Czech Bohemian Pilsner 🍻🇨🇿 Brewing Recipe Writing & Style Guide
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- čas přidán 27. 06. 2024
- A full guide to the Czech Bohemian Pilsner beer style including a tried and tested recipe, style notes, & recipe writing. Hints and tips are given throughout the video.
Here is the recipe:-
Author: David Heath
ABV : 5%
IBU : 21 (Tinseth)
Colour : 8 EBC
Original Gravity : 1.046
Final Gravity : 1.008
Brewfather Link:- share.brewfather.app/NhxeS3vK...
Batch Size : 20 L
/ 5.28 US LQ Gallons
Brewhouse Efficiency: 70%
Mash Efficiency : 78.8%
Fermentables
4.032 kg/8.88lbs - Extra Pale Pilsner (89%)
362g/12.76oz - Munich 14 EBC (8%)
136g/4.79oz - Biscuit 50 EBC (3%)
Mash Profile
High fermentability plus mash out
65 °C/149°F - 60 min - Mash In
75 °C/167°F - 10 min - Mash Out
Hops
60 min - 27g / 0.95oz - Saaz - 4.5% (16 IBU)
10 min - 15g / 0.52oz - Saaz - 4.5% (4 IBU)
Hop Stand
15 min hopstand @ 80°C/ 176°F
15g / 0.52oz - Saaz - 4.5% (1 IBU)
Yeast
- Skare Kveik
(see video for alternatives)
Fermentation Profile
35°C /95°F - 7 days under 12 PSI of pressure
Channel links:-
groups/Brewbeer
www.teespring.com/stores/davi...
Introduction music:- Drink Beer (Till The Day That I Die) by Dazie Mae - Jak na to + styl
As someone getting into building my own recipes, these guides are perfect. Cheers!
Great to hear Tor. Recipe writing is certainly something lacking on CZcams and is a great area to go into.
Awesome recipe. Brewed yesterday, fermenting! Thank you for sharing your experience
Great, hope you enjoy it :)
Thank you again, David. I learned a thing or two and this recipe goes on my to do list. 👍
Awesome. If you can just learn at least one thing then that fits my agenda :)
David you are very smart. Brewfather is very smart. This was quite the information dump! Good for you! Good for me! 😋 3 times reviewing it over a week and I'm still learning. No more duds, my beer is getting better & better.
Thank you, glad you found it useful 🍻🍻🍻
Wow. Just awesome, love all the details here and fantastic video production that you offer. The best guides for homebrewers on CZcams.
That means a lot to me Alan. Thank you very much :)
Fantastic and very informative. Will use this for my first pilsner. 👍
Great to hear, many thanks for your feedback :)
And just when I'm looking around for a pilsner recipe... comes up the great david heath! Perfect timing, will do this next week for sure, thanks!
Great to hear :) Glad you enjoyed it. This is a very tried and tested recipe for sure :)
I echo this statement 😂
Great, thank you :)
Great video and sound quality David! This recipe is definitely one I will try out, maybe I need to wait until I can pressure ferment.
Many thanks Thomas, much appreciated. Pressure fermentation is certainly a great way to go for lager and hoppy styles.
Another great video!
Many thanks Jon, much appreciated.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge. This is one of the better homebrew channels for the more serious hobbiers
Many thanks Mark. I like to mix things up some but yes these guides are aimed at the more serious homebrewers that want to know more than just a recipe.
Brewed this and kegged it the other day. It's shaping up really well. Great recipe.
Great to hear. Enjoy 🍻🍻🍻
I’m sure it’s going to be excellent. Enjoy!
🍻🍻🍻
great video & nice to see a recipe with lower bu/gu ratio and warm ferment style -many thanks
Cheers Tim, much appreciated 🍻🍻🍻
Great video! Thanks!
Thank you, much appreciated.
Pilsner in 24 hours 😲 that's crazy!! With the weather warming up here in oz I'm keen to try a kveik "lager
thanks for the vid
Go for it :) works great :)
I really like this format and your execution of it. Thank you for another great guide :)
Awesome, it has been gradually changing, I hope for the better. Many thanks for your feedback :)
I love the style and ferment this beer with 34/70 at room temperature, then keg at 14 days. It is ready to serve in another 2 weeks, and is a hit every time. As I cannot get Saaz very often or cheaply, I use Crystal hops instead. Works great! Thanks for the video, David, you hit on all the great points, as usual. Cheers!
Great to hear Lawrence. Glad you enjoy it , me too 🍻🍻🍻
Fantastic video
Many thanks Mark :)
going to try this recipe using Fermentis 34/70.....cannot wait!!!
Cheer Gil 🍺🍺🍺
I've tried a few Bohemian Pilsner recipes and been fairly satisfied. They've never really been bang on though. I shall try this out David. Thanks alot. I'll probably give the Mangrove dry yeast a go...
I would suggest trying the recipe provided "as is" first and then if you wish to tweak it more for the second brew you can use the recipe writing notes to dial it in for what is needed for your own taste.
The best beer around 👌
Cheers 🍻🍻🍻
brewed this recipe about 6 weeks ago. Tasted great at first tasting after just 2 weeks in keg. Beautifully balanced with a wonderful saaz hop finish -superb. Will be one of my go too's, for having on tap. Keep the videos coming -thank you
Cheers Tim, your feedback is much appreciated 🍻🍻🍻
Amazing video as always David. Could I suggest a bigger and more accurate explanation about the "Triple Decoction"? It is such an interesting process to me, and as far as I am concerned, Pilsner Urquell still uses it in their nowadays production. It would be amazing a guide video about that, including some images and technique. Congrats again David!
Thank you :) Yes, I am thinking about this as a separate video. Generally people do not want anything too lengthy and decoction is a big enough topic on its own for sure :)
Ever since i took a trip to prague a few years ago, i have been dreaming of the delicious czech pilsner. Now that you posted this video, i am sold, i will finally give it a try in the grainfather. Thanks for the vid David! P.s. any water treatment suggestions for brewing czech pils with Bergen water? -Eirik
Hi Eirik, Yes this is a great refreshing style. Nothing really specific with this water wise for Bergen, I found that regular profile there was pretty decent untreated. Though changing to a classic profile will improve this style, as mentioned in the video.
