Better Brew Czech Pilsner

[StrangeBrew]

Am planning on using a Better Brew Pilsner kit as a base for a "Schwarzbier" black lager...

viewtopic.php?f=36&t=24729

I'll let you know how it goes !

:

 

[calumscott]

They supply their own lager yeast with the kit :thumb: :grin: :grin: :grin:

Not *strictly* true...

...what they've supplied is something that brews this beer out to something very lagery but at room temperature. Pretty sure it's not a true lager yeast but whatever it is it does a pretty decent job. :thumb: :thumb:

 

[oldstout]

They supply their own lager yeast with the kit :thumb: :grin: :grin: :grin:

Not *strictly* true...

...what they've supplied is something that brews this beer out to something very lagery but at room temperature. Pretty sure it's not a true lager yeast but whatever it is it does a pretty decent job. :thumb: :thumb:

:lol: :lol:

 

[Jamthesun]

OK you've convinced me, I've just ordered one. I've tried a few lager kits and not been too impressed. I mainly drink ale and I like a hoppy brew so was attracted to this kit based on your reviews.

A couple of Qs. 1/ Does it come with a lager yeast? If is there a yeast you would recommend? 2/ what fermentables would you recommend? brew sugar? Kit enhancer? Something else?

Cheers

 

[calumscott]

1/ Does it come with a lager yeast? If is there a yeast you would recommend?

It comes with some unknown yeast that ferments exceptionally cleanly at room temperature. I wouldn't bother looking for a proper lager yeast unless you are looking for total pilsner perfection and can provide the temperature control required to brew with those yeasts.

2/ what fermentables would you recommend? brew sugar? Kit enhancer? Something else?

I did mine completely by the recipe and used dextrose. The result was excellent.

That said, my BB IPA that I did with LME is simply incredible and my next one, BB Export Lager, will be done with extra light DME just to see if it makes much difference over the dextrose in the pils. Again if you are looking for total pilsner perfection, get a tin of coopers light LME, or go with a kilo of extra light DME. Dextrose will, however give you a great result.

 

[oldstout]

OK you've convinced me, I've just ordered one. I've tried a few lager kits and not been too impressed. I mainly drink ale and I like a hoppy brew so was attracted to this kit based on your reviews

Cheers

You won't be disappointed


Thank me in two months or so time :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[shauno2000]

hey guys, brewing this at the moment, just a question was it very cloudy still when you bottled?
Mines been in for a week, its showing ready to bottle on the hydro... but its still very cloudy

One thing to add is i brew in a shed usually with a heat belt, as the weather has been so good lately the beer temp has been at 25oC +

Could this effect the beer brewing?

Thanks

 

[lovelldr]

I was very disappointed with how the year in this kit settled...

Like you, when this kit was ready to bottle, it was still cloudy. So,I put it on garage floor for a few days, and it started to clear nicely. Sample I took was nice and clear, so, decided to bottle. On bottle, year appeared to mix up again. On putting in bottling bucket, it was all cloudy again when bottled...

The iPa came out nice and clear, and year settled really nice. But not this one...

Just leaving to condition now, but it's so hot. Going not to get any bottle bombs...

 

[ChrisRedWills]

Hi brewers



I bought this kit after reading your rave reviews I've done mine with 1kg of brew enhancer 2 & 500g of light spray malt fermenting at 20 degrees can't wait will let u no how it goes :

 

[oldstout]

Hi brewers



I bought this kit after reading your rave reviews I've done mine with 1kg of brew enhancer 2 & 500g of light spray malt fermenting at 20 degrees can't wait will let u no how it goes :

Good luck. Mine is simply stunning :shock: :shock: clear as a bell, and quite superb :thumb: it's disappointing to hear some peeps are not getting a similar result :wha: :wha:

:

 

[shauno2000]

Do you think its got an infection? It tastes ok and smells very strongly of alcohol.
No bubbles are rising but still really cloudy??

 

[ChrisRedWills]

Hi Shauno

25+degrees sounds a little to hot all though I'm only a newbie my shedhas the same temp so took the fv back indoors its now sitting nicely at 20 degrees good luck :

 

[nightsod]

I was lead by these reviews into buying a packet.

Found the big sachet a little awkward and raised an eyebrow at something which is essentially unrecyclable being presented as better packaging.

I haven't seen any mentions of og/fg readings, which I always like as reassureance. I opened mine for the first time today after 9 days fermenting to pop the hydrometer in.

I'm at 1.10. (Incidentally, it smelled wonderful, complex lager hops; light and fresh. A very different beast to my previous Belgian beers and bitters.)

I'll probably bottle on Wed anyhow, but was interested in other readings.

