15 replies to this topic

[Big Nake]

I mentioned this beer in another thread in the beer forum. There is some information on this beer on the FW site and they hint that it's "German" but with a Czech twist except they don't say what the Czech twist is. So I'm going to make a similar beer and attack it thusly:

Firestone Walker Pivo Pils

8 lbs Best Malz Pils
2 lbs Best Malz Vienna
.42 oz German Magnum pellets 12.1% for 60 (21 IBUs)
1 oz German Spalt pellets 3.2% for 20 mins
1 oz German Spalt pellets 3.2% for 15 mins
1 oz German Saphir pellets 4.6% for 5 mins
Wyeast 2124 Bohemian Lager Yeast

OG: 1.057, FG: 1.012, IBU: 40, SRM 4-5, ABV: 5.6%

The pils may be made up with some Avangard German Pils that I also have. Their site says that they dry hop it with Saphir but I do not plan to dry hop it. I am right on the IBUs of the commercial version and if I think it needs some additional OOMPH, I may drop an ounce of Saphir pellets into the keg in a hop bag. Otherwise, all filtered tap water, CaCl2 in the mash with lactic acid to get the mash to 5.2 or so, mash temp around 150° single infusion. The commercial version had a bit of color so maybe the Czech twist was adding some Vienna.

[Big Nake]

Made this beer this morning. I made a couple changes though. I moved the 20 minute addition of Spalt to a FWH and I also used 70% pils and 30% Vienna. While I was brewing it, the female man brought me a package...



This is the glass I drank the commercial version from last weekend. I found a guy on eBay that was selling these for $6! Woot!

[HVB]

Late info but found this on a website today.  Looks like some more info on the beer

 

https://www.thepourr...-smash-brewday/

[Big Nake]

Late info but found this on a website today.  Looks like some more info on the beer   https://www.thepourr...-smash-brewday/

Thanks for posting that. I like his swipe at a recipe and hopefully mine will be even closer because I used the hops mentioned on the FW site (Magnum, Spalt, Saphir) and I only used 2124 because I love it... according to that article it's the proper yeast to use and maybe THAT's the Czech twist since it's called BOHEMIAN lager yeast. My grain bill is not ALL Weyermann but it doesn't say if there is Munich or Vienna in the commercial version so that part is up for grabs. This beer is at or near the end of primary and it will sit there longer because I will be out of town for awhile. I have some lighter styles in the pipeline and I'm going to try to let them lager for a good 3 months or so... thinking some of these beers will be great in the spring. Cheers.

[Big Nake]

I just carbed this beer over the past 2 days and I just grabbed a sample with a cobra tap. This beer turned out really nicely. I would guess that it doesn't come across quite as hoppy as the commercial version which makes me think that when you see "IBU = 40", that the 40 could come in a variety of ways (as we know). What I might have done was modify the hop schedule to include a nice whirlpool addition which would have jacked up the perception of hops without bumping up the IBUs very much. I was actually envisioning something like this on an upcoming beer. Maybe a FWH, a 60-minute, a 15 and a big whirlpool. This beer is also supposed to be dry-hopped which I may or may not do. The sample is cold and carbed but it's a bit hazy and has some yeast in it... but it's delicious. Cheers!

[neddles]

... but it's delicious.

Priority #1 has been met. Post a pic when this baby is finished.

[Steve Urquell]

What I might have done was modify the hop schedule to include a nice whirlpool addition which would have jacked up the perception of hops without bumping up the IBUs very much. I was actually envisioning something like this on an upcoming beer. Maybe a FWH, a 60-minute, a 15 and a big whirlpool. This beer is also supposed to be dry-hopped which I may or may not do.

My hoppy german pils is done with d-rest and I pulled a sample tonight. The Spalt whirlpool addition gave it a nice hop character w/o being as resiny as C-hops are--still lingers in the mouth though. The beer is really good and I'm on the fence about the dry hop. Do you find it as hard as I do to dry hop one when it already tastes great?

[Big Nake]

My hoppy german pils is done with d-rest and I pulled a sample tonight. The Spalt whirlpool addition gave it a nice hop character w/o being as resiny as C-hops are--still lingers in the mouth though. The beer is really good and I'm on the fence about the dry hop. Do you find it as hard as I do to dry hop one when it already tastes great?

Yes, sort of. I guess it depends on what the schedule might be. Are you going to lager it for awhile? If so, will that Spalt whirlpool hop character fade? My dry hopping experiences have been hit and miss and I think you REALLY have to have good, fresh hops to do it and they have to be the right hops. FW says they dry hop this Pivo Pils with Saphir which I have to say is an excellent German hop. But I have never dry hopped with it. I have high expectations that this beer will be delicious, well-balanced and clear when I get it to the taps. I don't know if the hop character will be "bright" like it is right now and if it's not... maybe some Saphir will go into the keg.

[No Party JKor]

I had some of this last year.  It's a great beer.  The BMCs of the world have really ruined the term 'pilsner', guilt by association, unfortunately.  I bet a lot of young beer drinkers shy away from this style for that reason.  A well made German/Czech pils is really an amazing treat.

 

Thanks for posting up the recipe, Ken!

[Big Nake]

I had some of this last year.  It's a great beer.  The BMCs of the world have really ruined the term 'pilsner', guilt by association, unfortunately.  I bet a lot of young beer drinkers shy away from this style for that reason.  A well made German/Czech pils is really an amazing treat.   Thanks for posting up the recipe, Ken!

The wild thing about it is that most "American Pilsners" that you think of are swill or sort-of-swill and quite a few of the craft beer versions of pilsners are just not right for some reason. They're either hopped like an IPA because craft breweries can't restrain themselves or else they're just not as clean and delicious as you would expect them to be. OTOH, you have some great European examples but by the time we get them, they're not as good anymore. So what do you do? You have to make it yourself! As an aside: This beer has now been lagering for almost 2 months and it's "next up" when a tap opens up. I'm looking forward to it.

[Brauer]

I had some of this last year.  It's a great beer.  The BMCs of the world have really ruined the term 'pilsner', guilt by association, unfortunately.  I bet a lot of young beer drinkers shy away from this style for that reason.  A well made German/Czech pils is really an amazing treat.

 

Thanks for posting up the recipe, Ken!

I've never had a BMC Pilsner. Do any of them make one?

[neddles]

I've never had a BMC Pilsner. Do any of them make one?

[No Party JKor]

I've never had a BMC Pilsner. Do any of them make one?

No, but they call it that, as evidenced above. Although, i think miller is the only one that actually calls it 'pilsner'. Even so, the damage is done.

[Big Nake]

When I tell people the story of Plzen, Czech Republic and why the beer style is called a Pilsner, Pilsener, Pilsen, etc., I get a lot of What does Bud Light have to do with the Czech Republic?... EXACTLY!

[neddles]

No, but they call it that, as evidenced above. Although, i think miller is the only one that actually calls it 'pilsner'. Even so, the damage is done.

Yep. For a good part of my adult life I associated the terms "pilsner" and even "lager" with shitty yellow beer. Was never introduced to it any other way. Didn't know any better.

[Brauer]

That beer may be a crime against humanity, but it certainly isn't a Pilsner. 

 

Perhaps they just mean that it has a little Pilsner Malt in it to convert the corn.