's a waste of time.

[brew_cat]

I think about it as learning and enjoying a process. It's brewing history if you will. It certainly won't hurt. A reinactment. I find when I wear my liederhosen my pilsner beer is much improved

[damian_winter]

Step mashing still has some benefits. Like when using undermodified malts like Floor malted Bohemian pilsner. There is only one style that I use a step mash to brew and thats a Munich Helles. A lot of recipes use Munich malt or Vienna malt along with Pilsner malt to try to create the flavor profile of a Helles. Mine is only Pilsner malt and Step mashing to get the more authentic Helles flavors without adding the other malts

[dannyboy58]

I did a hockhurz on an all pils helles. It was very good. If i only had pils and wanted a helles it's good to know how to do but not my go to brew day. Good on ya for committing to the process.