Style Of The Week 28/3/07 - Bohemian Pilsner

[Stuster]

With winter seemingly on the way, a brewer's thoughts turn to lagers. So this week, we'll look at the style that spawned a thousand beers, Bohemian Pilsner.

Some articles on this classic style below.
G&G Beer of the Month
Oakes' rant on pilsners
BT article on Pilsner Urquell


So what are your experiences with this style? Which grains? Decoction? Mash temp? Which hops? Pellets, plugs or flowers. Which yeast to use? Is there any dry yeast that's possible with this style? What temperature did you do your fermentation at? How long do you lager? Can this style be done by partial mashers or kit brewers?

So tell us all you know so we can make yummy beer. :chug:

BJCP Style 2A

2B. Bohemian Pilsener

Aroma: Rich with complex malt and a spicy, floral Saaz hop bouquet. Some diacetyl is acceptable, but need not be present. Otherwise clean, with no fruity esters.

Appearance: Very pale gold to deep burnished gold, brilliant to very clear, with a dense, long-lasting, creamy white head.

Flavor: Rich, complex maltiness combined with a pronounced yet soft and rounded bitterness and flavor from Saaz hops. Some diacetyl is acceptable, but need not be present. Bitterness is prominent but never harsh, and does not linger. The aftertaste is balanced between malt and hops. Clean, no fruity esters.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied (although diacetyl, if present, may make it seem medium-full), medium carbonation.

Overall Impression: Crisp, complex and well-rounded yet refreshing.

History: First brewed in 1842, this style was the original clear, light-colored beer.

Comments: Uses Moravian malted barley and a decoction mash for rich, malt character. Saaz hops and low sulfate, low carbonate water provide a distinctively soft, rounded hop profile. Traditional yeast sometimes can provide a background diacetyl note. Dextrins provide additional body, and diacetyl enhances the perception of a fuller palate.

Ingredients: Soft water with low mineral content, Saaz hops, Moravian malted barley, Czech lager yeast.
Vital Statistics:
OG FG IBUs SRM ABV
1.044 - 1.056 1.013 - 1.017 35 - 45 3.5 - 6 4.2 - 5.4%

Commercial Examples: Pilsner Urquell, Budweiser Budvar (Czechvar in the US), Czech Rebel, Staropramen, Gambrinus Pilsner, Dock Street Bohemian Pilsner

 

[tangent]

tough nut to crack, but a great style

i started off with overly complex recipes:
Fermentables
Ingredient Amount % When
German Pilsner Malt 3.40 kg 49.3 % In Mash/Steeped
German Bohemian Pilsner Malt 3.00 kg 43.5 % In Mash/Steeped
German Caramel Pils 0.25 kg 3.6 % In Mash/Steeped
German CaraAmber 0.15 kg 2.2 % In Mash/Steeped
German Wheat Malt 0.05 kg 0.7 % In Mash/Steeped
German Sauer(Acid) Malt 0.05 kg 0.7 % In Mash/Steeped
edit - Jaysus that malt bill is embarrassing!

Hops
Variety Alpha Amount Form When
NZ Green Bullet 12.0 15 g Pelletized Hops 60 Min From End
Czech Saaz 3.3 50 g Pelletized Hops 40 Min From End
NZ Pacific Hallertau 6.0 20 g Loose Whole Hops 20 Min From End
Czech Saaz 3.3 16 g Loose Whole Hops 15 Min From End
NZ Pacific Hallertau 6.0 5 g Loose Whole Hops 10 Min From End
edit - and that's along the lines of a "Kiwi Mongrel"

and ended up with:
Fermentables
Ingredient Amount % When
German Bohemian Pilsner Malt 7.50 kg 85.2 % In Mash/Steeped
German Pilsner Malt 1.20 kg 13.6 % In Mash/Steeped
German Caramel Pils 0.10 kg 1.1 % In Mash/Steeped


Hops
Variety Alpha Amount Form When
Czech Saaz 3.3 66 g Pelletized Hops First Wort Hopped
NZ Sticklebract 13.5 27 g Pelletized Hops First Wort Hopped
German Hallertauer Mittlefruh 5.0 15 g Loose Whole Hops 5 Min From End
Czech Saaz 3.3 10 g Pelletized Hops 5 Min From End

still changing them to be even more simple and piss the carapils off all together.

Next one will be something like this:

Fermentables
Ingredient Amount % When
German Bohemian Pilsner Malt 9.00 kg 94.7 % In Mash/Steeped
German Melanoidin Malt 0.50 kg 5.3 % In Mash/Steeped


Hops
Variety Alpha Amount Form When
German Tettnang 4.5 140 g Loose Whole Hops 60 Min From End
German Hallertauer Mittlefruh 5.0 15 g Loose Whole Hops 5 Min From End

So i guess I'm trying to say, I like a clean bitterness and not much flavour hop, and a dry finish. Even if it attenuates well, it can be hard to get the dry finish it needs for my tastes.