Biscuit malt? Very interesting. Kinda English pale ale meets bohemian pilsner
It works very well 🍻🍻
I used cookie malt. Nailed all the numbers using distilled and Randy Mosher Pilsner water profile. Used Brewfather to scale the recipe for my 10gal Anvil and 8k elevation. Cold crashing in keg right now, can't wait to try!
@davidmorgan4284 Great, enjoy 🍻🍻🍻
Greetings from Czechia. To brew Czech lager without decoction would be frown upon around here. That said, I tasted great infusion lagers, so it comes mainly from tradition. Cheers
Hi Roman :) Yes, I understand and respect this. I was careful with the options here for this reason. I guess everyone has to make their own decisions on this, in the same way they need to consider yeast, malt and hop options. I have been very happy trying this various ways :) Cheers 🍺🍺
Cheers David ,great video on what is my favourite style and almost never not on tap at my house , never used biscuit in my grain bill tho, and went off that malt early in my home brewing days. I only use BoPils yeasts but that's the beauty of home brewing you do what you want. Super soft water profile is key and nice fresh Saaz hops help to make this a treat. What looks like a simple beer on the surface can be super complex if you want to do the full Urquell and do FWH, Decoction mashing and other tricks to make this as complex as any other beer out there. On my list of breweries to visit next time I am that way.
Great to hear that you enjoyed this. I personally that feel that as homebrewers we should embrace the freedom we have and brew according to our own taste mission. Everyone tastes everything slightly differently. The recipes I share here are those that I tweak to a common taste level. Ideally people would try this one "as is" first and then tweak according to their taste for the next one. This is why I cover recipe writing notes and all the details. These skills and knowledge are hardly ever taught and I hope to bridge that gap for as many as I can, that are interested. Naturally not all are and some would rather a short video that simply shares a recipe and some brew footage. Whilst that is probably the more popular route it is not something that interests me, there are simply too many doing it already and I do not really see the value in it. There is little to learn from a recipe without explanation as I see it.
@@DavidHeathHomebrew Couldn't agree more , keep it going. Really digging this series. I might even try brewing a cloudy muddy 'juicy' IPA lol nah O I dont think so :)
Great, thank you :)
@@DavidHeathHomebrew Excuse me for posting here, but it is really in relation with the post. How about an advanced video on how to brew a traditional Czech Pilsner in the traditional way (decoction, long boil, etc)? Have you tried both methods and noticed the differences? TY
Sure, no problem at all. I have done these kinds of methods in the past but in all honesty with modern malts there is no real benefit and the flavours missed can be added back in with melanoidin malts.
I have been looking at trying decoction with this once I have a glycol chiller.
Well worth trying at least once, when you have the time.
Soft water is the key to great lagers, especially Czech, German and Munich styles.
For many it certainly is :)
Hi David! As usual, superb video. Have you ever considered using this recipe as the starting point for a czech dark lager? Could covering such style be perhaps in your channel pipeline? Cheers
Hi Nuno, funny you mention this but I have been experimenting with this style. I am not quite happy with it yet though.
Hi try to keep some bottles for 60 days and taste. I accidentally did this with my last batch of skare and it really worked.
Yes, it can keep improving for sure.
Nice video David. Would love to brew this one some day. Do you have some documentation or pictures of you fermentation heater/case?
I am using the Kegmenter product for fermentation along with an unbranded heat belt and an Inkbird temp controller.
@@DavidHeathHomebrew another question. I read some time ago that for a Pilsner you need cooling in stead of heating. Or is it just for clearing the beer after the main fermentation ?
It depends on the yeast you use and the temperature of the area you ferment in. You can also use pressure to ferment lager yeast at higher temps without off flavours.
Thanks for the video David, if lagering, do you recommend to do it on a secondary vessel or primary fermenter (on yeast cake)?
There is no issue lagering in primary but some like to transfer.
If you ever get a chance to go to the Pilsner Urquell brewery and taste the beer at it’s source (Which is what Pilsner Urquell means in German) I highly recommended it.
For sure 🍻🍻🍻
Thanks so much for these brilliant videos. I have a question regarding melanoidin malt which I have understood can be used in replacement of decoction mashing, which I think they use in this style. Have you tried it in this recipe, and if so what was the result and your opinion. Thanks alot.
Thank you. Yes, I have experimented with it within this recipe in small amounts. It's a question of taste really:)
What are your thoughts on the brülosophy fast lager method for traditional lager yeasts? Also, excellent format. Keep these coming.
Yes, this works well. I will be sharing something similar within a Baltic porter guide next month :)
@@DavidHeathHomebrew great!
It works :)
Czech lager is pretty straight forward. 100% Pilsner malt, double decoction, saaz hops in 3 aditions, bottom fermentation and there you go.
It certainly can be done like that. Depends on what you are looking for really.
@@DavidHeathHomebrew u are 100% right. Tweaking thé grain bill Is absolutely a way. Keep it up sir!
@@jerseyhovidea I feel that people should tweak to their own taste, homebrewing gives us all this luxury :) Its great fun tweaking and testing also :)
@@DavidHeathHomebrew please dont get me wrong since I can't agree more. Im just sayin' as a czech homebrewer. Lately I switched my tech to all in one system so I also think about tweaking recipes to achieve particular values ☺️👌
No problem at all. The methods have gradually changed, as has the malt and yeast. I highly recommend floor malted pilsner though, extra flavour and more old school :)
David, Greetings again from across the pond... Great recipe. I have been doing this beer for the last few years as a staple in my kegerator.
Have you ever used a tiny, actually less than a drop, bit of olive oil as a substitute for adding extra oxygen?
Hi and thank you. No, this is not something ive tried. Have you?
