25 replies to this topic

[Steve Urquell]

I find myself going to my 1.036OG CZ session amber all the time during the week. 5% beer messes with my sleep and I don't always want a buzz. I like that I can drink a couple pints of beer and not feel bloated as well.

The plan is to have 3 beers on tap as daily drinkers. All 3.5-4% ABV/1.036-38 beers. All will be Czech lagers with malt character and hop presence. One light, my standard amber, and one dark.

Here's my template amber that I've brewed a few times and really enjoy. Any interest in session lagers here?

https://brews-bros.c...½/#entry2551329

[Big Nake]

What yeast?

I can totally relate to this. You already know that most of my beers are in the 4.5 to 5.5% range and I like to drink beer... not have one or two beers and then be hammered and need a nap. In the past I have mentioned that having a pale beer like a helles and then a darker beer like a Vienna or dunkel and I would be a happy man.

[Steve Urquell]

What yeast?

I can totally relate to this. You already know that most of my beers are in the 4.5 to 5.5% range and I like to drink beer... not have one or two beers and then be hammered and need a nap. In the past I have mentioned that having a pale beer like a helles and then a darker beer like a Vienna or dunkel and I would be a happy man.

I like my MJ M84 but I may try the omega bayern you've been raving about.

 

I worked up a preliminary 1.036 light lager that's something like this:

 

7lb Castle pils

2lb Castle pale ale or Vienna

4-8oz caraLight 10L or 4oz of caramunich 40L

acid malt to 5.2pH

 

2oz Trad @ 30mins (maybe a 30min boil beer)

1oz each Saaz at 15 and whirlpool

 

How's that looking?

 

Here's the Amber/dunkel I've brewed before in the thread i added.

 

Edited by Steve Urquell, 02 December 2017 - 06:38 PM.

[Big Nake]

9½ pounds of grain gives you a 1.036 beer? Sounds like it should be a little higher than that.

When it comes to Czech yeasts I find myself in a little coin-flipping situation. 2278 is fine and I could use 2000 or 2001 although I'm pretty sure one of those is no longer available.WL802 is also nice and 2124 could be considered Czech because it's "Bohemian" after all and also one of my favorites. I dearly wish someone would re-release the Staropramen yeast (Wyeast called it 2782).

If you haven't tried the Omega Bayern yeast, you absolutely must. I don't know that I would make beers that I call "Czech" with it but it's very versatile and it truly makes a delicious beer. The character is about as "beer heaven" as you can get.

Oh, I like that glass too.

[Steve Urquell]

9½ pounds of grain gives you a 1.036 beer? Sounds like it should be a little higher than that.

When it comes to Czech yeasts I find myself in a little coin-flipping situation. 2278 is fine and I could use 2000 or 2001 although I'm pretty sure one of those is no longer available.WL802 is also nice and 2124 could be considered Czech because it's "Bohemian" after all and also one of my favorites. I dearly wish someone would re-release the Staropramen yeast (Wyeast called it 2782).

If you haven't tried the Omega Bayern yeast, you absolutely must. I don't know that I would make beers that I call "Czech" with it but it's very versatile and it truly makes a delicious beer. The character is about as "beer heaven" as you can get.

Oh, I like that glass too.

I brew 7 gallon batches. usually get ~85% efficiency on lower grav beers. I looked at my recipe calculator and it looks like I could drop the pils to 6lbs. I may go with MJ M84 as i know i really like its character in my CZ beers.

 

That glass makes my beer look bootyfull.

Edited by Steve Urquell, 02 December 2017 - 07:15 PM.

[Big Nake]

That glass makes my beer look bootyfull.

It's true. It's got that "kung-fu grip" on the bottom too.

[positiveContact]

Really nice color on that amber. It's hard to please the masses with lower gravity beers. Everyone is expecting big beers these days. I find I'm usually pretty happy around 6%abv but I do also enjoy some lower abv stuff too.

[Steve Urquell]

Really nice color on that amber. It's hard to please the masses with lower gravity beers. Everyone is expecting big beers these days. I find I'm usually pretty happy around 6%abv but I do also enjoy some lower abv stuff too.

Thanks. Probably the prettiest beer I've brewed. I usually keep a 5% gold lager on tap for the masses. These are for my own personal consumption. I find that I like the flavor more than the effect these days. I can get great flavor in a small beer. That one above would surprise you. Last time I shared it with a bjcp judge he could not believe it was 1.036OG.

[HVB]

Following! I like where you are going with this.

[Steve Urquell]

Following! I like where you are going with this.

