30 replies to this topic

[Big Nake]

I have Wyeast 2278 Czech Lager up and running and I've already made a couple of gold lagers for warmer weather drinking with this yeast. I had the choice of either retiring this yeast or making something "different" with it. Yes, I'm making a new style of beer (or at least I think I am). Tell me what you think or what you would like to see different.

Bohemian Amber Lager

7 lbs Best Malz Pils
2 lbs Weyermann Vienna
8 ounces Carapils
8 ounces Belgian CaraMunich II
½ ounce Debittered Black Malt
1 oz Tettnanger pellets 4.8% for 60 mins
¼ oz Hallertau Mittelfruh pellets 4.7% for 60 mins (about 6.0 AAU total)
1 ounce Saaz pellets 3.1% for 10 mins
1 ounce Saaz pellets 3.1% for 1 min
Wyeast 2278 Czech Lager yeast

OG: 1.054, FG: 1.014, IBU: 30, SRM: 10, ABV: 5.2%

Use all filtered tap water with some CaSO4 (1.3g) and CaCl (3g) and mash at 152° for 90 mins. Check mash and sparge pH, ferment between 47° and 50° in the fridge, etc. This yeast flocs like a MOFO so the resulting beer should be a nice, dark amber color and crystal clear. The black malt is strictly to darken the beer a little bit. Thoughts?

[positiveContact]

sort of a hybrid between bohemian and vienna lager sort of thing.

[MtnBrewer]

Yes, I'm making a new style of beer (or at least I think I am). Tell me what you think or what you would like to see different.

Thoughts?

Actually seems pretty similar to SABL. That's not a bad thing. I think the recipe looks interesting. Not sure if it's more like a caramelly pilsner or a hoppy Vienna/Munich.

[Big Nake]

Actually seems pretty similar to SABL. That's not a bad thing. I think the recipe looks interesting. Not sure if it's more like a caramelly pilsner or a hoppy Vienna/Munich.

Funny, funny, funny that you say that. I had a few SABLs yesterday and a few days ago I saw a commercial of theirs (with the brewer who is bald but has the big beard) and they show a glass of SABL being tapped and the head forming, etc. and then they hit you with the tag line... Take pride in your beer! Even though I wasn't really thinking of SABL when I put the recipe together, I'm sure those thoughts were in my head. I think I'm going to make it later this week just as I posted it. If anyone sees something off about it, please share. Cheers.

[MtnBrewer]

If I recall, SABL uses Tett and HM in 4 additions including a dry hop with HM. I like the Vienna addition and in fact, I just finished a recipe for a Germerican pilsner and I'm using a couple of pounds of Vienna in it.

[Big Nake]

If I recall, SABL uses Tett and HM in 4 additions including a dry hop with HM. I like the Vienna addition and in fact, I just finished a recipe for a Germerican pilsner and I'm using a couple of pounds of Vienna in it.

Yum.

Here's another weird note: Before I homebrewed, I made beer at a Brew-On-Premise and the people who worked there would also make beer, bottle it and sell it to those who were brewing and/or bottling their batch. One day we asked what they had and the owner said, "You have to try this 'Prague Pilsner' that I made" and we ordered a 22oz bomber. It was amber-colored, hoppy and very good and neither one of us knew better than to ask why the beer was copper/amber colored as opposed to 'gold'. We decided to make the beer ourselves and when we came back a few weeks later to bottle it, the beer was gold, which surprised us. When we asked the owner about it, he said something like, "Oh yeah, I remember now. I ran out of the pale extract [all of the beer brewed there was from extract] and used some of the amber extract to make up the difference!". I'll post back on it once I make it. Cheers!

[Big Nake]

Brewing this beer right now. I had a little bit of Hallertau Mittelfruh leftover and I'm going to throw that in late in the boil somewhere, maybe with 5 minutes left. Otherwise, mash started at 151.8° and no mash pH adjustments were necessary after the CaSO4 and CaCl2 were added. Cheers!

[Brauer]

They're called Polotmavé Pivo. They're Czech amber lagers related to Vienna Lagers. I've never seen one in the US, but they're available with a little looking around in the Czech Republic. The other thing that's historically popular in Prague is a 50/50 mix of Pilsner and Dunkel at the taps, which is sometimes listed as an amber on menus in some pubs.

[Big Nake]

They're called Polotmavé Pivo. They're Czech amber lagers related to Vienna Lagers. I've never seen one in the US, but they're available with a little looking around in the Czech Republic.

The other thing that's historically popular in Prague is a 50/50 mix of Pilsner and Dunkel at the taps, which is sometimes listed as an amber on menus in some pubs.