 

[Duff]

My lager fridge just has continuing attempts at this style, it doesn't stop. Hopefully I'll get it right by December 31 This is the latest bubbling away at present.

Cheers.

----------

07-08 Pilsner II

A ProMash Recipe Report

Recipe Specifics
----------------

Batch Size (L): 40.00 Wort Size (L): 40.00
Total Grain (kg): 8.25
Anticipated OG: 1.049 Plato: 12.15
Anticipated SRM: 3.2
Anticipated IBU: 44.8
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75 %
Wort Boil Time: 90 Minutes


Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
97.0 8.00 kg. Weyermann Pilsner Germany 1.038 2
3.0 0.25 kg. Weyermann Carapils Germany 1.037 2

Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.


Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
20.00 g. NZ 'B' Saaz Whole 7.00 10.4 First WH
30.00 g. NZ 'B' Saaz Whole 7.00 15.7 60 min.
30.00 g. NZ 'B' Saaz Whole 7.00 11.9 40 min.
30.00 g. NZ 'B' Saaz Whole 7.00 4.2 15 min.
30.00 g. NZ 'B' Saaz Whole 7.00 2.6 5 min.


Yeast
-----

White Labs WLP800 Pilsner Lager

 

[goatherder]

How does the NZ B Saaz go in the style Duff? Is it close enough to fool a Czech Saaz purist?

 

[Duff]

How does the NZ B Saaz go in the style Duff? Is it close enough to fool a Czech Saaz purist?

I'll tell you in a couple of weeks :lol: It's only down to 1.031 today. I do plan to do the same receipe with some fresh Czech Saaz plugs I picked up from Ross on Monday. I'll bottle a couple and do a side by side.

Cheers.

 

[Ross]

How does the NZ B Saaz go in the style Duff? Is it close enough to fool a Czech Saaz purist?

Goatherder,

Though similar to Czech Saaz, they are far more citrusy in both taste & aroma. Montieths Pilsner is made from straight B Saaz I believe, so give it a try.
Duff had my B Saaz lager the other night, but it has a small addition of cascade & Nelson Sauvin on the finish.

cheers Ross

 

[Dr Gonzo]

The last one i did was a single infusion.
The first and last single infusion lager/pilsner i'll ever do.
My best results have been with decoction mashing.
I only ever use Weyermann bo pils malt and Czech saaz plugs for this style.

I've tried and liked wyeast 2124 & 2278 in the past.
34/70 dry yeast let me down.
Have a 2000 Budvar & a Staropramen yeast in the fridge ready for the next one.
Will split a 40L batch and let them go head to head.

 

[AndrewQLD]

Spent a lot of time trying to get this style right, I found a 60,40,20 regime for my hop additions has greatly improved my Bo-Pils, seems to give a good rounded bitterness and flavour.


Cheers
Andrew

Brewer: Andrew Clark
Asst Brewer:
Style: Bohemian Pilsner
TYPE: All Grain

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 25.00 L
Boil Size: 31.00 L
Estimated OG: 1.052 SG
Estimated Color: 3.7 SRM
Estimated IBU: 40.9 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 65.0 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
3.00 kg Pale Malt, Galaxy (Barrett Burston) 46.2 %
3.00 kg Pilsner Malt Powells (1.5 SRM) Grain 46.2 %
0.50 kg Vienna Malt Powells (4.1 SRM) Grain 7.7 %
55.00 gm Saaz [3.30%] (60 min) Hops 16.5 IBU
55.00 gm Saaz [3.30%] (40 min) Hops 14.4 IBU
55.00 gm Saaz [3.30%] (20 min) Hops 10.0 IBU
1 Pkgs Budvar 2000 (Wyeast) [Starter 1000 ml] Yeast-Lager


Mash Schedule: Batch Sparge medium body
Total Grain Weight: 6.50 kg
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temp Step Time
Mash In Add 19.50 L of water at 74.8 C 67.0 C 60 min

 

[tangent]

34/70 dry yeast let me down.

What happened DrGonzo??

 

[Dr Gonzo]

34/70 dry yeast let me down.
What happened DrGonzo??

Ive used it a few times. Always made drinkable beer, Just never as good as when i used a liquid yeast.

One time i split a batch and fermented half with 34/70 dry and the other with the wyeast bohemian lager.
They are supposedly the same yeast in different forms. Both were pitched and fermented at 8C.
The 34/70 took off much quicker and finished first. Tasted good into secondary. It looked like it was going to be the better beer.

