RecipeDB - Prague Weekender

[petesbrew]

Prague Weekender

Lager - Bohemian Pilsner
All Grain

Malt & Fermentables

%	KG	Fermentable
	5.44 kg	JWM Export Pilsner
	0.35 kg	Weyermann Carahell

Hops

Time	Grams	Variety	Form	AA
	57 g	Saaz (Czech) (Pellet, 4.0AA%, 30mins)
	28 g	Saaz (Czech) (Pellet, 4.0AA%, 10mins)
	28 g	Saaz (Czech) (Pellet, 4.0AA%, 0mins)
	27 g	Saaz (Czech) (Pellet, 4.0AA%, 60mins)
	10 g	Northern Brewer (Pellet, 8.5AA%, 90mins)

Yeast

20 g

DCL Yeast S-189 - SafLager German Lager

23L Batch Size

Brew Details

• Original Gravity 1.058 (calc)
• Final Gravity 1.016 (calc)
• Bitterness 43.7 IBU
• Efficiency 75%
• Alcohol 5.46%
• Colour 8 EBC
• Batch Size 23L

Fermentation

• Primary 21 days
• Secondary 7 days
• Conditioning 4 days

 

[petesbrew]

This is the discussion topic for the recipe: Prague Weekender

Finally boiled this up last night. Smell was awesome. Hops are a few years old, and OG was 1046, way under target, but the flavour was good.
Yeast is actually Dried Swiss Lager from Craftbrewer.
Currently brewing in fridge at 7c.

 

[petesbrew]

Finally boiled this up last night. Smell was awesome. Hops are a few years old, and OG was 1046, way under target, but the flavour was good.
Yeast is actually Dried Swiss Lager from Craftbrewer.
Currently brewing in fridge at 7c.

After rereading the yeast specs I've pumped the temp up to 10c (9-15c range stated with 12c optimum).

 

[petesbrew]

Just about finished, reading was 1008. Heaps of hop sediment, but that'll drop out eventually.
Very delicious. Will rack to a fermenter once I've got a free one!

 

[petesbrew]

Well, I just polished off the last pint this arvo while doing some snags on the bbq.
It turned out pretty damn well, my best lager/pilsner effort so far.

Scored 67/100 in the Castle Hill comp - no places but it's a good enough score to be happy about.
I''ll definitely have to try this brew again.

 

[Bribie G]

Missed that one first time round, I have also started using a touch of Northern Brewer as a 'backstop' in Pilseners, particularly German Pils to give a bit of lingering bitterness. Especially when the hops are a bit old as yours were. The only bopils I've made used some 2006 Saaz plugs and the hops definitely didn't shine, will only go new season from now on.

I love lagers but it's a bit like raising kids, takes sooo long then they leave you and won't even visit you in the home :blink:

Gotta get a bigger lagering fridge, hey :icon_drunk:

 

[RdeVjun]

Missed that one first time round, I have also started using a touch of Northern Brewer as a 'backstop' in Pilseners, particularly German Pils to give a bit of lingering bitterness. Especially when the hops are a bit old as yours were. The only bopils I've made used some 2006 Saaz plugs and the hops definitely didn't shine, will only go new season from now on.

Hmm, well you may recall those 06 Saaz plugs got a place in QABC, BribieG! However, feedback noted more noble hops presence was desirable (in the Munich Helles, there was a small flavour addition of Hallertau Mittlefreuh), which I think lines up precisely with your own findings, although in my case it was used just as a bittering addition of course.

Actually, I deliberately chose them as a low- %AA noble for bittering, basically on Tony's recommendation (@AHB, thanks for the tip Tony!) when I first started mucking with AG lagers. They were as low as I could find and still fit the style. BTW, I chatted with a few about reducing the rated %AA for calculation based on their age, the consensus was that it was probably best left alone particularly with the higher proportion of beta acids that that batch had. I tried one early batch at the derated %AA (i.e. increased the addition) to check this for myself- it was too bitter. Lesson learned- listen to the pros!

I love lagers but it's a bit like raising kids, takes sooo long then they leave you and won't even visit you in the home :blink:

Too right! They also take over your establishment and knock everything out of whack, I have two batches of house ale that have been patiently waiting to be bottled for nearly a month while these dysfunctional lagers have been taking up most of my time in the brewhaus, plus I'm rapidly running out of ready ale... :angry:

Edit: Clarity.

 

[gjhansford]

Q: Why do we go to all of the trouble to make 'em ... lagers I mean ... not child'n?

A: Because we can!

 

[petesbrew]

Missed that one first time round, I have also started using a touch of Northern Brewer as a 'backstop' in Pilseners, particularly German Pils to give a bit of lingering bitterness. Especially when the hops are a bit old as yours were. The only bopils I've made used some 2006 Saaz plugs and the hops definitely didn't shine, will only go new season from now on.

I love lagers but it's a bit like raising kids, takes sooo long then they leave you and won't even visit you in the home :blink:

Gotta get a bigger lagering fridge, hey :icon_drunk:

I went with the northern brewer as it was pretty high AA%, and also cos the remainder of the hop bill was my total Saaz stock.
Pretty happy with it. I'll try and post a pic, but I have to shrink it first.
Cheers
pete