Bohemian Pilsner
The pale, bitter, hoppy lager known best to American homebrewers as Bohemian Pilsner and typified by the classic example Pilsner Urquell is also called Czech Pilsner, Czech Premium Pale Lager, Svetly Lezak, Svetle Specialni Pivo, or simply Pilsner. But why does it have so many names? The answer depends mostly on who you are, where you live, and what exactly you are drinking.
Like most words formed from a city or place name with an –er ending, Pilsener refers to beer that resembles that from Pilsen (the German name for the Czech city of Plzen), and Pilsner is a shorter form of the same word. Plzenň is a large city in Bohemia, the western region of the modern Czech Republic in central Europe. Bohemia is a historical country, although the name is Latin (the Czech name is ČCechy). Bohemia, Moravia, and Czech Silesia form the modern Czech Republic.
Within the Czech Republic, beers are often referred to by color and strength. Pale beer of 11–12 °P (OG 1.044–1.048) is called Svetly Lezak (pale lager), while the 13 °P and stronger beer (1.052 SG and up) is called Svetle Specialni Pivo (pale special beer). Czech beer is almost always bottom-fermented lager beer.
While the term Pilsner is widely used around the world for pale lager beer, the name is often bastardized from its original meaning. For example, consider Miller Lite, which is labeled “A Fine Pilsner Beer” even though it bears little resemblance to its namesake. Pilsner Urquell (a German phrase meaning “original source of Pilsner”) was the first Pilsner-type beer, and has been brewed since 1842. The Czech name for this beer is Plzensky Prazdroj.
Czechs won’t call a beer Pilsner unless it’s actually brewed in Plzen, and only Pilsner Urquell is brewed there. So it’s ironic that the name of the beer style that has become the basis for the most widely produced beers of today isn’t actually used in its country of origin, except to describe a single (although exemplary) commercial product. Used in comparative discussions, the style is often called Bohemian or Czech Pilsner (or Pilsner) to differentiate it from German derivatives and the modern worldwide pale lager styles.
The Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) has called the style Bohemian Pilsener since at least 1997, but is changing the name in the 2014 guidelines to Czech Premium Pale Lager out of respect for the usage in its country of origin, and to more accurately reflect the direct translation into English of its name. However, brewers and beer drinkers should understand all the names that might be associated with commercial products. For our purposes we’ll refer to it as Pilsner for the rest of the story.
Aside from the superb Pilsner Urquell, Gambrinus and Budweiser Budvar (called Czechvar in the United States) are good commercial examples of Bohemian Pilsner.
Attributes of Bohemian Pilsner
Bohemian Pilsner is actually a quite simple beer, but made with some of the finest ingredients used in brewing. The traditional beer uses Czech Saaz (Zatec) hops, Moravian Pilsner malt, very soft water (low mineral content), and Czech lager yeast. Decoction mashing and a long, cold fermentation are traditional. The ingredients and process yield a highly-hopped and bitter beer that is very smooth and lacking in harsh bitterness, despite a high IBU level.
The Czech malt gives a bready-rich malty flavor and produces a gold-colored beer that is darker in color and richer and fuller in flavor than a German-type Pilsner. The Saaz hops are often spicy, but related Saazer-type (sometimes called “Noble”) hops are often used. The bitterness level is high, generally 30–45 IBUs, but the apparent bitterness is often lower than a German-type Pilsner because of the soft water, clean bitterness, and malty-full finish.
The malt and brewing process can sometimes produce a very light buttery diacetyl quality. Diacetyl should never be more than a pleasant background character in this style. If present in a beer at low levels, diacetyl should not be considered a fault, but I don’t think brewers should manipulate their process to try to obtain noticeable diacetyl. The beer is complex enough without it.
The beer should not be sweet, but a substantial malty palate is desirable since it serves to support and enhance the hop presentation. To avoid being sweet, the beer should be well-attenuated and dry. However, since the ideal water is quite soft and has very little sulfate content, the finish seems fuller. The body is a bit more dextrinous than a German Pilsner, so the beer may seem a touch heavier but still should be drinkable in quantity.