After 2 months of lagering at 1C, the beer fermented with the liquid yeast was much better than the one with the dry yeast. Dryer, cleaner, clearer.

I keep a couple of sachets of 34/70 in the fridge in case of emergency, but will always opt for a liquid yeast.

 

[blackbock]

Some more background information on

Pils/Pilsener

PS That is a cool site. There are heaps of other beer styles on there that BJCP guidelines don't cover.

 

[Stuster]

Nice find, blackbock. :super:

 

[Kai]

How does the NZ B Saaz go in the style Duff? Is it close enough to fool a Czech Saaz purist?

Chalk and cheese imo. I've only tasted Saaz B a couple times and it was cheek to cheek passionfruit.

 

[brendanos]

I think it has definate spicy/herbal characteristics typical of the classic saaz (as well as hints of various tropical fruits), though I have had mixed results depending on the beer it is used in. I suggest age/vintage/weather/lunar cycle may also influence batch variation.

 

[hockadays]

Ive just brewed this style as well,

Weyermann Bo Pils 3.8kg
Weyermann Munich .5kg
Weyermann Carapils .2kg

Og 1.051 for 21.5 L

Northen Brewer for 30IBU
Czech Saaz Pellets 15gs @ 40mins and 10mins
Czech Saaz Pellets 25gs @ 2 mins

I mashed in at 55degc for 15mins then at 67degc for and hour.

With the boPils malt the protein rest makes a large differnce to the hot and cold break.

Mines bubbling away as we speak and is down to 1.036 in 4 days with the help from MR White Labs 802 Czech Budejovice Lager at 11degc..

giddy up

 

[facter]

well ... not being an all-grainer im attempting to do a partial mash ... its actually quite hard to get the gravity right using extract and not get the srm over 5 ... ive had to fudge by using a bit of honey (tha i found in a promash recipe, won a medal, good enough for me) and a little wheat to boost it up but not pull the color up beyond about 5 - atm its right on the mark as is .. i also dont want to go too much higher on the grain content, as its already pushing the limits of what i think i can do with a partial mash.

Any suggestions would be appreciated .. this wil be my first pils, and indeed my very first lager, so id appreciate any comments Bohemians are my favorite lager, which is why im doing this one as my first.

Partial to Bohemian

Recipe Specifics
----------------

Batch Size (L): 22.00
Anticipated OG: 1.049
Anticipated SRM: 4.9
Anticipated IBU: 43.0
Wort Boil Time: 60



Grain/ Extract/ Sugar

% Amount Name

24.4 1.00 kg. Generic DME - Light
12.2 0.50 kg. Munich Malt
48.8 2.00 kg. Pils malt
7.3 0.30 kg. Wheat Malt
7.3 0.30 kg. Honey


Hops

25.00 g. Hallertauer 60 min.
25.00 g. Czech Saaz 50 min.
10.00 g. Hallertauer 30 min.
40.00 g. Czech Saaz 30 min.
20.00 g. Czech Saaz 10 min.
25.00 g. Czech Saaz Dry Hop



Yeast
-----

WYeast 2124 Bohemian Lager

 

[tangent]

Have a 2000 Budvar & a Staropramen yeast in the fridge ready for the next one.
Will split a 40L batch and let them go head to head.

well i saw the decoction and boil, when's the tasting session?

 

[Dr Gonzo]

Have a 2000 Budvar & a Staropramen yeast in the fridge ready for the next one.
Will split a 40L batch and let them go head to head.

well i saw the decoction and boil, View attachment 11962when's the tasting session?

3 months. Can you wait that long?
Thats if these F@*kn yeast starters get going some time soon.
Another 2 smack packs that never swelled.
Pitched them into starters anyway.
Now 48 hours later, very little sign of activity.
They were less than 2 months old.
I think Mr you know who froze his yeast again.

 

[tangent]

i've had 2 packs that took ages to swell from Mr.Uknowwho
one was an ESB ale yeast that i would have thought would have taken off like a rocket!

want to borrow some dried yeast?

edit - 3 months? I'll write it on the calendar

 

[Yeasty]

Ive got a can of Coopers premium selection here (free courtesy of coopers) so i wanna use it up.

Ive also got some carapils here, and czech saaz.

Was thinking of

1.7 can Pilsener
1.5 can light malt extract
200g carapils

30.00 g. Czech Saaz 60 min.
20.00 g. Czech Saaz 10 min.
25.00 g. Czech Saaz Dry Hop

Can anyone give me some tips on what to change, and a good dry yeast to use?

thanks