New projects get me excited about brewing too. Here's something I was looking at from my CZ beer style guide and it may help me to get my beer closer to where I want it. This is for Svetle Vycepni (light color draft 3-4% ABV)

 

https://www.european...et/czecintr.htm

"Pale, low-strength lager. In German the name translates as "Helles Schankbier". Usually highly-attenuated and fairly hoppy. Not lagered for any great time, such beers are sold 3-4 weeks after mashing. The most popular style of beer in the Czech Republic."

 

I bet this beer is crashed while fermenting leaving some diacetyl and residual sweetness, something I have struggled to get in my CZ beer. BYO did a CZ style profile where a CZ brewer talked about crashing a couple gravity points high. My only worry is ending up with acetaldehyde and I cannot suffer that MFer.

[Steve Urquell]

This is a go on tuesday, my next day off. I picked up a can of Imperial Urkel L28 today. Anyone used this yeast?

 

First beer is a Svetly 10°. All my batches are 7gal.

1.036/4SRM/25IBUs

 

4.5lbs Castle Pale Ale

3.5 Castle pils

10oz CaraLight 10L

 

1.7 oz Tradition @30min

1.5oz Saaz Leaf @15 and

0mins

 

 

 

[HVB]

Steve, how did this come out?  With spring I hope on the way I would like to get some warm weather beers lined up and I could see this working out good for that.

[Poptop]

I’m in too. The original posts recipe for the Amber looks great but raises questions. 10 ounces of carafa and that color? That beautiful amber color?

[Steve Urquell]

I tried to cut corners on my process on the first beer to save time and it came out way too thin. Havent brewed anything else yet.

Only 2 oz of midnight wheat in my amber. 10oz caramunich 2

[HVB]

That sucks! Sorry to hear it didn't come out good. I may just give it a go with one of the yeasts I have kicking around.

[Poptop]

A too thin yellow'y lager isn't so bad. A too think dark/caramel infused beer is something different imho. I think it's more perceived but none the less. Super light yellow always seems to be fine.

[Big Nake]

Didn't see this originally but the "can of yeast" is intriguing. I went to the Imperial site and see three lager yeast strains... one that sounds like 2124 (L13 Global), one that sounds Czech-like (L28 Urkel) and one that could be 2308 or something similar (L17 Harvest) and then there is a West Coast/Common/Steam strain. On the site they show a plastic pouch kind of thing... not a can. What's the deal with the can? I like the idea that we're seeing yeast from places other than Wyeast and White Labs. The Omega Bayern is great and now they have a Mexican Lager strain as well. More lager strains to choose from is always a good thing. Chils, please keep us posted on how the beers come out with the Urkel.

[HVB]

Didn't see this originally but the "can of yeast" is intriguing. I went to the Imperial site and see three lager yeast strains... one that sounds like 2124 (L13 Global), one that sounds Czech-like (L28 Urkel) and one that could be 2308 or something similar (L17 Harvest) and then there is a West Coast/Common/Steam strain. On the site they show a plastic pouch kind of thing... not a can. What's the deal with the can? I like the idea that we're seeing yeast from places other than Wyeast and White Labs. The Omega Bayern is great and now they have a Mexican Lager strain as well. More lager strains to choose from is always a good thing. Chils, please keep us posted on how the beers come out with the Urkel.

They used cans first and it seems they changed.  I had issues with the cans needed a spoon to get the yeast out even after shaking.

[Big Nake]

They used cans first and it seems they changed.  I had issues with the cans needed a spoon to get the yeast out even after shaking.

DOH! There go my dreams of opening a can of yeast!

Still. The more liquid yeast strains we can get our grubby hands on, the better. Now if one of these yeast companies would release the Staropramen lager yeast from the Czech Republic we'd be in business. If that strain came out as a permanent strain, I would use 2124, Staro, Bayern and 940 for the rest of my days and be very, very happy.

[neddles]

Didn't see this originally but the "can of yeast" is intriguing. I went to the Imperial site and see three lager yeast strains... one that sounds like 2124 (L13 Global), one that sounds Czech-like (L28 Urkel) and one that could be 2308 or something similar (L17 Harvest) and then there is a West Coast/Common/Steam strain. On the site they show a plastic pouch kind of thing... not a can. What's the deal with the can? I like the idea that we're seeing yeast from places other than Wyeast and White Labs. The Omega Bayern is great and now they have a Mexican Lager strain as well. More lager strains to choose from is always a good thing. Chils, please keep us posted on how the beers come out with the Urkel.

 

Since it is relevant to your interests... L17 Harvest is the same strain as WY2352 which, as you know, is of the same origin as Omega Bayern Lager.