@@DavidHeathHomebrew Yes...In 2012 I was doing small 3 gallon extract batches and getting ready to move up to all grain 5 gallon brewing. In researching the equipment I would need I was reading about making sure the yeast were as "unstressed" as possible (given the smaller amount of yeast pitched versus batch size) and the need to oxygenate the wort. I saw an article by White Labs in 2012 about using olive oil instead of adding oxygen. I decided to go the olive oil route because of the expense to buy the oxygen equipment and the fear of contamination from the oxygen diffuser. I have since been using the olive oil addition method instead of oxygen or even worrying about trying to aerate the wort. The amount of olive oil you need to add is miniscule. In fact, I soak a toothpick in vodka and I dip just the tip in the olive oil and then let a tiny drop fall into the wort before I pump into the fermenter. My beers end on time, on gravity, with no off flavors and no one can tell the difference.
Hi David. Got a coupla questions on this brew. First is about your sounding valve. I usually have the gauge at the top of the T-piece such that the tube from my QD is coming on the left and the co2 releasing on the right. I noticed that yours is set up differently. Is that better? Next is about when to lager. Should I carb then lager or lager first then carb? Thanks much. Your content has been an inspiration!
Hi Guna, Great to hear that you are finding my content helpful :) The gauge positioning is not so important. I would suggest a spunding valve with a diaphragm rather than a poppet. Much more accurate. I would suggest carbonating first before lagering, especially if bottling. I hope this helps:)
Awesome video as always, can’t seam to find skare kveik in the uk, any alternatives? Thanks
Hi Simon. Sure, I gave a couple of other Kveik options and regular yeast options in the video. Kveik wise I would suggest Voss, fermented at between 20-24C.
Thanks! I have given up on pilsners as I don't have the ability to do a cool fermentation but you have given me hope by suggesting the Kveik Voss! I ordered some floor malted bohemian pilsner malt and I can't wait! I just have one question; When the boiling is over, do you remove the boiled hops that were in there or do you leave the boiled hops in there as well during the hopstand at 80*C?
Great to hear :) All hops always remain in brewing that are used in the boil. Hope this helps and that you enjoy the end result :)
@@DavidHeathHomebrew Thank you kindly for your advice, I appreciate that you took the time to respond. I just noticed something and I had one question left; I saw that the IBU of this recipe is lower than recommended for the style. Is this because you find that the flavor is better at 21 IBU?
Yes exactly :) I would say that the BJCP guidelines are useful but not written in stone
Love your videos, David! Do you think this would work ok with a 30 minute boil time? Since watching your video on 30 minute boils, I've exclusively done 30 minute boils (obviously not using floor-malted malts) and I've become quite good at adjusting recipes to suit a 30 minute boil. I'm just not sure if you've left it at 60 minutes because that's what you were doing at the time, or if you think it should be longer?
Great to hear Simon, thank you 🍻🍻🍻
Yes, this would be ideal for a 30 min boil.
This video was made before my transition totally to 30 min boils.
David do you have a vid on how to best transfer beer from the Grainfather fermenter and into bottles with minimal oxidation. Thanks Julian
Hi Julian, the GF conical has its own system for this via the bottom tap. This works well enough by using a hose to the bottom of the bottle. Personally though, I tend to transfer to a keg, carbonate there and then I transfer using a growler filler again with the tube to the bottom of the bottle. You can then co2 purge using then gun before capping. I have a feeling I may of covered this as part of a more general video but its simple enough to explain here.
Hi David, great video once again. May I ask a question about this?
I brewed a beer of this style in late December last year, it was fermenting in my parents cellar. Unfortunately 2020 happened and isolation etc means I haven't been able to get to it. Its still on the yeast cake! Is it salvageable, or will it be all yeasty and nasty so best to chuck and hope for a better 2021 attempt? Cheers!
Sure, no problem :) The effect of this can vary, according to various factors. The main issue is autolysis, which is less likely on a homebrew scale than many homebrewers realise. You may find that it is your best beer yet. I would take a small sample and just see. A smell test first will be very telling but a taste test will reveal all. Fingers crossed for your beer! Hope it works out!
@@DavidHeathHomebrew thanks for that David, I won't chuck it just yet. Who knows when I will get to it though...
I hope it works out for you :)
You never know with these things :)
Another great video David, just a question you don’t let the pressure come up naturally? I used to pressure with CO2 but because I want oxygen for the yeast I let it come up naturally is this ok? This is a beer I will be making - just at the bottom end of the ABV range
Hi Ken, glad you enjoyed it. Yes the pressure is optional really. I am keen to pressure test before fermentation starts and its no problem to either keep it in or release it.
Thx mate
Hi David. My next brew will be this recipe. I'm thinking to do after fermentation the lagering process. I have the grainfather conical so I can reach the 4'C.. Do u think it worth to do lagering and if yes how many days 3 or 4 weeks? Thanks once again!
Hi Rous, Lagering for 4 weeks is enough for some. You can take a sample via the tap to see what you think.
I'm planning to brew it this week. One question, can I pressure ferment even if I use the liquid and dry yeast you suggested? Or it has to be kveik yeast for pressure fermentation?
You can pressure ferment with any yeast. Here is my full guide that will give you all the key information you need for pressure fermentation:- czcams.com/video/W7WSFn6bNoA/video.html
Great video David - I'm going to give this one a go with Kveik yeast as you have done. I was wondering if you could elaborate on the process once fermentation is finished? Did you transfer to a keg/bottles as soon as the FG was hit or did you allow it to rest for a while first? Did you leave it lagering at a cold temperature before drinking to get it to clear? I see that in the video you had a glass of the end product 2 weeks later but it was still pretty cloudy so I'd presume you didn't lager this one at all?
