Better Brew Czech Pilsner

[calumscott]

Just leave them in the fridge for a few weeks, that should drop the yeast out nicely.

 

[Slate Miner]

I brewed this Czech pilsner with 500gms of brewing sugar & 500gms of spray malt light, as per instructions up to 23 litres and used bottled spring water.

The initial fermentation was very fast and aggresive :shock: :rofl: The final gravity reading was 1012. Each bottle was primed with a teaspoon of sugar, I week in a warm room followed by 2 weeks in the garage.

I managed to end up with about 40 pints of great tasting beer. Initially it was a little cloudy, however it soon cleared. It's now 14 weeks since bottling and this Pilsner just keeps on getting better and better. :drink: One of the best kits I've brewed, full of flavour, recommended. :thumb: :

 

[Tricky]

Just leave them in the fridge for a few weeks, that should drop the yeast out nicely.

:thumb: :drunk:

 

[Rich747]

Just fermenting mine now - a weird process. Went mad after 24 hours then died down to a light foam covering, now nearly pushing the lid off my Coopers FV after a further 12 hours.

Weird!! :

 

[Rich747]

Quick question for anyone who still has the instructions as I chucked them.

How long for and at what temperature to store the bottles before moving them to a cold place?

Cheers.

 

[calumscott]

Quick question for anyone who still has the instructions as I chucked them.

How long for and at what temperature to store the bottles before moving them to a cold place?

Cheers.

Room temp for as long as it takes for them to go cloudy then clear again.

Then off to cooler storage for as long as you can resist... :thumb:

 

[Tricky]

Mine were bottled and stored for at least three weeks at normal room temps, which recently due to the time of year, has been around 22-24 degrees in my house. Maybe a little too warm but i had no options and i was worried my brews would be ruined. I slapped them in the fridge and they were just sublime.

I was that impressed with them i gave a few out to friends and family to sample my delights (something i never ever do with drink ) but i felt it nessesary to share the wealth on this occasion. One work colleague wants to buy a few off me next time i get this one on.

Basically, from this i learnt not to worry to much about the storing times at the different stages, the longer the better IMOP. Fermentation was also left much longer than i ever had done due to work commitments. I think it was in the FV for almost 3 weeks. In a nutshell, a very lazy brew but my best one to date. 40 pints gone in under three weeks :drunk:

 

[brewingafew]

Hello everyone, I am in need of some advice on this kit, bare in mind I am a rank amature, only one batch of blackberry wine to my name so far.

I have lost the packet of yeast for this czech pilsner, :? is this better brew yeast important i.e. taste, fermentation and so on, and can I use youngs wine & beer yeast in place of it.

Also what is the difference in taste with using normal sugar instead of dextrose and how strongly do you recommend either.

Thank you, help will be greatly appreciated.

 

[calumscott]

Hello everyone, I am in need of some advice on this kit, bare in mind I am a rank amature, only one batch of blackberry wine to my name so far.

I have lost the packet of yeast for this czech pilsner, :? is this better brew yeast important i.e. taste, fermentation and so on, and can I use youngs wine & beer yeast in place of it.

Also what is the difference in taste with using normal sugar instead of dextrose and how strongly do you recommend either.

Thank you, help will be greatly appreciated.

Better Brew say they have selected yeast strains specifically to do what they need them to do for their beers, particularly their lagers. They say they have a strain which brews at ale temperatures that doesn't leave the lager too "ale-y". Having done this one and the export lager, I think I believe them...

...so as a replacement you are going to want to find another yeast with similar properties - maybe ask again on the Beer Brewing Discussion board for one that brews very "clean", the more experienced hands will be able to point you at something.

As to sugars, I did my Pils with dextrose and it was great, I've read (and posted) stuff about perhaps why it's better but there are those who say it doesn't matter...

...but I would say use neither. Pop down your LHBS and get a kilo and a half of extra light spray malt and use that instead. You'll get a much smoother and fuller beer. I'm now of the opinion that you should always use the best possible ingredients for brewing anything even although its pricier. You'll still make beer cheaper than you can buy and it will taste amazing.

