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Post by Ken on May 5, 2023 9:35:31 GMT -6
I got an email today from YVH and it featured a recipe for a Czech Pilsner. Something called Saint Isidore Czech Pale Lager. The recipe featured Centennial and Cascade hops and seemed far enough off-base for me to ignore it. But it did make me noodle with a good recipe for the style because I am using 2124 Bohemian right now. I threw this together based on what I have...
7.75 pounds pilsner malt (78%)
2 pounds Munich Light (20%)
4 ounces Copper Malt (2%)
24 IBUs of Sterling from the start of the boil
1 ounce US Saaz (Hop Heaven) for 15 mins
1 ounce US Saaz for 1 minute
2124
OG: 1.050, FG: 1.012, SRM: 4.6, IBUs: 36, ABV: 4.8%
I expect the color to be a bit darker than that. When I think about a beer like this the body is robust and the crisp hops counter it. It should not be VERY pale... it should have some color and depth. The US Saaz from Hop Heaven have been great here. Better than Saaz grown over there and shipped... they don't seem to travel well. I think I'm going to make this my next batch.
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Post by tommymorris on May 5, 2023 16:38:55 GMT -6
Looks good. I just plugged this recipe into Beersmith.
My Saaz is from Hop Heaven, but I went with German Saaz. It is pretty good, but not as spicy as I remember the US Saaz being.
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Post by Ken on May 13, 2023 7:03:12 GMT -6
Brewing this tomorrow... Mom's Day. Going to see my mom today and make a Czech Pilsner tomorrow. Cheers Beerheads.
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Post by tommymorris on May 14, 2023 8:47:01 GMT -6
I am brewing this recipe right now. The only difference is I am using GR Saaz throughout. I am also using a Novalager slurry.
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Post by Ken on May 14, 2023 9:06:54 GMT -6
I am brewing this recipe right now. The only difference is I am using GR Saaz throughout. I am also using a Novalager slurry. Nice! I will say this: If Sterling hops were running as an independent in the general election, they would have my vote. I agree with all of their policies both foreign and domestic.  I just opened an 8-ounce bag of them from YVH (7.8%) and their aroma is so fresh and bright. I'm using them here as a bittering addition and I think they're going to do this beer up righteous. The US Saaz smells great too... not quite as fresh but they have been vac-sealed in the freezer and they seem great. Mash is about to start here. Cheers. |
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Post by tommymorris on May 14, 2023 11:03:15 GMT -6
I’m making your Czech Pils today and I copied down Andy Farke’s recent Dortmunder for an upcoming brew day. I will squeeze an ale in between since I like to go Lager, Ale, Lager, Ale,…
I brewed a 95/5 Pils/Munch 1 Czech Pils recently that is delicious, but a friend, who by the way had to be told by his wife to lay off of it, said it was lighter colored than what he remembered from his visit to the Czech Republic. He isn’t a brewer, so I was surprised he noticed. He is a chef though.
I had planned to go up to 20% Munich. Then I saw your recipe and thought I’ll try that one.
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Post by Ken on May 14, 2023 13:46:57 GMT -6
I’m making your Czech Pils today and I copied down Andy Farke’s recent Dortmunder for an upcoming brew day. I will squeeze an ale in between since I like to go Lager, Ale, Lager, Ale,… I brewed a 95/5 Pils/Munch 1 Czech Pils recently that is delicious, but a friend, who by the way had to be told by his wife to lay off of it, said it was lighter colored than what he remembered from his visit to the Czech Republic. He isn’t a brewer, so I was surprised he noticed. He is a chef though. I had planned to go up to 20% Munich. Then I saw your recipe and thought I’ll try that one. It's a funny thing. A good Czech Pils absolutely has that dark gold/almost-orangy color to it. It's deeper and richer, IMO. The color I got today in this batch looks like it could be very close to the picture below but clearly one of the keys is clarity. You can't get a good feel for the color without that good clarity. All this beer talk is making me thirsty. To the taps!!  For comparison, here's a Czech Pils I made in 2019.  |
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Post by Ken on May 14, 2023 14:27:48 GMT -6
More visual evidence. I just poured this glass of Czechvar and it has that darker, burnished gold look. Delicious beer, BTW and there is no diacetyl like I've been picking up in Pilsner Urquell lately.  |
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Post by tommymorris on May 14, 2023 14:32:49 GMT -6
The 95:5 Pils:Munich beer was 2.6 SRM. This batch is predicted to be 4.9 SRM. That should be a pretty noticeable difference. I am looking forward to trying this one.
