MASHOUT MAGAZINE

All Grain   |   5 gal / 18.9 L   |   ABV: 5.1%   |   IBU: 23   |   SRM: 3.5   |   OG: 1.046   |   FG: 1.007

This one had been sitting in the back of my head for a while. A while back I got the chance to visit Yakima Valley Hops & John I. Haas during the hop harvest, which was honestly one of those experiences you do not forget. I came home with a good haul of hops including some French varieties, Strisselspalt & Barbe Rouge among them. They sat in my freezer for longer than I want to admit.

Then my wife and I ended up at Geisthaus Brewing in Sacramento and I ordered their French Pilsner. That was kind of the moment. Light, crisp, floral, something a little different from your typical German Pils. I drove home thinking about those Strisselspalt hops in my freezer and knew it was time to finally do something with them.

Fleur d’Or is the result. The name means golden flower, which felt right for a pale, floral lager built around French hops. I kept the grain bill simple, just 100% MCM Pilsner malt, and let the hops do the talking.

Tasting Notes

This beer turned out really well. The first thing you notice is how clean and drinkable it is. The bitterness is soft and floral and it lingers in a really pleasant way without ever getting sharp or harsh. There is a very subtle hint of red berry in there from the small Barbe Rouge addition at the end of the boil but it is not something that jumps out at you. It just adds a little something that makes you want another sip. Overall it is crisp, easy drinking, and exactly what I was going for.

The Recipe

Vitals
Batch Size:           5 gal (18.9 L)
Boil Time:            90 min
Efficiency:           72%
Original Gravity:     1.046  (11.5 °P)
Final Gravity:        1.007
ABV:                  5.1%
IBU:                  23 (Tinseth)
Color:                3.5 SRM

Water
Mash Water:           4.16 gal  (15.7 L)
Sparge Water:         3.28 gal  (12.4 L)
Total Water:          7.44 gal  (28.2 L)
Pre-Boil Volume:      6.67 gal  (25.2 L)
Pre-Boil Gravity:     1.038

Mash
Single Infusion:      150 °F (65.6 °C)  —  60 min

Grain Bill
9 lb / 4.08 kg  Montana Craft Malt Pilsner —  100%

Hops
1 oz / 28 g    Hallertauer Mittelfrueh 3.3%  —  First Wort  (13 IBU)
1 oz / 28 g    Strisselspalt 1.8%  —  Boil 70 min  (6 IBU)
1 oz / 28 g    Strisselspalt 1.8%  —  Boil 20 min  (3 IBU)
0.25 oz / 7 g  Barbe Rouge 5%  —  Boil 5 min  (1 IBU)

Yeast
3 pkg  Fermentis S-189 SafLager – I used CellarScience German Yeast. Which is 34/70 strain but if I could redo it, I would use S-189.

Fermentation
Primary:              52 °F (11.1 °C)  —  7 days
Diacetyl Rest:        60 °F (15.6 °C)  —  4 days
Cold Crash:           38 °F (3.3 °C)  —  4 days at 38. I slowly drop temp over the course of the week.

Brewer Notes

The Strisselspalt is the heart of this beer. It is a delicate hop so I leaned on the first wort Hallertauer addition to build the bittering base and let the Strisselspalt do its thing later in the boil where the floral character can come through without getting cooked off. The Barbe Rouge at flameout is just a hint, barely there, but it adds a soft berry quality that rounds the whole thing out nicely.

Brew Day

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By Jordan, Billy’s Tavern Homebrewing

Jordan is a California native. When he is not brewing he can be found drinking beer with friends, duck hunting, and getting lost in a good book or video game. When he is not out on an adventure with his wife, he can be found at home with his two lovable dogs. Stay up to date by following him on Instagram.