Hi Neil, glad you enjoyed it :) I tend to give my yeast time to clean up no matter what type it is. With kveik this process is faster. Generally with kveik I see an a actual fermentation of 1-3 days. I leave things a week in total and this works very nicely. Ive experimented with it sooner and longer a this 7 day method seems to be the sweet spot. Clarity wise, I am not so bothered these days but certainly more can be done for faster clarity. I tend to do more when it matters. With the slow way generally things will drop out in a keg within 4-6 weeks. If I cold crash and add finings then this can be much faster but kveik sure adds more haze than regular yeast.
@@DavidHeathHomebrew cheers David. As I was adding the ingredients to Brewfather I noticed it recommended 3 packets of Voss yeast for the pitching rate of a lager. I've never used Kveik before so does this sound correct? How many packets did you pitch? Did you make a starter?
I would suggest using the Lallemand pitch calculator as a double check on this. Lallemand have a rather wide pitch rate suggestion. www.lallemandbrewing.com/en/canada/brewers-corner/brewing-tools/pitching-rate-calculator/
Watching your video @"David Heath" is always illuminating. I was wondering if the mashing steps you shown in the first picture, with this long acid and protein rests will provide good results. I honestly give it a try yesterday brewing 10L with my GF with some of my own made malt and I have to share that during the protein I esperienced a lot of foam and during the boiling (even though I often checked the bottom of my GF) I had some burn out. At the end of the mash everything looked similar to other brew so I honestly do not know whether is a good practice or not. For sure the mash took a lot of time, but it was fun!
Great to hear. With malt without modifications I would highly recommend those steps. Sounds like you are having fun :)
@@DavidHeathHomebrew I am used to malt no more than 1kg of barely at time. Better control of all the various mating steps from kilning to germination and so on. I dry the malt in an electric dryer at 40 degrees for 24 up to 48 hours depending on the grain humidity, than at 55 for 12 hours and finally at 70 for 6 hours. I than test the malt with 30 grams of flour in 250ml of water at 65 degrees for an hour. The approximated malt efficiency is generally around 35 - 36 with an EBC of about 4, 4.5. This is my base malt for my full own made beer. Yes I am having fun and once I follow your video even more! In your opinion for how time the acid and protein rest shall last? The brew I did yesterday with that step profiles took 4hrs and a half, very very long 😬. Thanks
Awesome. I would go with a 30 minute rest time. Perhaps 20 mins is enough though :)
@@DavidHeathHomebrew it a while I have this question for you. I saw in your video you are using a wooden spoon. Is there a particular reason? Is it more gentle on the GF bottom? Recently I always notice burnt protein on the bottom after my boil and once a burnt out which cost me a GF reset. Any suggestion David?
I prefer wood for stirring in grain but then go SS for use in the boil. The GF has old tech heating elements so the bottom is liable for burning. For this reason some careful scraping of the bottom is advised during the boil every 20 mins.
Hi, just a question on lager yeast starters timeframes. I would usually propagate for 12-18 hours with stirplate for ales, then 12 hours off, then pitch the whole thing. But for a lager i would like to chill and decant off the beer. How long would i do this for and what is the maximum time i would have at hand? (e.g. could i make a starter wednesday morning and then pitch it sunday morning)
My usual method is to ferment at room temps for 24 hours, chill for at least 12 hours and then decant as much as possible. You can try a longer process with lower temps and and a longer chill but in my experience there is little difference if any.
As always - nice video. Very informative. In your experience - how many grams of hop pellets do you think the GF 30(including the Kegland false bottom - thanks for the tip) can take in the boil and hopstand without clogging up the pump/ causing trouble? Yesterday i added 120grams to an ipa brew - and that didn't go quite as planned..
Sorry for the late reply, for some reason CZcams hide your comment saying it might be spam. I have used a kilo of hops without issue. If you do get sticking then put you paddle to the false bottom and give some gentle movement to clear a space. I cannot understand why such a small amount would cause this though. If you are using a very fine grain crush then this could add to it though will many small bits on the false bottom after mashing.
@@DavidHeathHomebrew no worries - im not spam🤣 Maybe YT just realized that. Turns out it wasn’t the pump that got clogged up, but the little ball and spring in the pipe was the issue when connected to the CF chiller. The connection on my chiller is a bit.. fiddly. One of your other videos helped me figure out this issue. Thanks again. You channel really makes a difference👍 next stop: 1000g of hops! (Maybe not..)
I know, that is CZcamss metrics for you. Yes, the ball and spring is something to check during cleaning. Some just remove it but keep in mind it exists for health and safety :)
@@DavidHeathHomebrew got me wondering - what kind of beer did you brew with 1kg hops..?
It was a NEIPA. I am forever trying new recipes but only the best make it to a full batch and a video guide. I have finished a NEIPA recipe just recently that is a very modern version of that style that I plan to brew a full version of this weekend. This will be featured in a guide in the coming weeks.
Really interested in this, but I've literally brewed one beer in my life and that was a blonde 3 weeks ago so still conditioning in bottles.
As such I don't have much equipment, so Kveik interests me for it's "hot" fermentation. How does this perform without pressurisation?
If you use Voss kveik at 20-23 then the result is decent enough. Oslo and Skare are a little cleaner in general.
Hi David,
I will be trying this recipe next. What temperature would you recommend for non pressurized fermentation using Mangrove Jack Bohemian M84 and how many days? Many thanks!
The manufacturer says 10-15C but this one can be used higher. I would suggest trying this:- brulosophy.com/methods/lager-method/
@@DavidHeathHomebrew Thanks David - I'll also be brewing this with M84 and will try the method in the link.
Great, enjoy 🍺🍺🍺
Hey，David.I have a question that how much volume of co2 would you add to carbonate after fermentation done in 35c and 15psi
Hi :) Nothing to speak of really due to the high temperature.