Homebrewing Bohemian Pilsner
As with my past style review articles, for recipes I turned to four award-winning homebrewers with proven success in brewing Bohemian Pilsner: Randy Scorby of Bend, Oregon, Ted Hausotter of Baker City, Oregon, James Golovich of Richland, Washington, and Michael Agnew of Minneapolis, Minnesota. All four homebrewers are also high-ranking BJCP judges.
As I mentioned earlier, Bohemian Pilsner depends heavily on proper ingredients and a process that allows the ingredients to be featured. My homebrewing experts agree, with all of them emphasizing the region-specific character of the ingredients and general freshness as key control points. However, once you have the fundamentals of the style down, there is room for interpretation, and the homebrewers I spoke to offered some interesting ideas and alternatives for other aspects under the homebrewer’s control.
The expert homebrewers all identified hops as the most critical component, but they also offered advice on malt, mashing, yeast, fermentation, and lagering.
Hops
To brew a traditional Bohemian Pilsner, the obvious hop choice is Czech Saaz, and many brewers insist on them. However, there is a bit of leeway; the key to substituting Czech Saaz is to stick with the profile of Saaz’s spicy character.
Ted Hausotter is very picky about his hops and loves Czech Saaz for this style, but he will use them only when the quality is sufficient. Sourcing fresh, well-kept Czech Saaz hops can be difficult at times, and US-grown Saaz is not a good substitute for him. When he can’t source Czech Saaz, he likes Sterling (also a favorite of mine), which has a higher oil content and alpha acids than Czech Saaz, and can often be found fresher in the US. He recommends a mixture of Saaz and Sterling for the best balance of classic Saaz character and fresh hop intensity from the Sterling. He likes to get the bulk of his IBUs from a first-wort hop addition (read more about first wort hopping at https://byo.com/story2958). Michael Agnew uses Sterling exclusively, as he believes it has a perfumy, floral character with a hint of interesting citrus.
Randy Scorby prefers to avoid the traditional bittering addition, and uses late additions to reduce the chance of hop-derived harshness and emphasize the flavor and aroma dimension. He chooses Saaz hops for traditional reasons. James Golovich uses a clean Magnum bittering addition, saving the traditional Saaz for finishing. He believes the higher-alpha Magnum hops allow him to limit the hop matter in the beer, which also reduces harshness. Ted Hausotter also mentioned using Magnum for bittering as an alternative for the same reason.
James Golovich stressed the importance of knowing how your brewing system responds to different hop levels. Knowing what hop utilization to expect is critical to hitting the right balance in this type of beer. Simply throwing in tons of hops like making an IPA isn’t the right answer.
Fresh hops with the Saaz-like character seem to be the key, but there are several approaches for reaching the desired bitterness level. All agreed that substantial bitterness is a requirement; most were around 40 IBUs, which could reflect the expectations of competition judges for a hop-forward beer. Magnum is an acceptable bittering choice, but any hopping method should favor clean bitterness and flavor. The choice is likely dependent on how prominent a late hop character the brewer desires.
Malt
If you only choose one malt, good quality continental Pilsner malt is all you really need to brew a traditional Bohemian Pilsner. However, there are certainly options as far as adding other grains to your lineup. Some brewers play with the grain bill to achieve complexity, even if the grist isn’t traditional. For example, Randy Scorby uses a combination of German Pilsner and pale malts, along with some wheat malt for head retention. Ted Hausotter uses mostly Pilsner malt, but adds various amounts of Vienna, wheat malt, and pale malt for complexity. Both James Golovich and Michael Agnew use German Pilsner malt, but with additional malt for dextrins (dextrin malt or Carafoam®). Czech malts can be difficult to source as a homebrewer, so staying within the general region and selecting high-quality German malts seems to be a workable solution, even if it does take a bit of tinkering to enhance malt complexity and body (in conjunction with the mash schedule).
Mashing
Bohemian Pilsner was historically always brewed with a decoction mash, and some commercial and homebrewers still mash their Pils this way. Randy Scorby uses a decoction mash to get a richer, more complex malt character, as well as improving clarity. He feels it is a key factor for success in the style, but he doesn’t use a long boil in the decoction to keep it from picking up too much color and caramel-like flavors. However, Michael Agnew uses a more intensive combination step and decoction mash schedule, while both Ted Hausotter and James Golovich use a single infusion mash at 155 °F (68 °C) to favor dextrin formation.
