Premium All Grain Recipe Kit

Brew a smooth, golden and highly drinkable German lager with our Munich Helles All Grain Recipe Kit.

Munich Helles places soft, grainy-sweet Pilsner malt character at the centre, supported by a touch of Carahell for gentle malt depth, body and head retention. The beer finishes clean and dry, preventing its rounded malt flavour from becoming heavy or overly sweet.

Hallertauer Mittelfrüh hops provide restrained bitterness with delicate floral, herbal and lightly spicy notes, while Lallemand Diamond Lager yeast produces the clean fermentation profile expected from a traditional German lager.

At approximately 5.0% ABV and 19 IBU, this Munich Helles is balanced, refreshing and designed for easy everyday drinking.

Each kit makes approximately 23 litres of beer and is packed to order by Border Brewing Supplies. Choose milled grain, freshly crushed for your brewing system, or unmilled grain for crushing at home.

Why You'll Love This Kit

• Smooth, clean and refreshing German lager

• Soft, grainy-sweet Pilsner malt character

• Balanced malt flavour without excessive sweetness

• Traditional Hallertauer Mittelfrüh hops

• Complete 50g hop packet used in the recipe

• Delicate floral, herbal and lightly spicy hop notes

• Clean fermentation with Lallemand Diamond Lager yeast

• Traditional Hochkurz step-mash schedule

• Makes approximately 23 litres

• Choice of freshly milled or unmilled grain

• Complete Brewfather recipe supplied

Flavour Profile

Munich Helles pours clear golden yellow with a dense, persistent white head.

Expect smooth Pilsner malt flavours reminiscent of fresh grain, soft bread and lightly sweet malt. Carahell adds gentle body and malt depth while helping support foam retention.

Hallertauer Mittelfrüh contributes subtle floral, herbal and spicy notes with restrained bitterness. The hop character provides balance without overshadowing the malt.

Diamond Lager yeast produces a clean fermentation profile, allowing the delicate malt and noble hop character to remain the focus.

The result is a smooth, malty and refreshing German lager with a soft, dry finish.

Style: Munich Helles / German Pale Lager

Appearance: Clear gold with a dense white head

Aroma: Fresh grain, soft bread and delicate floral hops

Flavour: Smooth Pilsner malt with gentle bread and grain character

Body: Medium-light and smooth

Bitterness: Low, soft and balanced

Finish: Clean, soft and dry without becoming overly sweet

What's Included

Your recipe kit includes the grain, hops and yeast required to brew the recipe.

Included:

• 5.05kg premium brewing grain

• 50g Hallertauer Mittelfrüh hops

• 2 × Lallemand Diamond Lager yeast

• Complete Brewfather recipe

• Full brewing specifications

Choose to have your grain freshly milled and packed to order or supplied unmilled for crushing at home.

The complete 50g packet of Hallertauer Mittelfrüh is used in this recipe:

• 30g at 60 minutes

• 20g at 15 minutes

Additional products such as Whirlfloc, Servomyces Yeast Nutrient and brewing-water additions are available separately if required.

Recipe Specifications

Grain Bill

• 4.7kg Pilsner malt

• 200g Carahell

• 150g Acidulated malt

Pilsner malt provides the clean, delicate grain and soft bread character at the heart of the beer.

Carahell contributes gentle malt depth, body and head retention without making the finished lager heavy. Acidulated malt helps achieve the recommended mash pH when brewing with suitably soft water.

Hop Schedule

The complete 50g packet of Hallertauer Mittelfrüh is used across two additions:

Hallertauer Mittelfrüh is a traditional German noble hop known for its delicate floral, herbal and lightly spicy character.

Hochkurz Mash Profile

This Hochkurz mash schedule creates a fermentable wort while retaining sufficient malt structure, body and foam stability for a balanced Munich Helles.

Fermentation Profile

• Pitch and ferment at 11°C

• Hold at 11°C for approximately 10 days

• Raise to 17°C for a two-day diacetyl rest

• Confirm fermentation is complete with stable gravity readings

• Gradually chill and cold-condition

• Carbonate to approximately 2.6 volumes of CO₂

Cold-conditioning will improve clarity and help the malt, hop and fermentation character become smoother and more refined.

