You can make a Pilsner with a single step infusion mash. It won't be the same as if you followed a decoction schedule, but it should be fine. I don't recommend the protein in a multi-step schedule anyway (unless you have an under modified malt or have lots of Wheat in the grain bill). The Pilsner malt available today is more highly modified than the malt of years ago. A protien rest with today's highly modified is unnecessary and even detrimental as it leads to over degradation of the protein. As for H20, you can use your tap water, but ... If your H20 comes from a well (i.e, you live in the suburbs), you need to remove the bi-carbonate to achieve pH in the mash. Even then it will be unsuitable for the style. You'll be able to taste the minerals in the final product and Pilsner just doesn't taste that way. H20 from Mpls (and I suspect StP too) on the other hand works well. All you need to do is remove chlorine. Acid treatment helps to achieve proper mash pH, but unless you know what you're doing, I wouldn't bother until you establish you have a problem that needs to be solved. As for grain bill, I'd lose the biscuit and dial back on the munich and crystal. They should be limited to no more than 10% of the total grain bill. A good Pilsner grain bill (assuming you're making 5 gal) would be just 8.5 lb german pilsner (1048 OG). Yeast and fermentation temp are important. You want lager yeast and a lot of it, so make a starter ahead of time and get it going so you pitch it the high krausen stage. Ferment at 50F for three weeks and then slowly drop the temp down to 32F, 2F a day. If you want to speed things up, you can fermentat 50F for two weeks, raise to 55F for a few days (diacytel reduction), then drop the temp. If you can't control fermentation temp and have to ferment at ale temperatures instead, use a clean tasting yeast like Chico (WY1056) or Alt. For Hops, use Saaz or Hallertau. You can use another neutral tasting hop for bittering, but use a lot of Saaz or Hallertau in the finish. -- Michael Valentiner, Minneapolis, Minnesota mpv(a)yuck.net