Hello David. Awesome video, as always. I am interested in trying this recipe with the Lallemand Voss as my first attempt with a kveik yeast. I especially like that you say there will then be no lagering time needed. You mentioned in your video that to use this yeast to make a pseudo-lager, one should ferment at up to 24 Celsius. The company says to ferment starting at 25 Celsius and up, so if I understand correctly, it is then the "lower than recommended" temperature that allows the fermentation to mimic a lager yeast. Is this correct? Also, I assume the usual underpitching for kveik is not useful here (I am thinking of the need for usually overpitching with lagers), but is this a false assumption? And finally, since I am not going to be using pressure nor will ferment as high a temperature as you did with your farm kveik, I am expecting a longer-than-7 days fermentation. I presume that I will just need to keep an eye on the attenuation to determine when I should keg, maybe giving a few extra days to let the yeast clean up after itself. Is any of my thinking completely off here? Thank you so much for any advice/correction you have and thanks for the great videos.
Thanks Marc. Yes that is correct. You can use the same pitch rate as always, as suggested by Lallemand. The resulting fermentation will not be as fast at this temperature but still speedy enough. However, if you are able to, the cleanest results can be found with fermentation under pressure. This will enable you to ferment at up to 35C and enjoy a 1-2 fermentation with the same lager like result. I usually leave kveik fermented beers in the FV for a few more days once fermentation is finished to let the yeast clean up after itself and to ensure full attenuation by the yeast. I hope this helps :)
@@DavidHeathHomebrew Awesome! Thanks a lot for the advice and for answering my questions so well. I will definitely try it. Cheers!
Great, cheers Marc.
For Munich malt how many pounds in 1-10% as well for biscuit malt 1-5% ? Looking for that nice gold color but not brown. Im a new Brewer and I appreciate the love for pilsners. And I don't have a way for lagering so what yeast could I use to make this? Kviek Voss ale? Looking for as close as possible to have it taste like a lager. Thanks David 👍👍
Hi Paul, sadly this is impossible to answer as it is based on the actual malt you use, the % you decide and the alcohol level sought. I do include example tried and test recipes with all my guides though that you can find within the videos description which is underneath the video window on CZcams. Using one of these recipes is best as the first brew and then you can tweak using the recipe writing notes to dial it in for your taste. Do keep in mind that any recipe you follow will need to be converted for your ingredients and I have a guide to doing that here:- czcams.com/video/Vv-bU757E7w/video.html
Thank you for the excellent guide and recipe. I noticed the IBUs for this recipe is lower than the style guidelines and the BU:GU ratio for this recipe is not close to the average ratio mentioned in the guide. Is this your personal preference for this style?
Yes indeed. I do not like to draw too much attention to it but frankly the BJCP guidelines are pretty off for some styles.
@@DavidHeathHomebrew Well done video. I have a few Questions. What source are you using to determine the BJCP 2015 guidelines are off for this style? I've brewed CZ pils with 40+IBU and closer to the 0.8 BU:GU ratio you mention and get very close to the beers I've had in Czechia. The data from winning beers would indicate you're severely underhopping this beer as well. Also not a single winning recipe used vienna, and only 11% use munich. Are there commercial examples that use these base malts? Most I've seen in my research at 100% floor malted pilsner, triple decocted or with melanoidin and solely saaz hops. pressure fermentation is Definitely not employed in traditional czech lagers. They are open fermented. Lastly where do you get your essential numbers for this style? They seem not to match BJCP 2008 (bohemian pilsner) or BJCP 2015 (Pale Czech nor Premium Pale Czech lager) Is this your own interpretation or do you have a source of information that is different.
Thank you. This is the Bohemian version, which was removed in 2015. Bjcp 2b Bohemian Pilsener.
After fermentation is finished and the beer kegged or bottled, how long does it takes to condition this beer?
That depends on the yeast used. With lager yeast you will get good results from 2-6 weeks worth of cold conditioning. With kveik it tends to taste very good much much quicker and requires no lagering.
Thanks for another great style guide video. One question, you say that crystal 'is a main key malt to the style and an important addition' but I see that you left it out of your recipe - why is that?
Thanks Alistair. It is really down to how you wish to introduce colour. I used different grain but it is popular to use crystal.
Hi David, quick question: I can't seem to get the IBU correct in my calculations - I end up at around 26 IBU with the amounts you used. Does the hopstand add bitterness not accounted in the calculations?
Thanks!
Different recipe creators use different equations. There are also updates that can change this within the same software
@@DavidHeathHomebrew thanks for your reply! Then I will use the amounts you specified, and hope it turns out ok :)
Enjoy 🍻🍻🍻
Would you consider SAFLAGER W-34/70 yeast for this type of pilsner David? I made my previous batch with Diamond Lager and I must say the result was brilliant.
Now I want to try another yeast and maybe add 2% melanoidin.
Yes, 34/70 is very good also. Worth seeing what you prefer. You could always split the batch and try both :)
Indeed that's a good yeast. Goes a little dryer than the most typical Czech yeast, but not really a concern if you're not doing decoction. In fact w34/70 is the most common lager yeast used by czech homebrewers! Benefit being also it produces very ester-free beers at 12-13 degrees, unlike Bohemian yeast that needs to be closer to 10 for the same effect (where you may get increased diacetyl etc.)
@@vitivy Cheers! I do pressure fermentation at around 20 C and at least the first patch tasted really clean.
What would you think about using Lutra kveik with this recipe? Is 30 min boil time ok with this style?
Hi, yes and yes 🍻🍻🍻
Greetings from Portugal, did you ever try to use fermentis yeasts? I only have those available here in my country. If so, which one you recommend for a pilsner? W34, S23 OR S189
Hi Pedro, I use 34/70 a lot . Its amazing for lager styles.
@@DavidHeathHomebrew Thanks for the answer, new to homebrewing, your channel is sacred for me, really helpful! I think I'll use WLP800 eventhough it's way expensive and I'll try after with w-34. Continue with your amazing work please.
@@DavidHeathHomebrew One more question I got while trying to do the recipe on beersmith. The guidelines for the style shows that I should aim for a 30-45 IBU, isn't that way too high? I want to do more similar to yours recipe, but it's 20 IBU. I guess if it's just for me I can miss some parts of the style requirements.
