Tell Us A Bit About Yourself?
Hi, I’m Josh, and I will be with White Labs for about five years. I started in packaging/shipping, production and ultimately ended up in the brewhouse where I can help between White Labs and White Labs Brewing Co.
My role is as a brewer, and I decided to work for White Labs because I wanted a career change. I started packaging my first year and found it interesting because I didn’t know what yeast was. I started to realize that the yeast was one of the main ingredients for beer. I suddenly took an interest in brewing and took the brewtech program in Mira Costa, and the rest is history.
What Inspired This Brew?
I was inspired by my trip to Germany 10 years ago. Combining the idea of a malt-forward and sweetness of a Helles but have a bitter base of a German pils. He was inspired by the history and story of the beer style. “I think it’s a style you don’t see very commonly, and I wanted to bring it to life.”
What Yeast Strains Did You Choose?
I chose WLP830 German Lager Yeast and WLP920 Old Bavarian Lager Yeast. Two German strain to compare in a German beer.
Something special about this brew was the single decoction from the thickest portion of the mash. We did a Saccharification rest of 15 minutes at 150F/70C. This meant we took some of Mash and raised the temperature of it before combining it back to the rest of the mash. This creates almost a maillard-like reaction, leading to a development of malt character depth and superior foam retention.
We also decided to spund, or put the fermentation under pressure, on day 2. By having the beers ferment at 1 bar (15PSI), it suppresses ester formation as well as being able to raise the temperature with little to no effect of off-flavors. It’s as great lagering technique to use for yeast that can handle the pressure.
Our most popular lager yeast, this strain is one of the most widely used lager strains in the world. It can be used in almost any lager style and tends to produce clean and crisp beers with some accentuation of hop characteristics.
ABV: 4.5%
Tasting Notes:
Hop Spice | Cracker | Herbal
From Southern Germany, this yeast finishes malty with a slight ester profile. Use in beers such as Oktoberfests, bocks, and dark lagers.