While my mash was doing its thing, I decided to do some research and found THIS article. It appears that there are some amber lagers brewed by breweries in the east of the Czech Republic. This article doesn't go into the character of the beer (hoppy, high ABV, etc.) but it specifically calls them "amber lagers" which is interesting. Also, I have seen shows where the hosts are in CR and when beer is part of the scene, Pilsner Urquell and a dark brown beer (probably a Dunkel) are always a part of it. But I hadn't heard that the two are mixed in the same glass. Interesting. Btw... I just went down and took a hit off the airlock... yummy! Saaz hops and Bohemian yeast!

[Brauer]

While my mash was doing its thing, I decided to do some research and found THIS article. It appears that there are some amber lagers brewed by breweries in the east of the Czech Republic. This article doesn't go into the character of the beer (hoppy, high ABV, etc.) but it specifically calls them "amber lagers" which is interesting.

This is all text, but it is a great site for accurate information about beer and pubs around Germany and the Czech Republic.

Here's a couple quotes about the amber lagers available in the Czech Republic:
Polomavé Výčepní Pivo 3-4% (8-10° Plato)
Amber, low-gravity lager. Some breweries call it Řizek or "cut", meaning a mix of pale and dark. A type of beer which is virtually unknown outside the Czech Republic.
Polotmavý ležák 4.4 - 5% (11-12° Plato) An amber lager, roughly in the Vienna style. Full-bodied, malty and with those lovely Czech hops much in evidence.
Polotmavé Speciální Pivo 5.3 - 6% (13-14° Plato) An amber lager, roughly in the Märzen style (some breweries still use that term, or at least the Czech translation "Březnové pivo"). Full-bodied, malty and with those lovely Czech hops much in evidence.
Polotmavé Speciální Pivo 6 - 7% (15-17° Plato) Amber bock - malty and bittersweet. Some beers are even called Kozlík - the Czech for "small goat" or "kid".
Polotmavé Speciální Pivo 8 - 9% (18-21° Plato) Amber doppelbock. Another amber style rarely seen outside the Czech Republic.

[Big Nake]

This is all text, but it is a great site for accurate information about beer and pubs around Germany and the Czech Republic.


Polotmavé Speciální Pivo 5.3 - 6% (13-14° Plato) An amber lager, roughly in the Märzen style (some breweries still use that term, or at least the Czech translation "Březnové pivo"). Full-bodied, malty and with those lovely Czech hops much in evidence.

This might be the closest example of what I made although I don't think a Marzen would have late hops added but that's just me. Interesting when you assume that every beer that comes out of Czech Republic seems like Budvar, Staro or Pilsner Urquell. I knew there were dunkels produced there but you don't see them here... at least I don't.

[Brauer]

This might be the closest example of what I made although I don't think a Marzen would have late hops added but that's just me. Interesting when you assume that every beer that comes out of Czech Republic seems like Budvar, Staro or Pilsner Urquell. I knew there were dunkels produced there but you don't see them here... at least I don't.

I think you're right about the closest style. The Czech versions of these beers are often hoppier, both in bitterness and late hops, than the German versions of these beers, so I wouldn't worry about late hops. Note the line about "those lovely Czech hops much in evidence."

In the Czech Republic I was in Prague, so I drank mostly dark beer from Bernard, Kozel, Krušovice, and Budvar. I only see Krušovice regularly here, but it is quite good and reasonably priced. They actually each make Pilsners and Dunkels in a range of gravities, which is typical in the Czech Republic. Most breweries seem to make a 10°, 12°, and 14° plato version of each style.

The amber beers I was able to find in Prague were a Bernard amber, similar to a Frankonian Märzen rather than the lighter Oktoberfests we're used to, and an amber Bock-like beer whose name escapes me despite the fact that it was heavily advertised throughout the city (Maxum or Magnum...something like that).

[Big Nake]

I think you're right about the closest style. The Czech versions of these beers are often hoppier, both in bitterness and late hops, than the German versions of these beers, so I wouldn't worry about late hops. Note the line about "those lovely Czech hops much in evidence."

In the Czech Republic I was in Prague, so I drank mostly dark beer from Bernard, Kozel, Krušovice, and Budvar. I only see Krušovice regularly here, but it is quite good and reasonably priced. They actually each make Pilsners and Dunkels in a range of gravities, which is typical in the Czech Republic. Most breweries seem to make a 10°, 12°, and 14° plato version of each style.

The amber beers I was able to find in Prague were a Bernard amber, similar to a Frankonian Märzen rather than the lighter Oktoberfests we're used to, and an amber Bock-like beer whose name escapes me despite the fact that it was heavily advertised throughout the city (Maxum or Magnum...something like that).