Thank you Pedro, great to hear :)
@@DavidHeathHomebrew Hello david, back again for this style, when lagering, should I lager this at 5ºC in keg, and should it be already carbonated when it's lagering or without any pressure?
Hey David!.... I added 140g of Carapils Briss by accident. It changed nothing as far as OG and far as I can see color.... think itll be a tad heavy on the head?
That will be fine Paul :) Enjoy :)
Hi Dave, first of all thanks for your great videos.
I would need advice:
I bottled my first Lager 20 days ago but unfortunately it shows no signs of carbonation.
The beer is a 24 liter Fest bier and Saflager 34/70 yeast.
I used 1 tbsp of Irish moss and 1.2 grams of boiling yeast nurient for the last 10 minutes.
Fermentation from 12 ° C to 15 ° C - OG 1058 and FG 1014.
Crash cooling for 3 days at 3.5 ° C.
I added 6 grams of sugar per liter and left the bottles at 12/13 ° C.
Unfortunately, I have no experience with lager yeasts and I have no back pressure systems.
I am a little worried because I have another Fest bier with Lallemand Diamond yeast that I have to bottle.
Do you have any advice for me?
Hi Thomas. I would give the bottles some gentle movement and move them to a warmer area. This should fix it :)
@@DavidHeathHomebrew Thanks, now I am preparing an old refrigerator with heating cable to use in the colder months for the refermentation
Great, that will help for sure :)
Helpfull video, but i didnt understand about presure fermentation with 12-15PSI, is it completely done after 24h, or starts after 24h? Thanks
Thank you. Yes, usually when you use voss kveik under pressure.
@@DavidHeathHomebrew Thank you David.
Anytime :)
Hi David, I’ve got some left overs I could have a go at this with dialled into the GF app. Bohemian pilsner 91.7%, crystal medium 4.2% (bit dark at 105ebc) melanoidin 4.2%. Plenty of Saaz hops in the freezer I would just need some yeast and fancy trying the pseudo lager route with the kveik. Do you think this would come out true to style?
I don't think so. Could be interesting though 🍺
David Heath Homebrew thanks for the reply. I think I may give your recipe a go instead to try the style first before playing with it. Many thanks for all your videos, help and advice you give for free.
Cheers 🍺🍺🍺
Hi David, I will start pressure fermentation and this will be my first recepie but I have Lallemand Diamond lager yeast. For You on what temperature and what psi i must ferment. Thank You
I would suggest using 10-12 PSI at a higher temp that is easy for you to maintain. 25C would be good, for example.
@@DavidHeathHomebrew thank You 🍻
Cheers 🍻🍻🍻
Would I be able to make a 1/2 batch of 12 Litres of beer with this recipe in the Grainfather Connect?
Yes, be sure to resize it via software rather than just halving it though 🍻🍻
Again! Great video... 2 things though... 1 can i ferment in my SS conical sans pressure? And 2nd can i bottle instead of Keg? Not there yet😂
Thanks Paul. Sure you can on both :)
@@DavidHeathHomebrew cool! is there any precautions I should take for either step( longer primary? higher temp? batch prime? )
Just follow the yeast you use. So for example if its a lager yeast then temps will be lower according to this. You should also considering lagering.
@@DavidHeathHomebrew Im using the Krispy Kveik from escarpment. should I still use cbc for bottling?
Yes, I would to be sure.
Hi David - what options do I have if I can’t brew under pressure, will this recipe work in a standard plastic fermenting vessel? I’m very keen to try and create a Pilsner but am a bit limited with my current kit! All the best
Hi, yes no problem to ferment without pressure, as long as you stay within the temps recommended by the yeast. 🍻🍻🍻
@@DavidHeathHomebrew fantastic, thank you very much David - this will be the 8th time I’ve brewed with your recipes, you haven’t let me down yet! Thanks as ever!
Great to hear 🍻🍻🍻 Enjoy 🍻🍻🍻
Is it ok to ferment this with no preassure, using kveik? What would be the difference?
Sure you can but this will not allow the beer to be as clean and crisp.
David I love watching everything from your channel. I have a couple of questions. Can I use Voss Kveik rather than Skare? It's what we have accessible at the moment. Or is there another suitable yeast I could use for the Pseudo Lager effect? Summer...trying to keep the beer in the kegerator replenished as fast as possible. Also, I don't have pressure fermenting capabilities at the moment unfortunately. I do have temp control so what fermenting temps should I be aiming for?
Great to hear Jason. Sure you can, lutra would also work great. Always options :)
20C would work well.
@@DavidHeathHomebrew thanks for getting back to me. Unfortunately it doesn't look like I can get Lutra locally. I have Voss available. You say to ferment at 20C. Why this temp and not higher?
At low temps voss is more lager like.
@@DavidHeathHomebrew thanks David!
🍻🍻🍻
what do you think about adding honey during the boiling or fermentation process of a pilsner?, can it be done?
Hmm. There is little point boiling the honey if you want the flavour. You could dissolve it into a small amount of water and add it cooled into the later stage of fermentation and see what you think. Ive done this with other styles and it has a nice effect. See my "Honey Ale" video :)
Thanks for the reply and the tips, ill check it out, great videos man!
Thank you :)
Where can I get a break down of what malt types per beer style. This is the first time I’ve seen it on a recipe. I checked the BJCP website and American home breweries association and can’t find it
Hi,
I am not aware of a list as such. I have created my own and have them in this series of recipe writing videos
David.can I replace the yeast with another one ? I can’t find the yeast you used in your formulation greetings
Yes, sure. Novalager will work well for example or a lager like kveik yeast.
@@DavidHeathHomebrew voss kveik
@JAVIERGARCIA-mk4ez Yes, if you go at 20C then it will have a lager like profile.
If I use Floor Malted Bohemian Pilsner, do I need to step mash it?
No, that will be fine Lisa.
Can this recipe also convert to 30 minutes boil with good result?