 

[lovelldr]

I thought I posted my readings before inc not. Mine started off at 1.052 iirc, and finished at 1.010. Others managed to get there's down a little lower I think, but happy with that. Comes out around 5.6%, so that's ample for me.

Taste was nice from trial jar, and smell was all good. Was just a little worried about the fact the yeast hadn't really compacted well...

 

[nightsod]

Sorry if you did. I must read with my eyes closed sometimes!

Anyway, I'll be happy with 1.010 if that's where it sticks.... my o.g. was 1.42, I think? I always struggle to read through the froth ( I use a hand mixer to aerate the wort!); wouldn't be surprised if I was very wrong in that reading.

I would think temp. makes a great difference to clearing? Like many on here I'm limited to ambient temperatures for brewing, so my wort looks more wheat beer than Lager!

 

[lovelldr]

Well, had to crack one of these open today, as just wanted to see what the carbonation levels were like, and how it was generally...

Well, it's only been bottled and conditioning for 4 days. Temp has been much higher than normal, so has been carbonating at around 25-26'c (it's normally 20-21'c in the room). I batched primed for 190g for 21l, and testing today, it gave a good head, some good bubbles while in glass... Glass had started to clear quite a bit, but upon pouring, the yeast easily dislodged from bottle of bottle and came in to the glass... So, what I tasted was quite yeasty ... but, it was a nice lager imo.

Look forward to drinking some more of this in the future, but hope it settles a lot more!!!

 

[lovelldr]

Well, today was 7 days in the warmth. Being eager, I wanted to test what this was like, and how much clearing had happened, etc...

To recap, I'd noticed that after clearing well in the FV during cold crash, when it came to bottling, at bottom of the FV whilst syphoning, the yeasties mixed back up, hadn't settled at all...

Looking at bottles throughout the week, could see it settling somewhat. So, today, decided to whack one in the fridge ready for tonight... On opening, a nice psht sound. Pouring, good bubbles throughout the pour. Looking nice and clear. Start to see a little sediment rising as pouring, so stop with just a trickle left...

10 mins after pouring, and it's kept a good head. Still bubbling nicely in the glass. Looking nice and clear. Bottom of bottle, the yeast had not settled at all... Hopefully with time it will...

Now, taste. Still tasting a little young. But, it does seem to have a good taste lingering underneath it's youth. I think that the above reviews could be good for this one. Looking forward to sampling a couple of these during the euros to see how they are ageing through. Just a shame I didn't plan ahead and think of getting this on the go ready to be supped throughout the euros

But so far, from a young point of view, this gets a thumbsup from me :) :thumb: :thumb: :

 

[oldstout]

Well, today was 7 days in the warmth. Being eager, I wanted to test what this was like, and how much clearing had happened, etc...

To recap, I'd noticed that after clearing well in the FV during cold crash, when it came to bottling, at bottom of the FV whilst syphoning, the yeasties mixed back up, hadn't settled at all...

Looking at bottles throughout the week, could see it settling somewhat. So, today, decided to whack one in the fridge ready for tonight... On opening, a nice psht sound. Pouring, good bubbles throughout the pour. Looking nice and clear. Start to see a little sediment rising as pouring, so stop with just a trickle left...

10 mins after pouring, and it's kept a good head. Still bubbling nicely in the glass. Looking nice and clear. Bottom of bottle, the yeast had not settled at all... Hopefully with time it will...

Now, taste. Still tasting a little young. But, it does seem to have a good taste lingering underneath it's youth. I think that the above reviews could be good for this one. Looking forward to sampling a couple of these during the euros to see how they are ageing through. Just a shame I didn't plan ahead and think of getting this on the go ready to be supped throughout the euros

But so far, from a young point of view, this gets a thumbsup from me :) :thumb: :thumb: :

Still far too early :nono:



Patience young lovelldr..... :whistle:

 

[Phil_MG]

Just got mine on the go today. I'm quite a hop fanatic so I've boiled up some extra hops for mine in a standard saucepan for some extra oomph....

60 mins - 10g (ish - rough handful) Admiral
10 mins - 10g Saaz (as above :lol:)

Tasted the wort after I'd checked the OG and well... perhaps I've slightly over-hopped it :lol: It's got a very astringent taste to it at the moment. I guess it'll need some maturing but hopefully it'll be good when it's done. I've pitched the yeast a little too hot as well as I was trying to get the most out of the bag using hot water, but was at 26 degrees when I'd topped up to 23 litres. Hopefully it'll cool down reasonably well overnight without doing too much damage.

Updates to follow in due course....

 

[Phil_MG]

Dropped to 20 degrees C now so hopefully it'll continue to drop a little bit further as the day goes on. Yeast is going berserk as we speak