Brew Day Log: Pivo Pils-Inspired Lager

Brew Day Log: Pivo Pils-Inspired Lager

This was a Firestone Walker Pivo Pils-inspired batch brewed on an Anvil 120V electric system. The original plan evolved a bit during the brew day: I started with a Pivo-ish clone recipe, adjusted for Bellevue water, ended up with higher-than-target gravity, diluted slightly, and pitched cold with two packets of SafLager W-34/70.

Batch Overview

Recipe

Grain Bill

Total mash bill: 10 lb 12 oz

Hop Schedule

Other Additions

Water

Bellevue tap water was used. I treated the brewing water with:

• Gypsum
• Calcium chloride
• Campden

The goal was a crisp but not harsh pilsner profile, leaning slightly sulfate-forward while keeping the water relatively soft.

Night-Before Setup

I used the Anvil time-delay heating feature so the strike water would be ready in the morning.

• Added brewing water to the Anvil.
• Added gypsum, calcium chloride, and Campden.
• Set delayed heating for the strike water to be ready around 6:00 AM.
• Planned to follow the Anvil manual’s sparge-water approach rather than a thinner mash with a larger sparge.

Mash Water and Sparge Plan

Based on the Anvil manual for a 10 lb grain bill:

Target strike temperature was adjusted lower than the Anvil manual’s default because the intended mash temperature was lower than 152°F.

Mash

Mash-In

Added to the Anvil basket:

• 10 lb German Pilsner malt
• 4 oz acidulated malt
• 0.5 lb rice hulls

Target mash temperature was 149°F.

Mash Notes

The mash temperature did not drop as much as expected after adding grain, so the mash likely ran warmer than planned. This may result in a slightly fuller-bodied beer and a somewhat higher final gravity than the original clone target.

I originally was not planning to use the pump, but I ended up recirculating during the final 15 minutes of the mash. That likely helped even out the mash temperature and may have improved clarity and efficiency.

Lauter and Sparge

After the mash:

• Lifted the grain basket.
• Let it drain.
• Sparged slowly with approximately 1.0–1.25 gal of water around 160–170°F.

The goal was to avoid compacting the grain bed or channeling. Since the batch used a relatively large mash volume and a small sparge, the sparge was more of a rinse than a long fly sparge.

Boil

Boil length was 90 minutes.

A longer boil was chosen because this was brewed on a 120V Anvil system and the grist was mostly Pilsner malt. The longer boil was intended to reduce DMS risk and compensate for a gentler 120V boil.

Boil Schedule

The earlier hop bags were removed before the whirlpool.

Whirlpool

Planned Whirlpool

Actual Whirlpool

The wort dropped to about 145°F before the Saphir whirlpool addition.

Rather than reheating, I added the Saphir at 145°F and extended the steep.

Expected impact:

• Less whirlpool bitterness than planned
• Softer hop character
• More delicate Saphir aroma
• Still appropriate for a hoppy pilsner

I considered adding more Saphir but decided not to significantly increase the whirlpool charge.

Cooling and Gravity

The wort was not going to get down to lager-pitching temperature with the immersion chiller without wasting a lot of water, so the plan was to transfer warm, seal the fermenter, move it to the cold chamber, and pitch later once the wort reached 48–52°F.

Gravity Reading

I used a refractometer that had not been used in several years.

• Refractometer was calibrated with water.
• Wort sample was around 93°F.
• Reading was approximately 1.060 SG.
• Volume was under 5 gallons.

Because the sample was warm, the reading may not have been perfect. However, the high gravity seemed plausible because the post-boil volume was under target.

Dilution

I added 1 liter of water, bringing the volume to just above 5 gallons.

Estimated post-dilution gravity was likely still above the original clone target, probably around 1.056–1.058, depending on actual final volume.

This means the beer will likely be a stronger hoppy pilsner rather than a precise Pivo Pils clone.

Transfer

The wort was transferred into a 6.5 gallon carboy while still warm, likely around 85°F or above.

I did not pitch warm. The carboy was sealed and moved into the cold chamber to continue cooling.

Temperature Control

The fermentation chamber was controlled with a Brewer’s Edge Controller II.

Controller behavior:

• Pressing MENU flashed SP, meaning set point.
• Pressing MENU again allowed the temperature set point to be adjusted.

The chamber was set to cool the wort to lager pitching temperature.

Probe Placement

Recommended probe placement:

• Tape the temperature probe to the side of the carboy.
• Cover the probe with a folded towel, foam, or bubble wrap so it reads beer temperature more closely than chamber air.

Aeration and Pitch

Once the wort reached 50°F, I pitched:

• 2 packets SafLager W-34/70

The carboy was gently aerated before pitching.

For this batch, the aeration plan was:

• Splashy transfer plus gentle rocking
• Avoid aggressive shaking of a full glass carboy
• Aerate right before pitching, not while the wort was warm

Fermentation Plan

Dry Hop Plan

I originally planned to dry hop around day 4, but I will not be able to dry hop until Sunday. Since the beer was pitched Tuesday, Sunday will be about day 5, which is still a fine dry-hop window.

Dry hop:

• 1 oz Saphir
• Add quickly and reseal immediately
• Minimize oxygen exposure

If fermentation is sluggish by Sunday, wait until fermentation is clearly active before dry hopping.

Diacetyl Rest

The raise to 60°F is the diacetyl rest.

Plan:

1. Dry hop Sunday.
2. Keep at 50–52°F for another 2–3 days.
3. Raise to 60°F.
4. Hold for 2–3 days.
5. Cold crash after fermentation appears complete.

Cold Crash and Kegging

After the diacetyl rest:

1. Cold crash to 34–38°F.
2. Hold cold for 2–4 days.
3. Transfer gently to a purged keg.
4. Move keg to kegerator.
5. Carbonate at 12–14 PSI around 38°F.
6. Lager in the keg for 2–4 weeks if possible.

The beer can be sampled earlier, but it should improve noticeably with cold conditioning.

Expected Outcome

Because of the warmer-than-target mash and higher-than-target original gravity, this batch will likely finish as a slightly stronger, fuller version of a Pivo-inspired pilsner.

Expected character:

• Stronger than the commercial target
• Crisp if fermentation stays clean
• Slightly fuller body due to warm mash
• Soft Saphir aroma from the cooler whirlpool
• Potentially less sharp bitterness than planned
• More “strong hoppy pils” than exact clone

Lessons for Next Time

• For this Anvil system, the manual’s higher mash-water / smaller-sparge approach seems practical.
• Strike temperature may need to be lower than expected because the mash did not cool as much after grain addition.
• Recirculating for the last 15 minutes seemed useful even though the brew began as a no-pump plan.
• Chill refractometer samples closer to room temperature before making dilution decisions.
• Track actual pre-boil volume, pre-boil gravity, post-boil volume, and post-boil gravity next time.
• Consider planning for higher boil-off or topping up earlier if brewing on 120V.
• Do not pitch lager yeast warm; the delayed cold pitch was the right call.