Yes, it sure can. Follow the directions in this video for conversion:- czcams.com/video/JI4XVtGdbo4/video.html
Why do you not add a small percentage of Wheat? for head retention, glass lacing and that classic white fluffy head this style is renown for,
Random_Bsod There is not issue in any of those departments with this recipe. I did trial doing this during this recipes evolution though. Try it and you will see what I mean :)
Hi David. I noticed that in your first Bohemian Pilsner video you suggest a mash schedule of 62/68/75 as your go to pilsner profile and in this you suggest the cookie cutter. Can you elaborate why? If I may suggest a future topic to take up it could be a follow up guide to your mash steps video. And as usual, thanks a million for all your great content - cheers
Thanks Thomas. This first mash schedule is classic for balance. The cookie cutter gives a little more body. It is a taste driven thing in the end.
Hi @@DavidHeathHomebrew, this one turnt out really great but despite doing a double batch it is coming to an end shortly. What are your thoughts on using the Omega Lutra kveik for this recipe on 22 degrees C? And with pressure I guess? BTW, your second gen NEIPA is by far my best beer so far - awesome recipe! BR Thomas
Great to hear Thomas. A lot of effort goes into my recipes :) . If you want the cleanest result from Lutra then 20C is amazing, though you can go higher with pressure. See my recent Lutra video :) Yes Lutra will work nicely with this one 🍻
@@DavidHeathHomebrew, excellent - thx! 👍💪🍺🤟
🍻🍻🍻
How do you feel about 1 or 2 % caramunich for some colour?
No problem. I have tried similar things. I just landed at this recipe based on taste.
@@DavidHeathHomebrew great because I have some inventory to use up and really want to make a good czech pilsner for the warmer weather. Thanks for the input!
Does Vienna malt really have more flavor than Munich malt? This doesn't make sense to me.
Malts can vary but yes, in general this is the case.
96% Pilsner, ~2% Melanoidin, and ~2% Caravienne. That's what I've always used for a decoctionless pilsner. The decoction process caramelizes a small amount of sugar and provides a flavor that Carapils won't contribute. Carapils will give you extra body, but you shouldn't need it. An authentic Czech Pilsner boasts a lot of malt and no adjuncts.
Thanks for sharing. Try mine and let me know 🍻🍻
Having tried to replicate lagers using commercial kveik several times now I highly recommend not using kveik and just buying 2 packs of 34/70 or s189. Yes, kveik is "clean" compared to many ale yeasts, but it simply does not have a lager profile.
This is very much a matter of opinion. Many would disagree.
I followed this recipe pretty much exactly. However my fermentation has seemingly stopped on day 3 after being very vigorous on day 1. I have this under 12psi of pressure but while i dialled in the valve it did creep a ways up towards 28psi for a time on day 1. Im wondering why the 7 day primary @ 35C is called for in the case of such a quick yeast activity.
Hi Richie, Did you use skare kveik? It is very likely that this would be fully attenuated within 3 days. The extra time is to ensure that this is the case and to provide the yeast some time to clean up.
@@DavidHeathHomebrew hi David yes I used Kevik. I just took a gravity reading and I’m within .001 of my estimated FG 64 hours into Fermentation.
Thats very slow for kveik. Sounds like perhaps an incorrect pitch rate or poor yeast health sadly.
@@DavidHeathHomebrew ended up with a gravity holding steady @ 1.011 with a planned target of 1.010. According to brewfather to correct this add 1.8L of water but im not sure i want to go down that route. Im pretty happy with being this close considering it my first attempt at home brewing.
@@DavidHeathHomebrew Would you go straight to carbonation after the 7 days @ 35C? Or would you cold crash/condition for a period first?
Whoa hold on, lagering can be done in bottles? Does this mean after primary you can bottle with priming sugar and toss the beers in fridge for 8 weeks then they are lagered? EDIT: Well, fridge isn't all that cold but if you can keep the beers at 1-5 c it works like this?
Kastanja sure you can. But allow some time for bottle carbonation first at a higher temperature. Then you can fridge them for conditioning.
@@DavidHeathHomebrew Great intel thank you so much! This is super helpful so I don't have to keep fermenter occupied for 8 weeks but instead can brew some kveik while waiting for lagering in bottles to finish!
Good :)
@@DavidHeathHomebrew this might be a dull question but bare with me as I am a newbie; The lagering part is unique to lager yeasts and that is the sole reason for keeping it in cold conditioning for 4- to 8 weeks even if you use a higher fermentation temperature under pressure? I've seen CZcams people drinking their pressure fermented lagers in under two weeks so in these cases the lagering part is totally skipped. That is the source of my confusion as it leads me to think that lagering is required when you do it the old school way and hence can be skipped with pressure fermentation in higher temps.
No problem at all :) Yes. Lagering is only for those fermented with lager yeasts. I would recommend it but I see that some are impatient :) I would suggest you experiment and taste the difference. The majority consider it very worthwhile but not all.
Krispy would be even better than Skare for this beer in my experience. Krispy is just 2 the 3 Skare strains isolated.
I have not tried Krispy (not available here) but it sure sounds very interesting. With farm skare this is as clean and crisp as I can imagine. If Krispy can beat that then I will be very impressed :)
@@DavidHeathHomebrew Skare is very nice made several Pilsner, cream ale and blonde like beers with it cream ales etc etc.. It works really well other than not clear well. Only thing I found was in some the brews at higher end temperature wise (29-30C) I get more overripe fruit from Skare. Krispy this is muted.. Still some nice fruit notes. Krispy PSI Fermentation at over 30C (was about 32-34C @ 15-20PSI) was surprising clean and cleaner than Skare and at 25C without pressure. Krispy has replaces Oslo for me.. It clears better than Skare but not as well as Oslo. Oslo seams to affect hops much more than Skare or Krispy so for Oslo I have to increase aroma hops and bitterness slightly to compensate for something like a pilsner to keep it in balance. Krispy and Skare both produce some faint sulfer notes especially under PSI more than Oslo did. None the pseudo lagers are really truly a lager but Krispy is the closest I have seen to date. It has tricked some..