All are choosing either mash techniques or grain bills to get the necessary body for the beer. (For more about decoction mashing, visit https://byo.com/article/decoction-mashing-techniques.)
Yeast
It seems that almost any malt-forward yeast strain will do, and traditionally this style is brewed with a bottom-fermenting lager strain. Bohemian Pilsner is a little fuller and has more fermentation-derived compounds than its German cousin, and as I mentioned earlier, a small amount of diacetyl is ok. Randy Scorby uses Wyeast 2278 (Czech Pilsner). Ted Hausotter uses a malty German lager yeast (Wyeast 2124, the classic Weihenstephan 34/70 strain). James Golovich uses White Labs WLP833 (German Bock), another malt-forward choice (and my personal favorite lager yeast). Michael Agnew uses Wyeast 2001 (Urquell Lager) yeast, a hard-to-find but traditional choice.
Fermentation
Fermentation temperature is very strain-dependent, however you can count on a cooler ferment, and the ability to control your temperature is key. James Golovich recommends pitching yeast cool (45 °F or 7 °C), then letting it warm up to 48–50 °F
(9–10 °C) before finishing it off at 54–56 °F (12–13 °C). Michael Agnew stresses the need for temperature control to keep the fermentation temperature cool and steady. Randy Scorby likes to keep fermentation temperature in the 48–50 °F (9–10 °C) range, but mentions that a higher pitching rate is needed with the lower fermentation temperature. He also adds a diacetyl rest, although the other brewers don’t mention the need for it. Some yeast strains, including the Czech strains, can produce higher levels of diacetyl. The German strains mentioned are typically cleaner, as well as producing less sulfur, so they are unlikely to need a diacetyl rest. To perform a diacetyl rest, raise the temperature of your beer up about 10 °F (6 °C) at the end of primary fermentation and hold it there until the fermentation is complete and the diacetyl is undetectable.
Water
None of the brewers mentioned their water profiles, but I think this was because they felt the water choice was obvious, not because it isn’t important. They are all high-ranking BJCP judges, so I know they all understand that traditional Plzen water is very soft, and they very likely used that same profile when brewing their beers. The low ion water is critical for producing a highly bitter beer without any associated harshness or clashing sulfur character. I’ve found that sulfur in beer (whether from water that has a high calcium sulfate content, or from yeast-derived fermentation byproducts) tends to clash with the classic Saazer-type hops that are key to this style. The best advice for water is to use soft, low ion content water, and to avoid adding any calcium sulfate (which some brewers might try to do because they’ve been told that it “accentuates the hops”). If you have very hard water, consider diluting or completely substituting your water with distilled water or reverse osmosis (RO) water.
Lagering
A classic Bohemian Pilsner needs a lagering period at near-freezing temperatures for at least a month, and some brewers recommend longer. Michael Agnew says to “not skimp on the lagering time,” recommending a full four weeks at 33 °F (1 °C). I totally agree; too many competition beers have a yeasty or sulfury flavor from not dropping the yeast completely, and not finishing a proper lagering schedule. Ted Hausotter thinks the peak flavor is at 6–8 weeks, allowing sufficient time for lagering to smooth the flavors. Average-strength pale beers don’t have an extended shelf life, so consuming these beers when fresh is best (although not at the expense of fully lagering the beer). The smooth, clean flavors so characteristic for the beer style cannot be fully appreciated with a distracting yeast character.
Bohemian Pilsner
Recipe by Randy Scorby, Bend, Oregon
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.051 FG = 1.015
IBU = 42 SRM = 4.2 ABV = 4.8%
Randy was the runner up Best of Show at the 2014 Central Oregon Homebrewer’s Organization Spring Fling in Bend, Oregon with this recipe.
