Pilsner Help Please

[DarrenSL]

Hi. Depends if you need the fermenter. If you do, then bottle and let it condition/lager in the bottle.

Brewing lagers is perfect at this time of year. I have just finished a 'bohemian' pilsner and it is excellent. 17 Days in primary at 12C then dropped to 3C over the next 4 days. Transferred to keg and left in the shed for 3 weeks wrapped in a blanket. With the cold ambient temperature the beer has been kept around 2-3C.

The general consensus is that lagers need to be 'lagered' for a couple of months but honestly, this beer tastes great so I'm just going to drink it now! (no will power!)

The recipe fwiw:
5.2kg bohemian floor malted pilsner malt + 0.15g acidulated malt
Saaz hops (3.2% AA): 60g 60min, 10g @ 10min
WLP802 Czech Budejovice yeast (love this yeast!)
fermented at 12C

The taste for me is similar to Krusovice which happens to be my favourite Czech pilsner :grin:

 

[DarrenSL]

Good point Twostage. I forgot to mention the diacetyl rest. I raised the temperature to approx 20C for a couple of days before cooling.

 

[Leon103]

Thanks both. Have plenty of fv's. It's going to be a small batch so I will be using a couple of mini kegs. Not going to brew it until March so temps may be a little warmer so the fridge will come in handy

 

[MyQul]

My general process is ferment, ramp the temp up for a diacetyl rest (this stage is quicker at higher temps and as fermentation is over there is no risk of off flavours), then cold crash to 3c for at least a few days (the longer the clearer it will be), then bottle and let it carbonate warm. Then back down to 3 or less for a few weeks.

I think this might have been briefly discussed on another thread but, I take it after the first cold crash, before bottling, your beer carb's up OK before lagering?

Edit: I read an article that stated that it will carb up but slower as you've crashed out a lot of the yeast. Do you find this to be the case?

 

[Twostage]

I think this might have been briefly discussed on another thread but, I take it after the first cold crash, before bottling, your beer carb's up OK before lagering?

Edit: I read an article that stated that it will carb up but slower as you've crashed out a lot of the yeast. Do you find this to be the case?

Yes.

The more yeast, the faster the carb. My latest brew was crashed for two weeks at 3c, its crystal clear but carbing slowly. I'm expecting it to take about a month for all of the bottles to carb even at the 19c I've got it set at. Might risk bumping it to 20.

 

[MyQul]

Yes.

The more yeast, the faster the carb. My latest brew was crashed for two weeks at 3c, its crystal clear but carbing slowly. I'm expecting it to take about a month for all of the bottles to carb even at the 19c I've got it set at. Might risk bumping it to 20.

Is this beer a lager beer? If it is, you need a month to carb up then 3 weeks at a minimum at 3C to lager?

 

[Twostage]

Is this beer a lager beer? If it is, you need a month to carb up then 3 weeks at a minimum at 3C to lager?

Sort of both.

It's my citra double yeast which uses both lager and ale yeasts.

 

[Covrich]

Because I am trying to get another brew in I am chilling my pseudo overnight and bottling tomorrow night after only 2 weeks.. I am working on the us05 schedule still.. I will prime as normal but try and chill for longer to see how clear

 

[Leon103]

Hi. Depends if you need the fermenter. If you do, then bottle and let it condition/lager in the bottle.

Brewing lagers is perfect at this time of year. I have just finished a 'bohemian' pilsner and it is excellent. 17 Days in primary at 12C then dropped to 3C over the next 4 days. Transferred to keg and left in the shed for 3 weeks wrapped in a blanket. With the cold ambient temperature the beer has been kept around 2-3C.

The general consensus is that lagers need to be 'lagered' for a couple of months but honestly, this beer tastes great so I'm just going to drink it now! (no will power!)

The recipe fwiw:
5.2kg bohemian floor malted pilsner malt + 0.15g acidulated malt
Saaz hops (3.2% AA): 60g 60min, 10g @ 10min
WLP802 Czech Budejovice yeast (love this yeast!)
fermented at 12C

The taste for me is similar to Krusovice which happens to be my favourite Czech pilsner :grin:

At what temp did you mash at. Read that bohemian malt needs a step mash

 

[DarrenSL]

Good question. I don't think it needs a step mash but I do anyway and get good results with the following schedule:

20min @ 50C
40min @ 60C
40min @ 70C

 

[Bigcol49]

Hi and Thanks.

So can you confirm that the gervin yeast won't work at 10 degrees?

I only have about 7-8 litres and used the whole sachet so hopefully will be OK at 17.

Hi!
Gervin ale yeast is widely accepted to be Nottingham yeast.
Danstar suggest that Nottingham works well in lager-type beers as low as 12 degrees, but will be happier at 14 degrees. Of course, you will have to increase the pitching rate.
Colin