There are about 2 places in Pilsen where you can drink a really fresh Urquell, except directly from one of the great barrells in the Urquell basement of course.
These beers are NOTHING like any Urquells you find in a store. It's been a while since my last visit, but from what I can recall, it has a taste like "honey from heaven".
The sweet, yet clean and crisp honey sweetness it quite pronounced. I'm still experimenting to make an as nice copy as possible at home. But I would definatley keep the water soft, use melanoiden or honey malt (haven't tried yet) as well as some really subtile use of vienna or light munich - just a touch. Biscuit makes it a little bit off track imho.
Last brews I only used a FW, 80 min and 25 min addition. I sugest having more 80 than 25 min and only very small amounts of FW. Trying Magnum now for FW but it's got a couple of weeks more before tasting.
Great, thanks for the info :)
Yes, mashing methods are certainly a great area to experiment with for your own taste.
24 hours fermentation time!?
With kveik yeast and also pressure this is common.
No mention of diacetyl (which is highly acceptable in this style)? For me it's a must in a Czech pilsner. Any tips on how to achieve it? Skipping diacetyl rest didn't really help me.
P.S. 12:20 it's "could have", never "could of". NEVER!
Ive never planned for diacetyl, so cannot help you there. As for the grammar “could of” is not correct grammar but it is commonly used in my dialect of English. Many dialects in the UK go against grammar. It is the same with other languages too.
@@DavidHeathHomebrew it's commonly misused then, as it's incorrect no matter the dialect and stems from English-speakers learning English by hearing as children. Not part of any dialect that I know of (Irish, Welsh, Scottish, Brummie, Yorkshire, Mancunian, Scouser, Cockney, Queen's)
It is commonly misused but language evolves over time. Dialect brings many examples of this of course, this is just one.
Nice - related to your Pilsner history intro, think you’ll like Stroh’s Bohemian beer reference (about halfway thru) Shawshank Redemption video: czcams.com/video/O9Z_fMK7e1E/video.html
Many thanks Dom, much appreciated :)
Hi David, everything is spot on, but despite emphasising the cold lagering, it didn't seem that you managed 2+ weeks there. Which is fine, i am sure it was ok, but on the lagering topic, perhaps you could explain further the benefits (and disadvantages) on the Technic,...i am sure we can ferment and lager in 21 days (according to Gerolf Annemüller, Hans-J. Manger. Gärung und Reifung des Bieres) but since you are working on these videos, perhaps you could enlighten people on how they could do it all w/o boiling adjuncts and with more traditional methods. Best regards, Rainer
Hey Rainer, There are many options but lagering is only useful for lager yeast, it is also subject to taste. Kveik is a great alternative for speed. Lagering in a keg is useful as you can sample as you go.
HOW MUCH Hops PER LITER OF BEER WORT
This recipe is in the videos description. You will be able to work this out from this.
@@DavidHeathHomebrew there is nothing there but the name SAAZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and the time when to make it!!!!!!!!!!!!!
‘Bar’varian?????
Sorry, it should be said as "buh·veuh·ree·uhn"
So where are the hops in grams??????????????????
Ovensky Pivovar In the videos description. This is easier to find these days on a computer compared to mobile.
@@DavidHeathHomebrew Don't say it in riddles! I'm asking you about the case!
The description has all the details, it is a 20L batch, using 27g at 60 mins, 15g at 10 mins and 15g at hopstand.
Click the drop down arrow next to the video title and you can read more information on most CZcams videos.
Also, download the BrewFather app. The recipe is on there.
You can then use the app to scale the recipe for your batch size.
Thanks Chris.
I Brewed beer according to your recipe, threw 50 grams of SAAZ hops in 60 minutes of boiling the wort and 50 grams of SAAZ hops in 10 minutes of boiling, tasted the wort. and it seemed to me not bitter at all, and I threw in another 50 grams of MANDARIN HOPS!
Sorry that you could not find the videos description. Here is a copy:-
A full guide to the Czech Bohemian Pilsner beer style including a tried and tested recipe, style notes, & recipe writing. Hints and tips are given throughout the video.
Here is the recipe:-
Author: David Heath
ABV : 5%
IBU : 21 (Tinseth)
Colour : 8 EBC
Original Gravity : 1.046
Final Gravity : 1.008
Brewfather Link:- share.brewfather.app/NhxeS3vKxYGVBX
Batch Size : 20 L
/ 5.28 US LQ Gallons
Brewhouse Efficiency: 70%
Mash Efficiency : 78.8%
Fermentables
4.032 kg/8.88lbs - Extra Pale Pilsner (89%)
362g/12.76oz - Munich 14 EBC (8%)
136g/4.79oz - Biscuit 50 EBC (3%)
Mash Profile
High fermentability plus mash out
65 °C/149°F - 60 min - Mash In
75 °C/167°F - 10 min - Mash Out
Hops
60 min - 27g / 0.95oz - Saaz - 4.5% (16 IBU)
10 min - 15g / 0.52oz - Saaz - 4.5% (4 IBU)
Hop Stand
15 min hopstand @ 80°C/ 176°F
15g / 0.52oz - Saaz - 4.5% (1 IBU)
Yeast
- Skare Kveik
(see video for alternatives)
Fermentation Profile
35°C /95°F - 7 days under 12 PSI of pressure
That is not the recipe though. Tasting wort is no guide either.
@@DavidHeathHomebrew Thank you my friend!)
Just use Pilsner malt and do a small decoction on your stovetop. The Czechs only use Pilsner malt- not all that extra stuff.
Also, you used Kveik yeast? wtf? Your videos are well done David but why not do it the right way with a Czech Lager yeast? Fermentis W34/70 dry is the Urquell strain.
That is not exactly true these days, not as many will use a decoction mash and have moved away from older tradition in favour of malt solutions. However, it is all about choices and my guide explores the various choices available.
1942? :)))) 1842 is real.
Where did you see 1942?