Ingredients
5 lbs. 14 oz. (2.7 kg) Weyermann pale ale malt (3 °L)
3 lbs. 14 oz. (1.8 kg) Weyermann Pilsner malt (2 °L)
7.4 oz. (210 g) Weyermann pale wheat malt (2 °L)
4.5 AAU Czech Saaz hops (30 min.) (0.8 oz./23 g at 5.6% alpha acid)
8.4 AAU Czech Saaz hops (20 min.) (1.5 oz./43 g at 5.6% alpha acid)
5.6 AAU Czech Saaz hops (10 min.) (1.0 oz./28 g at 5.6% alpha acid)
8.4 AAU Czech Saaz hops (3 min.) (1.5 oz./43 g at 5.6% alpha acid)
Wyeast 2278 (Czech Pils) yeast (2 qt./2 L starter)
¾ cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Two or three days before brew day, make the yeast starter, aerating the wort thoroughly (preferably with oxygen) before pitching the yeast.
This is a single decoction mash, for more on decoction mashing see https://byo.com/story1409. On brew day, mash in the malt at 132 °F (56 °C) in 15 qts. (14 L) of water, and hold this temperature for 10 minutes. Pull a thick decoction and hold at 154 °F (68 °C) for 20 minutes, then boil the decoction for 10 minutes. Return the decoction to the main mash and hold at 154 °F (68 °C) until conversion is achieved. Recirculate until clear, fly sparge with 168 °F (76 °C) water until 6.5 gallons (25 L) of wort is collected. Boil the wort for 75 minutes, adding hops at times indicated. Chill the wort and pitch the starter of yeast; the wort temperature should be no higher than 50 °F (10 °C) when pitched. Ferment at 48 °F (9 °C) until desired final gravity is achieved. Lager for 4–6 weeks at 33 °F (1 °C). Prime and bottle condition, or keg and force carbonate to 2.4 volumes CO2.
Bohemian Pilsner
(5 gallons/19 L, partial mash)
OG = 1.051 FG = 1.015
IBU = 42 SRM = 4.2 ABV = 4.8%
Ingredients
4 lbs. 14 oz. (2.2 kg) Weyermann pale ale malt (3 °L)
7.4 oz. (210 g) Weyermann pale wheat malt (2 °L)
3.3 lbs. (1.5 kg) Pilsner liquid malt extract
4.5 AAU Czech Saaz hops (30 min.) (0.8 oz./23 g at 5.6% alpha acid)
8.4 AAU Czech Saaz hops (20 min.) (1.5 oz./43 g at 5.6% alpha acid)
5.6 AAU Czech Saaz hops (10 min.) (1.0 oz./28 g at 5.6% alpha acid)
8.4 AAU Czech Saaz hops (3 min.) (1.5 oz./43 g at 5.6% alpha acid)
Wyeast 2278 (Czech Pils) yeast (2 qt./2 L starter)
¾ cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
This is a single step infusion mash. Mash the grains at 155 °F (68 °C) in 7 qts. (6.6 L) of water. Hold at this temperature for 60 minutes. Collect 2.25 gallons (8.5 L) of wort. Add water to make at least 3 gallons (11 L) of wort. Boil the wort for 75 minutes, adding hops at times indicated. Add the liquid malt extract in the final 15 minutes of the boil. Chill the wort, transfer to fermenter and top up to 5 gallons (19 L). Aerate wort and pitch yeast, the wort temperature should be no higher than 50 °F (10 °C) when pitched. Ferment at 48 °F (9 °C) until desired final gravity is achieved. Lager for 4–6 weeks at 33 °F (1 °C). Prime and bottle condition, or keg and force carbonate to 2.4 volumes CO2.
