Bohemian Pilsner (James Golovich)

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)