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Post by tommymorris on Jun 3, 2023 10:55:25 GMT -6
I have tapped my version of the beer at the top of this thread. Mine uses the same grain bill with German Saaz hops and Novalager yeast. It is awesome. Nice bready flavor with spicy and floral flavors from the Saaz mixing in. Not super crisp. More mellow, borrowing Fritz’s term.
Color does approach gold. Based on a color wheel I would say about 5 SRM.
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Post by Ken on Jun 3, 2023 13:45:10 GMT -6
I have tapped my version of the beer at the top of this thread. Mine uses the same grain bill with German Saaz hops and Novalager yeast. It is awesome. Nice bready flavor with spicy and floral flavors from the Saaz mixing in. Not super crisp. More mellow, borrowing Fritz’s term. Color does approach gold. Based on a color wheel I would say about 5 SRM. Ooh, your tormenting me now. I brewed this concept beer today but the leftover 2124 was from my Czech Pilsner and there was about an inch of clear, gold beer on top of the yeast that seemed to have the exact color I was going for. The Czech Pilsner is cold, kegged and gelled but not carbed because my on-deck fridge is so crowded with kegs. Eventually I'll carb it and it will get in line behind some other gold lagers. By the time it's served it should have lagered for a good 10-12 weeks. Cheers and congrats on the beer. Sounds lovely. |
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Post by tommymorris on Dec 28, 2023 11:13:09 GMT -6
I am fermenting another batch of this beer. This time I pitched S-189.
Somehow mine has drifted to 1056 OG. My first batch was 1055. It was great, but I notice your recipe in the first post was designed at 1050 OG. I tend to brew batches closer to 1050 in general, but I do notice the extra points add nice body and fullness that I enjoy. 🍻
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Post by Ken on Jan 10, 2024 9:58:58 GMT -6
I am fermenting another batch of this beer. This time I pitched S-189. Somehow mine has drifted to 1056 OG. My first batch was 1055. It was great, but I notice your recipe in the first post was designed at 1050 OG. I tend to brew batches closer to 1050 in general, but I do notice the extra points add nice body and fullness that I enjoy. 🍻 The last one of these I made came out really nicely and I used a combination of Sterling and Saaz for the hops and I fermented it with 2124 which seems reasonable (Bohemian). The next lager yeast strains I plan to use are Omega Mexican and then Omega Bayern. Between the two, the Bayern seems more appropriate so maybe I'll make another one and use ALL Sterling hops this time since they always seem super lively and fresh and maybe the beer would benefit overall from having that fresher hop character than the sometimes-muted (and not-so-fresh) character of Saaz that doesn't seem to keep well. Good luck on yours. |
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Post by tommymorris on Jan 10, 2024 12:20:23 GMT -6
I am fermenting another batch of this beer. This time I pitched S-189. Somehow mine has drifted to 1056 OG. My first batch was 1055. It was great, but I notice your recipe in the first post was designed at 1050 OG. I tend to brew batches closer to 1050 in general, but I do notice the extra points add nice body and fullness that I enjoy. 🍻 The last one of these I made came out really nicely and I used a combination of Sterling and Saaz for the hops and I fermented it with 2124 which seems reasonable (Bohemian). The next lager yeast strains I plan to use are Omega Mexican and then Omega Bayern. Between the two, the Bayern seems more appropriate so maybe I'll make another one and use ALL Sterling hops this time since they always seem super lively and fresh and maybe the beer would benefit overall from having that fresher hop character than the sometimes-muted (and not-so-fresh) character of Saaz that doesn't seem to keep well. Good luck on yours. I just finished my German Saaz and bought some US Saaz. I took your advice and bought all US lager hops this time. |
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I just opened an 8-ounce bag of them from YVH (7.8%) and their aroma is so fresh and bright. I'm using them here as a bittering addition and I think they're going to do this beer up righteous. The US Saaz smells great too... not quite as fresh but they have been vac-sealed in the freezer and they seem great. Mash is about to start here. Cheers.