Bohemian Pilsner
(5 gallons/19 L, extract only)
OG = 1.051 FG = 1.015
IBU = 42 SRM = 4.2 ABV = 4.8%
Ingredients
6.6 lbs. (3 kg) Pilsner liquid malt extract
6 oz. (170 g) light dried malt extract
4.5 AAU Czech Saaz hops (30 min.) (0.8 oz./23 g at 5.6% alpha acid)
8.4 AAU Czech Saaz hops (20 min.) (1.5 oz./43 g at 5.6% alpha acid)
5.6 AAU Czech Saaz hops (10 min.) (1.0 oz./28 g at 5.6% alpha acid)
8.4 AAU Czech Saaz hops (3 min.) (1.5 oz./43 g at 5.6% alpha acid)
Wyeast 2278 (Czech Pils) yeast (2 qt./2 L starter)
¾ cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Add the dried malt extract and half of the liquid malt extract to enough water to make at least 3 gallons (11 L) of wort. Boil the wort for 75 minutes, adding hops at times indicated. Keep some boiling water handy and do not let the boil volume dip below 3 gallons (11 L). Add the remaining liquid malt extract in the final 15 minutes of the boil. Chill the wort, transfer to the fermenter and top up to 5 gallons (19 L). Aerate the wort and pitch the yeast; the wort temperature should be no higher than 50 °F (10 °C) when pitched. Ferment at 48 °F (9 °C) until desired final gravity is achieved. Lager for 4–6 weeks at 33 °F (1 °C). Prime and bottle condition, or keg and force carbonate to 2.4 volumes CO2.
Bohemian Pilsner
Recipe by Ted Hausotter, Baker City, Oregon
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.055 FG = 1.014
IBU = 42 SRM = 4 ABV = 5.5%
Ted has won several awards for this recipe, the best of which was second place Best of Show at the Masters Championship of Amateur Brewing (MCAB) in 2000.
Ingredients
10 lbs. 3 oz. (4.6 kg) German Pilsner malt (2 °L)
13.6 oz. (0.39 kg) German Vienna malt (3.5 °L)
4.5 oz. (128 g) German pale ale malt
3 AAU Czech Saaz hops (FWH) (1.0 oz./28 g at 3% alpha acid)
4.2 AAU US Sterling hops (FWH) (0.6 oz./17 g at 7% alpha acid)
3 AAU Czech Saaz hops (10 min.) (1.0 oz./28 g at 3% alpha acid)
7 AAU US Sterling hops (5 min.) (1.0 oz./28 g at 7% alpha acid)
3 AAU Czech Saaz hops (1 min.) (1.0 oz./28 g at 3% alpha acid)
9.8 AAU US Sterling hops (1 min.) (1.4 oz./40 g at 7% alpha acid)
Wyeast 2124 (Bohemian Lager) or White Labs WLP830 (German Lager) yeast (2 qt./2 L starter)
¾ cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Two or three days before brew day, make the yeast starter, aerating the wort thoroughly (preferably with oxygen) before pitching the yeast.
This is a single step infusion mash. On brew day, mash in the malt at 155 °F (68 °C) in 16 qts. (15 L) of water, and hold at this temperature for 60 minutes. Recirculate until clear, sparge with 168 °F (76 °C) water until 6.5 gallons (25 L) of wort is collected. Boil the wort for 75 minutes, adding hops at the times indicated. Chill the wort, aerate, and pitch the yeast. Ferment at 50 °F (10 °C). Lager for 4–6 weeks at 33 °F (1 °C). Prime and bottle condition, or keg and force carbonate to 2.4 volumes CO2.
Bohemian Pilsner
(5 gallons/19 L, partial mash)
OG = 1.055 FG = 1.014
IBU = 42 SRM = 4 ABV = 5.5%
Ingredients
3.3 lbs. (1.5 kg) Pilsner liquid malt extract
2 lbs. (0.91 kg) Pilsner dried malt extract
1 lb. 10 oz. (0.74 kg) German Pilsner malt (2 °L)
13.6 oz. (0.39 kg) German Vienna malt (3.5 °L)
4.5 oz. (128 g) German pale ale malt
3 AAU Czech Saaz hops (FWH) (1.0 oz./28 g at 3% alpha acid)
4.2 AAU US Sterling hops (FWH) (0.6 oz./17 g at 7% alpha acid)
3 AAU Czech Saaz hops (10 min.) (1.0 oz./28 g at 3% alpha acid)
7 AAU US Sterling hops (5 min.) (1.0 oz./28 g at 7% alpha acid)
3 AAU Czech Saaz hops (1 min.) (1.0 oz./28 g at 3% alpha acid)
9.8 AAU US Sterling hops (1 min.) (1.4 oz./40 g at 7% alpha acid)
Wyeast 2124 (Bohemian Lager) or White Labs WLP830 (German Lager) yeast (2 qt./2 L starter)
¾ cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
This is a single step infusion mash. Mash the grains at 155 °F (68 °C) in 4 qts. (3.8 L) of water. Hold at this temperature for 60 minutes. Collect 2.25 gallons (8.5 L) of wort. Add water to make at least 3 gallons (11 L) of wort. Stir in the dried malt extract and boil the wort for 90 minutes, adding hops at times indicated. Add the liquid malt extract in the final 15 minutes of the boil. Chill the wort, transfer to fermenter and top up to 5 gallons (19 L). Aerate the wort and pitch the yeast. Ferment at 50 °F (10 °C). Lager for 4–6 weeks at 33 °F (1 °C). Prime and bottle condition, or keg and force carbonate to 2.4 volumes CO2.