 

[Rich747]

Been in the cornie for 3 weeks now. TBH tastes bloody awful at the mo....yeasty and like homebrew of old. Fingers crossed for improvement. V cloudy too.

 

[lovelldr]

Been in the cornie for 3 weeks now. TBH tastes bloody awful at the mo....yeasty and like homebrew of old. Fingers crossed for improvement. V cloudy too.

I tend to agree with you. Got one I bottled about 4 months ago, and it's still not brilliant tasting much better than it was at 3 weeks,but still not as nice as I'd have hoped for. The better brew ipa however, was a much nicer beer

 

[lovelldr]

Came to try one of these again tonight (only got about 10 bottles left, so Altho want brilliant, have been trying regularly to see how it is). Anyway, my last bottle I tried was about 2-3 weeks ago... Tried one tonight, and this was actually quite nice... Had good head all way down the glass, good taste... Dunno whether was a fluke, or whether it's started to come good... But how the test of the bottles taste as nice!

 

[Rich747]

But how the test of the bottles taste as nice!

Eh?

 

[lovelldr]

Bah, using bloody phone, and it likes to write the wrong text...

Many to say:

But hope the rest of the bottles taste as nice...

 

[PuggledPrune]

Got myself one of these kits along with 1kg brew enhancer and a packet of their saaz finishing hops.

Wee question: should I add the hops in primary or secondary?

 

[Windy]

Got myself one of these kits along with 1kg brew enhancer and a packet of their saaz finishing hops.

Wee question: should I add the hops in primary or secondary?

Follow the instructions - steep and add the liquid and bag to the primary, don't put the bag in the pressure barrel as it takes quite a while to clear, smells great when it's done

 

[PuggledPrune]

Thanks very much, that's exactly what I've done. Before the stuff arrived I was expecting to dry hop in secondary but seen the instructions so got a little confused. Yes, it's that easy haha.
This is my first kit so quite excited :-)

 

[Windy]

Thanks very much, that's exactly what I've done. Before the stuff arrived I was expecting to dry hop in secondary but seen the instructions so got a little confused. Yes, it's that easy haha.
This is my first kit so quite excited :-)

The rules aren't fixed, maybe next time try it in the secondary. Probably best to do it in one you plan to drink fairly quick though.

With it being your first kit you wont know what effect it has had though...

 

[PuggledPrune]

With it being your first kit you wont know what effect it has had though...

Yeah you're right. Just seemed to be a good addition. Want my first kit to be a success. Will be able to change it about next time. Gonna get another on as soon as this one's bottled. Decisions decisions.

Thanks again for the help.

 

[Antrog65]

Did this kit on the strength of the reviews on here.
A big heavy amount in this pouch, and reasonbly priced at £12.99
I did this with 1kg of brewing sugar, as the instructions on the pack.

Started at 1042
Finished at 1010

After 8 days it looked to be done, but a reading of 1015 made it get left another few days.
3 days later 1010.
But - still bubbles coming from the airlock made me wait even longer.
A week later and the gravity still at 1010 and it's going into the secondary FV.

Here comes the massive difference to previous kits I've done.

As I've syphoned the lager it is absolutely fizzing into the secondary - tons of gas coming out of it. So much so I left it another week just to be safe it had actually finished.
8 days later still 1010.

I bottled this in 2 different lots, one with brewing sugar, one with brew enhancer.

I used the calculator I found through this site, working on the CO2 Vol of 2.5%

10 L got 110g of brew enhancer
11 L got 75g of brewing sugar

A week in the warm, then chilled.

I tried a small bottle of each and the brewing sugar was excellent, a nice sharp taste - good head not too big that clings to the glass. I cannot recommend it enough - well worth a go.

The brew enhancer bottle? Probably 3 times better. Not as sharp, but smooth and just oozes class. I did get a bit of clinging to the sides rather than the usual sugar priming that just drops straight to the base of the bottle, but a gentle tip to disturb it before chilling did the trick to get it to settle on the bottom.

I read on here someone saying he uses the best quality ingredients he can, at a tiny bit more on the price . It was a bit of faff breaking into a 1kg bag of brew enhancer but definitely worth it.

Pic is a brewing sugar bottle.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/27708437@N ... otostream/