This is definitely one of my beer destinations, no question. My friend married a woman who's parents are from Germany and she is all about the German-everything and speaks fluent German. My wife has been to Europe and wants to go back and my bud and his wife have been to Oktoberfest a few times. We were all just talking the other day and I said we needed to plan out trips to Cologne, Dusseldorf, Munich, Prague, Innsbruck and Vienna. We'll see how long it takes for that to happen. Cheers & thanks for the great info, as always.

[Genesee Ted]

Wow, this is a great thread. I am going to Prague in September. I did a lager a couple of years ago along the lines of the dopplebock one described and it was awesome. I will try to dig the recipe up. It definitely needs to be brewed again.

[Brauer]

I am going to Prague in September.

Enjoy! It's a great city (and only a few hours from Munich!)

We stayed at the U Medvidku, a hotel/restaurant/beerhall/brewery near the center of the old town. The brewery isn't much more than a curiosity, but there is a great little Budvar pub on the first floor. It's only a few blocks from U Fleku, a lot of the tourist sites on that side of the river, and walking distance from the bridge and even the castle (a bit of a long walk to the castle). I'm sure there are nicer places, but it's a pretty cool option.

Near U Fleku, there is U Bubenicku, which I quite liked as a slightly tacky, traditional looking pub that is a great place to have Haxen, the roasted, smoked pigs knuckles that I love so much and highly recommend you try. There are a lot of other places clumped together in the more touristy center, though, and you'll have no problem finding lots of places to grab a beer.

One place that is a bit out of the way, but could be worth getting to is Pivovarsky Klub, which can have otherwise difficult to fid beers available. Also, check out some of the corner stores, which can often be packed with cases of a wide range of beers from major breweries, most of which you'll have never seen before.

[Genesee Ted]

We will be in Munich as well, a handful of days before. I definitely need to do my homework on what beers to look for. It is the last stop on our honeymoon, so I will probably bring back a lot of Czech lager! If anyone wants to organize a purchase for me to mail back, I would have no problem helping you out!

[Big Nake]

On the Prague episode of Three Sheets, the host goes to a place called U Vegvudo (he says "oo vej-voodoo") and eats beer cheese with onions and mustard (and compares the smell to that of a dead dog) and then he eats "knee of pork". All of this is supposed to empower him to hold down many beers. If you haven't seen this show (or this episode). I highly recommend you CZECH IT OUT. Na Zdravi!

[Genesee Ted]

On the Prague episode of Three Sheets, the host goes to a place called U Vegvudo (he says "oo vej-voodoo") and eats beer cheese with onions and mustard (and compares the smell to that of a dead dog) and then he eats "knee of pork". All of this is supposed to empower him to hold down many beers. If you haven't seen this show (or this episode). I highly recommend you CZECH IT OUT. Na Zdravi!

Thanks for the link!

I love this place

[Brauer]

then he eats "knee of pork".

I don't know about the smelly cheese, but the "knee of pork", the haxen, is like European BBQ.

We will be in Munich as well, a handful of days before. I definitely need to do my homework on what beers to look for. It is the last stop on our honeymoon, so I will probably bring back a lot of Czech lager!

There's a lot of places to go in Munich, but the big ones are one of the Augustiner Beerhalls (their Dunkel is, debatably the best beer in a city of great beer and they have a couple nice pubs, the best one is probably the one out by the train station and I like the one across the street from the Rathaus Glockenspiel), the Hofbrauhaus (of course, another great place to get Haxen, they have both a smoked one and a marinated one, in case you go there for lunch and stay for dinner) and the Ayinger pub just off the same square that has Helles on cask in the late afternoon (if I remember correctly). One thing I learned about during my last visit was the tradition of the morning-after "Bavarian breakfast", which is a trip to the Schneider Weisse pub a block-or-so down from the Rathaus before noon for a Weisse, a pretzel and Weisswurst (which is supposedly made fresh every morning and only served until noon by tradition).

A lot of people really like the BMW tour, which I've never done, but you need to reserve a place in advance if you want to go. One of my friends is an avid fan of the Andechs monastery brewery and says it is a must see/drink. It is ~45 minute trip on the commuter rail line, but I never seem to make it there despite having been to Munich about 5 times.

Back to Prague. I really meant to try and find more of the Amber Lagers, but they aren't common and the Dunkel is really the specialty of Prague. Pilsner Urquell is everywhere, of course, but I had one in Pilsen on the trip to Prague and figured I could get one whenever I want back home, while I might never see some of those Dunkels again. The Budweis Pilsners are a little harder to find, so I made sure I had a few of those, too, but that has since become one of the house beers at one of my locals.

[cavman]

Drinking a Baltika 4 and it made me think of this thread, though brewed in Russia not Bohemia.