Bohemian Pilsner
(5 gallons/19 L, extract only)
OG = 1.055 FG = 1.014
IBU = 42 SRM = 4 ABV = 5.5%
Ingredients
6.6 lbs. (3 kg) Pilsner liquid malt extract
13 oz. (0.37 kg) Pilsner dried malt extract
3 AAU Czech Saaz hops (FWH) (1.0 oz./28 g at 3% alpha acid)
4.2 AAU US Sterling hops (FWH) (0.6 oz./17 g at 7% alpha acid)
3 AAU Czech Saaz hops (10 min.) (1.0 oz./28 g at 3% alpha acid)
7 AAU US Sterling hops (5 min.) (1.0 oz./28 g at 7% alpha acid)
3 AAU Czech Saaz hops (1 min.) (1.0 oz./28 g at 3% alpha acid)
9.8 AAU US Sterling hops (1 min.) (1.4 oz./40 g at 7% alpha acid)
Wyeast 2124 (Bohemian Lager) or White Labs WLP830 (German Lager) yeast (2 qt./2 L starter)
¾ cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Add the dried malt extract and half of the liquid malt extract to enough water to make at least 3 gallons (11 L) of wort. Boil the wort for 90 minutes, adding hops at times indicated. Keep some boiling water handy and do not let the boil volume dip below 3 gallons (11 L). Add the remaining liquid malt extract in the final 15 minutes of the boil. Chill the wort, transfer to the fermenter and top up to 5 gallons (19 L). Aerate the wort and pitch the yeast. Ferment at 50 °F (10 °C). Lager for 4–6 weeks at 33 °F (1 °C). Prime and bottle condition, or keg and force carbonate to 2.4 volumes CO2.
Bohemian Pilsner
Recipe by James Golovich, Richland, Washington
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.052 FG = 1.010
IBU = 37 SRM = 3.6 ABV = 5.6%
James won Best of Show at the 2008 Grant County Fair with this recipe.
Ingredients
9 lbs. 14 oz. (4.5 kg) Weyermann Pilsner malt (2 °L)
13.8 oz. (0.39 kg) Weyermann Carafoam® (dextrin) malt (2 °L)
5.8 AAU Magnum hops (60 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 11.5% alpha acid)
3.6 AAU Saaz hops (30 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 3.6% alpha acid)
3.6 AAU Saaz hops (10 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 3.6% alpha acid)
1 oz. (28 g) Saaz hops (0 min.)
White Labs WLP833 (German Bock Lager) or Wyeast 2487 (Hella Bock)* yeast (3 qt./3 L starter)
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Two or three days before brew day, make the yeast starter, aerating the wort thoroughly (preferably with oxygen) before pitching the yeast.
This is a single step infusion mash. On brew day, mash in at 155 °F (68 °C) in 15 qts. (14 L) of water. Hold at this temperature for 60 minutes. Raise the mash temperature to 170 °F (77 °C) for five minutes then recirculate. Run off the wort and sparge with water hot enough to keep the grain bed around 170 °F (77 °C). Collect 6.5 gallons (25 L) of wort. (Check that the final runnings do not drop below SG 1.010.) Boil the wort for 90 minutes, adding hops at times indicated. Chill the wort, aerate, and pitch the yeast. Ferment at 48–50 °F (9–10 °C) for three to four days, then finish off at 54–56 °F (12–13 °C). Lager for four to six weeks at 33 °F (1 °C). Prime and bottle condition, or keg and force carbonate to 2.4 volumes of CO2.