Complete Brewfather Recipe

Your complete Brewfather recipe includes:

• Full grain bill

• Hochkurz mash schedule

• Mash and sparge water volumes

• Recommended water profile

• Hop quantities and addition times

• Yeast details

• Fermentation profile

• Brewing notes

• Complete recipe specifications

View the complete Munich Helles recipe in Brewfather.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Munich Helles?

Munich Helles is a pale German lager developed to showcase smooth malt flavour while remaining clean, balanced and highly drinkable.

It is less hop-forward than a German Pilsner, with softer bitterness and a rounder malt profile.

What does Munich Helles taste like?

Expect soft grain, fresh bread and gently sweet Pilsner malt supported by delicate floral, herbal and spicy hop notes.

The finished beer is malty but not sugary, with restrained bitterness and a clean, dry finish.

How is Munich Helles different from German Pilsner?

Munich Helles places greater emphasis on smooth malt flavour and uses softer bitterness.

German Pilsner is generally drier, more bitter and more hop-forward. Munich Helles has a rounder malt profile with restrained hop character.

Is this beer sweet?

No. Munich Helles has a soft grainy-sweet malt impression, but the beer should finish clean and sufficiently dry.

Its restrained bitterness balances the malt without making the beer taste sharply bitter.

What hops are used?

The recipe uses Hallertauer Mittelfrüh, a traditional German noble hop with delicate floral, herbal and lightly spicy characteristics.

Do I use the entire 50g packet of hops?

Yes. The complete 50g packet of Hallertauer Mittelfrüh is used:

• 30g at 60 minutes

• 20g at 15 minutes

Follow the supplied Brewfather recipe for the correct addition times.

Can I choose whether my grain is milled or unmilled?

Yes. Choose milled grain, freshly crushed and packed to order by Border Brewing Supplies, or unmilled grain if you prefer to crush it yourself.

Which brewing systems can I use?

This recipe is suitable for most all grain brewing systems, including:

• Grainfather

• BrewZilla

• Guten

• RoboBrew

• Brew in a Bag systems

• Traditional three-vessel systems

The recipe is calculated at 70% brewhouse efficiency and can be adjusted in Brewfather to suit your equipment.

Why are two packets of Diamond Lager yeast included?

Lager fermentation requires a larger, healthy yeast pitch. Two packets of Diamond Lager help provide reliable attenuation and a clean fermentation profile while reducing the risk of stressed yeast character.

What fermentation temperature should I use?

Pitch and ferment at approximately 11°C. Once primary fermentation is nearly complete, raise the temperature to 17°C for a two-day diacetyl rest.

Always confirm fermentation is complete with stable gravity readings before cold crashing or packaging.

Does Munich Helles need to be lagered?

Cold-conditioning is strongly recommended. Lagering improves clarity while smoothing the beer’s malt, hop and fermentation character.

Is this recipe suitable for beginners?

The recipe is suitable for brewers who have completed at least one all grain batch and can maintain suitable lager fermentation temperatures.

The supplied Brewfather recipe provides the complete mash, boil and fermentation schedule.

Are Whirlfloc and Servomyces included?

No. Whirlfloc, Servomyces Yeast Nutrient and brewing-water additions are shown in the recipe but are available separately.

Why Buy from Border Brewing Supplies?

Border Brewing Supplies packs every all grain recipe kit to order at our Tweed Heads South home brew shop. Choose freshly milled grain or unmilled grain to suit your brewing equipment and preferred crush.

We supply home brewers throughout Tweed Heads, the Gold Coast, Northern Rivers, Brisbane and the wider Queensland–New South Wales border region, with Australia-wide shipping also available.

Every kit is prepared using carefully selected brewing ingredients and includes a complete recipe to help you achieve consistent results from mash through to fermentation and packaging.

Recommended Products

For the best brewing results, consider adding:

• Whirlfloc Tablets

• Servomyces Yeast Nutrient

• Brewing Water Salts

• Digital Brewing Thermometer

• Sodium Percarbonate or PBW Cleaner

• No-Rinse Sanitiser