A Good Czech Pilsner

I love a good fresh Czech Pils, but I'm always leery of Urquell. There's a local Brewer that brews one it's called Czech It, it's been a while and it's pretty good but not great. I had one at Gordon Bierch in Myrtle Beach that was fantastic, but it was obviously fresh, but I could drink thst all day long. If I could get any beer I wanted it would be Neshaniny Creek Trauger Pils , it has that cracker dry finish that I love. If I want a hoppy Pils I grab some Prima, it scratches thst itch.

 

3 Golden Hairs from Grimm Brothers is very tasty.

 

Is Real Ale Hans' Pils available to you?

Prost!

 

Dale, what are your thoughts about Pilsner Urquell that is canned?

Cheers!

 

I like the canned version quite a bit more than the bottled version which is all I can get here. That can IMO was delicious and I appreciate that, if it was here I'd buy more. But the Gordon Bierch I had on tap was spectacular, just proves that with these delicate styles thst fresh is as important as it is with IPAs, maybe more so as there's not a ton of hops to cover flaws.

 

I completely agree with you here.

Cheers!

Jack

 

I went through a Lagunitas Czech Pils phase. Its not bad but the at around 6% ABV it is a little much for the style.

 

Czech Pils has a few ingredient differences. Moravian malt (PU malts their own). The soft water (low in all the minerals, not every place in The Czech Rep has soft water per a Czech national). The Saaz hops. The yeast is usually the Saazer type Lager yeast.

German Pils uses malt from Germany. The water can be soft to hard, and can have higher sulfate levels that make the beer have a dry impression. German hops are mostly used, Stan Hieronymus has stated that DNA testing has shown that Spalt and Tettnanger are the same as Saaz, the difference is terroir. Most Ger,am Lager yeast is the Frohberg type.

I enjoy both styles. Unfiltered unpasteurized PU right out of the wood lagering tanks was one of the best beers I have ever had.

 

I wasn't trying to say that there aren't any german style pilsners available... But Hans' Pils is the only one available in North Texas. In our North Texas stores we have 3 Texas made Czech pilsners year round. That's the only German style one. Nationwide we can find Prima Pils and Scrimshaw but otherwise I think the other American pilsners I've found are purported to be bohemian.

On Hans' Pils. It has great Tettnang flavor and aroma with a bracing bitterness. But the malt component is very hidden. It's very good drinking but I end up reaching for Wernesgruener from the Aldi more often.

On the imported beers... In North Texas I really can just find Koenig Pilsener and Bitburger as the ones I want to drink. Otherwise we have Becks, Warsteiner, Spaten, Weihenstephaner, and some different hefeweizens. We do not get Jever, and I haven't seen Trumer, EKU, or Kulmbacher in a few years.

I know I had always heard of czech pilsners being made from undermodified malt. But how much of a difference does the Moravian malt make compared to German malts?

I also think that at a given point in time the Tettnang, Spalt, and Saaz hops do provide a distinct flavor from each other. As you say they are the same genetically but I really do think that the terroir has an impact. I wasn't sure but that's one of the reasons I did my side by side tests and I really do think I get a difference from the Saaz and Tettnang and I really didn't care for the Spalt.

That said... I know each year hops will exhibit a little different flavor/aroma due to varying levels of oils... So I'm sure that Saaz and Tettnang from different years would turn up closer or trade characteristics.

Sadly I've only been to Germany so I've of course never experienced PU like you have. But when I recently bought a four pack of cans I was very disappointed. Yes it had a noticeable hop bitterness. And yes it tasted like bready malts. But that's it. It tasted like bitter bready malts. I like the spicier/floral cracker like German pilsners that I can find.

 

I'll have to buy the Staropromen and Budvar again because it's been years since I've tried them.

 

"Czech Pils" does not exist in the czech republic.
That being said...
I don't know if it is even possible to truly appreciate czech pale lagers outside their native enviroments.
I mean, it is a totally different culture in which they are consumed,also compared to (most)german Pils cultures..
Czech pale lagers, the most popular ones, are kind of weak, around 4%abv., and have a subtle ballance between their malty,full bodies, while not skimping on hops. They are best drunk in half litres during long sessions in large amounts... They are not ment for slow sipping.
And yes, their character is totally different to the archetypical "german Pilsner",which is usually leaner, less full bodied and,to me, more one-dimensional, though a lot of exceptions from the rule, mainly from the south, do exist.
Good examples from the czech Republic come frome Svijany, Kout, Bernard, Policka, and many others.

 

On a side note, great to see all the love for Texas made Pils. 5 O'Clock, Hans, and Live Oak are all staples in my fridge.

 

The Weyermann Floor Malted Czech Pils malt, made in the Czech Rep. is fully modified, I am not sure if we could find an undermodified malt. PU malts their own malt, and uses a triple decoction, so that might be undermodified. The Czech malts are descendent of Hana barley varieties. The German malts are made from different varieties.

Hops will change due to the growing conditions. Terroir is real. European varieties grown in the PNW are different from those sourced in Europe. Hey Chinook grown in the Midwest is different from Chinook from Yakima Washington. In the Midwest it is not piney, it is grapefruit. Forster Valley hops out of Wisconsin has renamed their Chinook (can't remember the new name), as they were getting complaints that it was not like the Chinook breweries were expecting.

 

As always thanks for the great information.

 

Spell check got me - Gorst Valley Hops. They renamed Chinook to Skyrocket, and it expresses more tropical aromas in Wisconsin. I misspoke on grapefruit, as that is what I remember my probrewing friends say they get from Chinook in Michigan.

 

I am not a huge fan of the Czech style as well but I really like Pilsner Urquell. A good rendition of the style I like is River Horse Rolly Poly Pilsner.

 

I have an account with The Country Malt Group and they sell a Pilsner Malt from the Czech Republic; from Sladovny Soufflet CR:

“Sladovny Soufflet CR produces approximately 60 % of the total Czech malting industry’s annual production.”

http://www.countrymaltgroup.com/our-suppliers/sladovny-soufflet-cr

Below are some of the specs for the Pilsner Malt:

“Czech Pilsen Malt

ID: CZ-PILS

Color ºL: 2.0

Moisture % Max: 3.5

Protein Total Max: 12.0

Extract CG Dry Min: 82.0”

http://www.countrymaltgroup.com/ingredients/malts/cz-pilsen-malt/

I have not yet brewed with this malt so I can’t personally provide any sensory input here.

Needless to say but how you utilize the malt (i.e., mashing process) can influence the flavor profile of the resulting beer.

Cheers!

 

That protein content seems to be borderline as far as modification is concerned, then. I bet it's a really nice choice for the style, though, with just enough protein heft for a great mouthfeel.

 

I like both styles if the hops are fresh and really out front and has some breadiness to the body. That's how I like 'em and either style works for me.