Bohemian Pilsner
(5 gallons/19 L, partial mash)
OG = 1.052 FG = 1.010
IBU = 37 SRM = 3.6 ABV = 5.6%
Ingredients
3.3 lbs. (1.5 kg) Pilsner liquid malt extract
1 lb. (0.45 kg) Pilsner dried malt extract
3 lbs. 4 oz. (1.5 kg) Weyermann Pilsner malt (2 °L)
13.8 oz. (0.39 kg) Weyermann Carafoam® (dextrin) malt (2 °L)
5.8 AAU Magnum hops (60 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 11.5% alpha acid)
3.6 AAU Saaz hops (30 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 3.6% alpha acid)
3.6 AAU Saaz hops (10 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 3.6% alpha acid)
1 oz. (28 g) Saaz hops (0 min.)
White Labs WLP833 (German Bock Lager) or Wyeast 2487 (Hella Bock)* yeast (3 qt./3 L starter)
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
This is a single step infusion mash. Mash the grains at 155 °F (68 °C) in 6 qts. (5.7 L) of water. Hold at this temperature for 60 minutes. Collect 2.25 gallons (8.5 L) of wort. Add water to make at least 3 gallons (11 L) of wort. Stir in the dried malt extract and boil the wort for 90 minutes, adding the hops at the times indicated. Add the liquid malt extract in the final 15 minutes of the boil. Chill the wort, transfer to a fermenter and top up to 5 gallons (19 L). Aerate the wort and pitch the yeast. Ferment at 48–50 °F (9–10 °C) for three to four days, then finish off at 54–56 °F (12–13 °C). Lager for four to six weeks at 33 °F (1 °C). Prime and bottle condition, or keg and force carbonate to 2.4 volumes CO2.
Bohemian Pilsner
(5 gallons/19 L, extract only)
OG = 1.052 FG = 1.010
IBU = 37 SRM = 3.6 ABV = 5.6%
Ingredients
6.6 lbs. (3 kg) Pilsner liquid malt extract
8 oz. (0.23 kg) Pilsner dried malt extract
5.8 AAU Magnum hops (60 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 11.5% alpha acid)
3.6 AAU Saaz hops (30 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 3.6% alpha acid)
3.6 AAU Saaz hops (10 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 3.6% alpha acid)
1 oz. (28 g) Saaz hops (0 min.)
White Labs WLP833 (German Bock Lager) or Wyeast 2487 (Hella Bock)* yeast (3 qt./3 L starter)
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Add the dried malt extract and half of the liquid malt extract to enough water to make at least 3 gallons (11 L) of wort. Boil wort for 90 minutes, adding hops at times indicated. Keep some boiling water handy and do not let the boil volume dip below 3 gallons (11 L). Add the remaining liquid malt extract in the final 15 minutes of the boil. Chill the wort, transfer to a fermenter and top up to 5 gallons (19 L). Aerate the wort and pitch the yeast. Ferment at 48–50 °F (9–10 °C) for three to four days, then finish off at 54–56 °F (12–13 °C). Lager for 4–6 weeks at 33 °F (1 °C). Prime and bottle condition, or keg and force carbonate to 2.4 volumes CO2.
(*Wyeast 2487 (Hella Bock) is a limited release strain)
Bohemian Pilsner
Recipe by Michael Agnew, Minneapolis, Minnesota
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.058 FG = 1.017
IBU = 41 SRM = 3.3 ABV = 5.6%
Michael won Gold in 2010 in the National Homebrew Competition (NHC) with this recipe.
Ingredients
11.5 lbs. (5.2 kg) German Pilsner malt
6.8 oz. (0.19 kg) dextrin malt
5.4 AAU Sterling hops (60 min.) (0.9 oz./26 g at 6% alpha acid)
6 AAU Sterling hops (30 min.) (1.0 oz./28 g at 6% alpha acid)
3.6 AAU Sterling hops (10 min.) (0.6 oz./17 g at 6% alpha acid)
1.0 oz. (28 g) Sterling hops (0 min.)
Wyeast 2001 (Urquell Lager) or White Labs WLP800 (Pilsner Lager) yeast
¾ cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Two or three days before brew day, make a yeast starter, aerating the wort thoroughly (preferably with oxygen) before pitching the yeast.
