74 replies to this topic

[positiveContact]

Nothing too out there....

 

base will be best malz pils

probably a little carahell

probably an even smaller amount of aromatic

 

single infusion

I'll probably use a little calcium chloride and/or gypsum but mostly lactic to get my pH down.

 

hopped with saaz (maybe magnum for bitterness)

 

fermented on 34/70

 

[Bklmt2000]

Looks good; use the Magnum to bitter and save the Saaz for late additions.

[positiveContact]

Looks good; use the Magnum to bitter and save the Saaz for late additions.

 

yeah - that's what I was thinkin!

has there been any update on water for these beers?

[HVB]

yeah - that's what I was thinkin!

has there been any update on water for these beers?

I have a document from white labs on these. I will find it and try and post.

[positiveContact]

I have a document from white labs on these. I will find it and try and post.

 

interesting.  I didn't know they put out research that wasn't directly yeast related.  I'll take it wherever I can get it!

[Bklmt2000]

yeah - that's what I was thinkin!

has there been any update on water for these beers?

Super soft, with virtually no carbonate/bicarbonate. 

 

If you have hard water, either dilute w/ RO or use acid (I always used lactic) to knock the alkalinity down as much as you can without negatively affecting pH.

[positiveContact]

Super soft, with virtually no carbonate/bicarbonate. 

 

If you have hard water, either dilute w/ RO or use acid (I always used lactic) to knock the alkalinity down as much as you can without negatively affecting pH.

 

even now it's pretty common for bru'n water to report negative bicarb after I'm done.  

 

like the last beer I used lactic on I see that the finished water profile has -69 bicarb.  what does that mean anyway?

[HVB]

even now it's pretty common for bru'n water to report negative bicarb after I'm done.

like the last beer I used lactic on I see that the finished water profile has -69 bicarb. what does that mean anyway?

I always wondered about why it does not do that for acid malt.

[Bklmt2000]

Check this out: https://www.homebrew...p?topic=15647.0

 

Martin's last post is the clincher.

[positiveContact]

If I neutralize bicarb completely does this mean I've also reduced is flavor impact?

[Bklmt2000]

If I neutralize bicarb completely does this mean I've also reduced is flavor impact?

Yes.

[positiveContact]

Yes.

 

huh - than why are people so worried about super soft water for czech beers?  it's pretty easily to neutralize with acid.

[Bklmt2000]

huh - than why are people so worried about super soft water for czech beers?  it's pretty easily to neutralize with acid.

It's a simple thing to do (neutralize w/ acid) once you know how.  But using super soft water is one thing that makes Czech pils unique.

 

You can hop the hell out of it and it will still taste great, where a pils brewed w/ harder, more alkaline, water (German pils) needs a lighter hand with the hops to achieve the same/similar hop character.

[positiveContact]

It's a simple thing to do (neutralize w/ acid) once you know how.  But using super soft water is one thing that makes Czech pils unique.

 

You can hop the hell out of it and it will still taste great, where a pils brewed w/ harder, more alkaline, water (German pils) needs a lighter hand with the hops to achieve the same/similar hop character.

 

I guess I just think back to my earlier days and no one ever mentioned using acid to get where you need to be.  it was either dilute with RO or use RO or pre-boil and leave the bicarb behind.  it's like using lactic was not a viable option.  it's what I do all the time but I didn't know how this would compare with starting with actual soft water.

[positiveContact]

Alright... 10 gallons.  Originally I wasn't going to put this much carahell in but I was looking at Horst Dornbusch's book on beer styles and he had a few recipes for bohemian pils.  a couple of them had 5% or more (total) of things like carahell, carapils, aromatic, etc.  In this case the carahell is about 4.5% and the aromatic is about 0.75%.

 

16 lb pils

12 oz carahell

2 oz aromatic

 

mash at 152

(I'll work out the water chemistry later)

 

1.5 oz magnum at 45 min

2oz saaz at 0 min

3oz saaz hop stand

 

ferment on 34/70

 

OG: 1.048

IBU: 31-32

SRM: 2.9

Edited by Mando, 04 March 2021 - 11:51 AM.

[Bklmt2000]

Looks fine.  Were it me, I'd bump up the aromatic a smidge to 4 oz if you have that much on hand.

[positiveContact]

Looks fine.  Were it me, I'd bump up the aromatic a smidge to 4 oz if you have that much on hand.

 

I'm nearly positive I have about a pound of aromatic.

[HVB]

I would even go 6oz in that 10g batch.

[Bklmt2000]

I would even go 6oz in that 10g batch.

Agreed.  Should help steer the beer towards the Czech end of the pils spectrum.  For a German pils, I'd say ditch the aromatic.

[positiveContact]

good to know, guys.  this isn't a style I make that often.