Helles

HELLES LAGER

The German Helles (pronounced Hell-es) lager is probably one of the youngest beer styles to come out of an ancient brewing tradition. Developed in Bavaria in the 19th century, the Helles Lager was a direct response by German brewers to the popularity of Pilsners, a creation of the Czech people. Equally light and easy drinking as it's neighbor, the Helles Lager copied the Pilsner profile and gave it a decidedly German flavor. 

As bottled beer became popular in Germany, especially in the area surrounding Munich, the German drinkers found the crisper Pilsner a quality alternative to the traditional heavier beers that had been brewed in that region for centuries. Brewers were losing market share to the preferences of their consumers, and as any business worth its malt would do, they pivoted. Helles was born to directly compete with Pilsners for regional superiority, and the local brewers were able to regain their light beer credibility with this new concoction.

Spaten was the first brewery to make a Helles Lager, also referred to as a Munich-Helles, commercially available. They released their Münchner Hell and created an entirely new style of beer for the world to enjoy. Spaten is traditionally a risk taker for German breweries, releasing the first Oktoberfest beers and non-alcoholic beers for home consumption. The switch to bottled beer was a major catalyst for this advancement, as people were becoming more inclined to drink at home rather in the taverns and brauhauses they were used to. 

As war and turmoil pounded Europe in the first half of the 20th century, most of it revolving around Germany, the popularity of the young style waned. It's resilience can be linked to the overall love of beer the German people have, but also Spaten being willing to bottle the beer. People were forced to live more regimented lives, creating a market for vessels to bring home. The smaller bottles and convenience worked out well, and even after the ravages of war had subsided, Helles regained popularity in Berlin where it has remained a favored beverage. 

As for the beer itself, the Helles is known for it's bright quality. The German word "Helles" even translates to "Bright" in English. Light in body and color, the Helles has a slightly bready characteristic that is prevalent in Germanic styles. It is lightly hopped and usually holds a white, pillowy head for the duration of the drink. It's hop character, although light, is traditionally German, with noble spice and floral aromatics accenting a low bitterness and more pronounced malt body. The Helles is brightly colored, a truly beautiful beer to witness. 

Traditionally lagered, Spaten blended Germanic, Bohemian, and English brewing techniques to create their classic beer. Cold fermenting for up to 10 weeks before bottling (or kegging) the prolonged cold crash makes this beer clean and clear, like looking through a stained glass window. The only beer that really holds up to the level of clarity and brightness of the Helles is the Czech Pilsner, however the Helles has more body and flavor than their counterparts. Both beers are lower on the alcohol scale, ranging between 4.3% and 5.2% ABV, which is a pretty wide range. 

The Helles is now considered a classic brew. It is the origin point for the Golden Lagers that are so popular now, paving a path of resistance to the prevailing Pilsner. Not bad for a beer that was created as a reaction to a trend.

OUR RECIPE

A couple of notes on our recipe:

1) We adapted this recipe from our friend Tom who made a Smoked Helles so good that we couldn't resist it.

2) We will not be lagering this beer. Traditionally, Helles are cold fermented in the black forests of Bavaria. Nowadays, people use cold storage containers or facilities, jacketed fermenters, or ice caves to cold crash during secondary fermentation. We don't have that capability as of yet, so we are brewing this beer as an ale, using warmer fermentation temperatures and fining agents in an attempt to create a traditional tasting and looking Helles with the materials more widely available to homebrewers.

3) We added a light smoked malt that isn't always used in a Helles. This can be omitted if you want to not have a mild barrel flavor in your beer. Why you would do that? I don't know. 

Now to the actual recipe:

6 lbs Pilsner Malt

2 lbs Barke Munich Malt

1 lb Beechwood Smoked Malt

1/4 lb Acidulated Malt

1 oz Tettnanger Hops

1 oz Hallertau Mittelfruh Hops

K-97 German Ale Yeast

1 tsp Irish Moss.

Malts We Used

Pilsner Malt: Pilsner Malt is a classic base malt. Extremely light in color, it is a perfect tableau for beers with a lot of specialty malts. Pilsner Malt has a delicate flavor and is very clean, making it a perfect malt for crisp clear beers. Originally used in most lager styles, it takes its name from the Pilsen beers of Bohemia, where it was developed. 

Barke Munich Malt: Munich Malts bring out bready, sweet characteristics in beers. They can be used as either a base or a specialty malt, and the Barke label indicates a clean strong Germanic quality often seen in darker German beers. 

Beechwood Smoked Malt: This specialty malt offers delicate smoky flavors and hints of vanilla that are rarely found in stronger smoked malts. Often used in German beers, it is one of the malts used in smoked Rauchbeirs, another classic German style.

Acidulated Malt: Adding Acidulated malt lowers your mash pH, lightens the overall color of the final beer, and increases the efficiency of the mash. 

Hops We Used

Hallertau Mittelfruh: Considered by many to be the classic German noble hop, Hallertau Mittelfruh has left its Bavarian home to become one of the most used European varieties. It offers little hop bitterness but makes up for it with strong aromatic notes of spice, flowers, and fresh hay. 

Tettnanger: A traditional Germanic hop, Tettnanger is considered on of the key members of the noble hop family. It is more intense than Hallertau, and offers different aromatics, including black tea and citrus peel. 

Yeast We Used

K-97: Safale K-97 is a German Ale yeast strain developed so that anyone can make a traditional tasting beer without having to lager. Lagering is the cold fermentation process that can take many months to complete, however with this yeast strain that is no longer an obstacle for home brewers. K-97 will create the classic German beers without having to purchase expensive new equipment of take over your own refrigerator for 6 months.

Irish Moss: We use Irish Moss as a clarifying agent. These negatively charged seaweed particles attract proteins and other free radicals in your boil kettle and drag them to the bottom once cooled, thereby removing haze from your final product. Whirlfloc tablets are another option for this process. Regardless of your preferred methods of clarity, it is important that beers of this style are clear. Lagering can do this as well, but most home brewers don't have that capability, so adding Irish Moss (or something similar) can work wonders for cleaning up the beer.