This is a single decoction mash, for more on decoction mashing see https://byo.com/story1409. On brew day, mash in the malt at 122 °F (50 °C) in 18 qts. (17 L) of water, and hold this temperature for 15 minutes. Raise temperature to 148 °F (64 °C) and hold this temperature for 15 minutes. Raise temperature to 155 °F (68 °C) and hold this temperature for 60 minutes.
Decoct 1⁄3 of the mash, boiling it for 10 minutes. Return the decoction to the main mash to hit mashout temperature of 169 °F (76 °C). Recirculate until clear, fly sparge with 168 °F (76 °C) water until 6.5 gallons (25 L) of wort is collected. Boil wort for 90 minutes, adding hops at times indicated. Chill wort, aerate, and pitch yeast. Ferment at 55 °F (13 °C) for 14 days. Lager for 30 days at 33 °F (1 °C). Prime and bottle condition, or keg and force carbonate to 2.4 volumes CO2.
Bohemian Pilsner
(5 gallons/19 L, partial mash)
OG = 1.058 FG = 1.017
IBU = 41 SRM = 3.3 ABV = 5.6%
Ingredients
3.3 lbs. (1.5 kg) Pilsner liquid malt extract
2 lbs. (0.91 kg) Pilsner dried malt extract
3 lbs. (1.36 kg) German Pilsner malt
6.8 oz. (0.19 kg) dextrin malt
5.4 AAU Sterling hops (60 min.) (0.9 oz./26 g at 6% alpha acid)
6 AAU Sterling hops (30 min.) (1.0 oz./28 g at 6% alpha acid)
3.6 AAU Sterling hops (10 min.) (0.6 oz./17 g at 6% alpha acid)
1.0 oz. (28 g) Sterling hops (0 min.)
Wyeast 2001 (Urquell Lager) or White Labs WLP800 (Pilsner Lager) yeast
¾ cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
This is a single step infusion mash. Mash the grains at 155 °F (68 °C) in 6 qts. (5.7 L) of water. Hold at this temperature for 60 minutes. Collect 2.25 gallons (8.5 L) of wort. Add water to make at least 3 gallons (11 L) of wort. Stir in the dried malt extract and boil the wort for 90 minutes, adding hops at the times indicated. Add the liquid malt extract in the final 15 minutes of the boil. Chill the wort, transfer to a fermenter and top up to 5 gallons (19 L). Aerate the wort and pitch the yeast. Ferment at 55 °F (13 °C) for 14 days. Lager for 30 days at 33 °F (1 °C). Prime and bottle condition, or keg and force carbonate to 2.4 volumes CO2.
Bohemian Pilsner
(5 gallons/19 L, extract only)
OG = 1.058 FG = 1.017
IBU = 41 SRM = 3.3 ABV = 5.6%
Ingredients
6.6 lbs. (3 kg) Pilsner liquid malt extract
1 lb. 2 oz. (0.51 kg) Pilsner dried malt extract
5.4 AAU Sterling hops (60 min.) (0.9 oz./26 g at 6% alpha acid)
6 AAU Sterling hops (30 min.) (1.0 oz./28 g at 6% alpha acid)
3.6 AAU Sterling hops (10 min.) (0.6 oz./17 g at 6% alpha acid)
1.0 oz. (28 g) Sterling hops (0 min.)
Wyeast 2001 (Urquell Lager) or White Labs WLP800 (Pilsner Lager) yeast
¾ cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Add dried malt extract and half the liquid malt extract to enough water to make at least 3 gallons (11 L) of wort. Boil the wort for 90 minutes, adding hops at times indicated. Keep some boiling water handy and do not let the boil volume dip below 3 gallons (11 L). Add the remaining liquid malt extract in the final 15 minutes of the boil. Chill the wort, transfer to fermenter and top up to 5 gallons (19 L). Aerate the wort and pitch yeast. Ferment at 55 °F (13 °C) for 14 days. Lager for 30 days at 33 °F (1 °C). Prime and bottle condition, or keg and force carbonate to 2.4 volumes CO2.
