Bohemian Pilsner
Style: Bohemian Pilsner (Czech Premium Pale Lager)
| Batch size | 19 L |
|---|---|
| Target OG / FG | 1.05 / 1.014 |
| ABV / IBU / SRM | 4.7% · 38 · 4 |
| Boil | 90 min |
| Primary ferment | 12 °C for 14 days |
Fermentables
| Ingredient | Weight | % |
|---|---|---|
| Weyermann Pilsner Malt | 4.5 kg | 100% |
Hops
| Hop | Grams | Time | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saaz Hops | 60 g | 90 min | bittering |
| Saaz Hops | 30 g | 30 min | flavour |
| Saaz Hops | 30 g | 5 min | aroma |
Yeast
Fermentis SafLager W-34/70 — The dry lager standard — a Weihenstephan 34/70 derivative producing clean, slightly sulphury, deeply attenuating ferments. Bohemian Pilsners and Helles start here.
Mash schedule
| Step | Temp | Time |
|---|---|---|
| protein rest | 52 °C | 15 min |
| saccharification | 65 °C | 45 min |
| mash-out | 76 °C | 10 min |
Procedure
- Mash with low-mineral (or RO + brewing salts) water.
- Step mash 52 → 65 → 76 °C.
- 90-minute boil to drive off DMS from the Pilsner malt.
- Cool to 10 °C, pitch two sachets of W-34/70 onto well-aerated wort.
- Primary at 12 °C for ~7 days. Raise to 15 °C for 48 hours (diacetyl rest) once gravity is within 5 points of FG.
- Cold-condition (lager) at 1-3 °C for 4-6 weeks before packaging.
Tasting notes
Soft malt sweetness, spicy Saaz throughout, dry but not crisp finish. Faint suggestion of diacetyl — a feature of the style.
A faithful single-malt, single-hop Pilsner using Weyermann Pilsner malt and Czech Saaz. The 90-minute boil is non-negotiable — Continental Pilsner malts are higher in SMM (the DMS precursor), and a shorter boil leaves a corn-like note.
Water
If your tap water exceeds 100 ppm calcium or 50 ppm sulphate, dilute heavily with reverse-osmosis water before mashing. Bohemian Pilsner needs soft water.
Learn more
- Water chemistry — a practical introductionWhy brewing water matters, how to read a water report, and target profiles for the styles most homebrewers attempt first.
- Mashing — controlling sugar profile and bodyWhat happens chemically during the mash, why temperature matters, and how to step-mash for traditional Continental styles.
- Fermentation basicsHow yeast turns wort into beer, what temperature and pitch rate do, and what to watch for during primary fermentation.