This beer will require full attention and all of the brewer’s resources. The long lagering time will ensure that this beer is clear and golden.
Note: The water in Plzen, the Czech town where this style of beer originated, is very soft. If the water is hard in your area, try boiling your water to settle out the “temporary hardness.” Boil for 30 minutes and let cool till lukewarm. Siphon or gently decant water off white sediment. (Temporary hardness means the water contains soluble calcium and magnesium; if you boil the water, these bicarbonates will precipitate out.)
If the water is permanently hard in your area — which means boiling won’t help — try using distilled water and add a small amount of gypsum (three teaspoons per five gallons) to raise the mineral content of the water. Another option: Brew with a 50-50 blend of tap water and distilled water.
When Pandora opened her box, she released all the troubles of mankind — sorrow, despair, greed, crime, poverty and disease. Opening a Pandora’s Pilsner crams all that stuff back in the box . . . for about 30 minutes.
William’s Brewing, San Leandro, California
www.williamsbrewing.com
This is a modern American Pilsner, though not an attempt to clone any particular brand.
A good clean pilsner we brewed last winter from leftover ingredients.
Named for the distance between Plzen (Pilsen), Czechoslovakia and
Wien (Vienna), Austria, 283 Kilometers is a crisp, clean, well-balanced
beer with a firm malt presence from Vienna malt. Recipe from BYO Editor Chris Colby.
American Pilsners have little malt flavor, hop character or body. But, these elements are balanced and there are no faults. To make a good American Pilsner, you need to make a highly fermentable, high-adjunct wort, pitch plenty of yeast and hold the fermentation temperature constant.
This is a great, easy-to-make pilsner-style beer made with ale yeast — no lagering required. Comes close to many commercial light pilsners, with just a bit more flavor.
This recipe, Golden Age Pre-Prohibition Pilsner, produces a crisp, hoppy, light-bodied beer that is refreshing and still tasty.
