Jever - The German Pilsener

Sorry for the 'late' reply.

In what way do you think that Pilsner Urquell is an "outlier" as regards the Bohemian Pilsner (Czech Premium Pale Lager) beer style?

Cheers!

 

Had Jever in NYC. Had Radeberger in NYC on the same trip. Radeberger for me and it is not close.

 

Compared to the other imported Czech examples, it's primarily the malt and fermentation character. The yeast is distinctive and leaves a trace of diacetyl. The pilsner malt flavor is very full. If you look at it next to another 100% pilsner malt beer it is darker. I would guess this is due to the triple decoction PU is using but I'm not sure if the other major Czech breweries are decocting or not.

 

Jever????? Honestly, never heard of it an I love German beers. Guess it is not available in my neck of the woods in Western PA.

 

Was gonna answer "because it tastes totally different."

 

I've enjoyed several six-packs of Jever that I was able to get at Oliver's Beverage in Albany. Ehhh, the bottles were a little dusty and so the beer was probably a little old... but I still enjoyed them. I know what I expect from a German pilsner: as soon as I pop the cap I should be able to catch the aroma before I even sip. Ayinger pilsner is another good one, that is relatively new to shelves in New York State. And I can get both Radeberger and Veltin's in tall-boys for $4.99 a 4-pack, which is a great deal for true-to-style German pilsner. No sweet/sticky lager aftertaste.. and you can taste this grains, liquid bread. And watching those fun streamers of little bubbles rising to the top.

 

FWIW, Jever is available in Eastern PA. Earlier today I bought a 6-pack that was bottled on Feb. 28, 2018 so basically about 2 months old. This is the freshest I have ever seen this beer.

Cheers!

@Ranbot

 

Well, it is brewed using 100% Pilsner malt so the color is coming from the process.

Below is from the article The History and Brewing Methods of Pilsner Urquell Divining the Source of the World's Most Imitated Beer by Peter A. Ensminger

“The resulting Bohemian Pilseners are a little bit darker (Pilsner Urquell is about 4 °L) and have a slightly stronger and more complex hop character than their German Pils counterparts, which are generally brewed using a double decoction mash schedule (9,20).”

https://www.morebeer.com/articles/Pilsner_Urquell

I know that the Pilsner Urquell brewery still conducts a triple decoction in their brewhouse. I have no idea whether other Czech breweries do this now since it is very energy intensive. I know that some (many?) German breweries stopped conducting decoction brewing due to high energy costs. Plus, modern day malts are fully modified so there is no absolute need for decoction.

Cheers!

 

have been asking Jungle Jim's to move Jever from the top shelf for 4 yrs now to no avail,will not buy until they do it and like the smell and taste very much.cheers.They keep PU on the bottom

 

Concerning the color of the beer I think it is interesting that Pilsner Urquell's "sister brand" Gambrinus (under the same ownership since the SABMiller days at least) lists three types of malt for their beer:

Světlý plzeňský (pale pilsner)
Karamelový (caramel)
Barevný (color)

So pilsner malt, caramel malt and color malt. It has a similar amber color to alot of the other imported Czech beers on the shelves here in Sweden. Among those Budejovicky Budvar is the outlier with it's pale golden color.

 

We do know that PU is 100% pilsner malt. I have not done a side by side with Budvar, Praga, or Staropramen, the other three that I see occasionally, but PU always struck me as being darker.

 

Patrik, do you have any information on how Gambrinus mashes their beers? Do you think they forgo the triple decoction regime and instead utilize caramel & color malts to create a beer that appears like a triple decocted beer (i.e., 4 degrees L in color)?

Cheers!

 

Yep... Last week I spotted this Jever bottled 2/28/18. Of course, I grabbed a case.

 

You can ask you local distributor if they can place an order for you, and ask for a fresh case. As mentioned above there's a batch of Jever going around eastern PA [and possibly western PA too] that was bottled on 2/28/18. It's pretty tough to find a German beer any fresher than that. Much earlier in this thread we discussed that Jever's PA importer seems to bring Jever over 2-4 times per year in big drops, so the best chance of getting it fresh is to look for it on the heels of one of those drops (like now).

 

So far I haven't come across any mention of the mashing process used for their beers. I have my doubts about the triple decoction being the only thing driving the color of Czech beers however, I don't think Czech breweries are entirely free from the vagaries of consumer preferences and market competition. But suspicion isn't proof of course.

 

PU malts their Barley, using Moravian malt. That we all know, but the malt that was on display at the brewery tour seemed a little darker than a typical pils malt (the lighting was not the best), and the taste was nutty, like grape nuts. That was a surprise.

 

Well, I can offer information on one Czech Pilsner Malt. I have an account with Country Malt Group and they sell Czech Pilsner Malt from Prostejov Maltings - Sladovny Soufflet:

“The Country Malt Group is pleased to make available for the first time in North America, the excellent malts of Prostejov Maltings - Sladovny Soufflet from the Czech Republic.

Located in the town of Prostejov, situated in the Northwestern part of the Hana region of the Czech Republic, Prostejov Malting was founded in 1869. Locally grown barley and modern malting technology ensure high quality malt.

Both of these malts exhibit incredible aromatic malt character and will be excellent for lagers and ales of all types.

Czech Pils
Color: 2.0 L Protein Total Max. 12.0 Extract CG Dry Min. 82.0”

The color of 2 °L is similar to the other Pilsner Malts that I have brewed with:

· Weyermann Pilsner Malt: 1.5 - 2.1 °L

· Bestmaltz Pilsner Malt: 1.4 – 2 °L

· Castle Pilsner Malt: 1.5 - 1.9 ºL

· Etc.

I have yet to brew with Sladovny Soufflet Pilsner Malt but I personally would expect my beers to be similar in color to the beers I have brewed with other Pilsner Malts.

Needless to say but maybe other Czech Malting Companies (or Czech breweries that produce their own malt) may kiln to a darker color than 2 °L?

Cheers!

 

According to the the English translation page of history of the brewery in the 2005 book Plzeňský Prazdroj v Historických Fotografiích by Lucie Steinbachová:

The general development of industry and the success of the Burgher's Brewery (i.e., the original company of today's Plzeňský Prazdroj) initiated the foundation of other Pilsen brewery establishments. The First Pilsen Joint-Stock Brewery was among the first in 1869. This company had its Plzeňský Gambrinus trademark registered in 1919, and overtime the whole establishment became known under this name...

The Burgher's Brewery attempted to gain influence in (the other Pilsen) breweries. In 1929 the Burgher's Brewery Syndicate was created by buying out the shares of First Pilsen Joint-Stock Brewery...

...The decree dated 13th September 1946 nationalised both breweries and a state company, Pilsen Breweries, was formed. In 1964 this name was changed to West Bohemia Breweries.
--------
In the period of 2000-2002, SAB did merge Radegast and Velke Popovice breweries into Plzeňský Prazdroj, a.s.

 

Reviving an old thread since I'm sure the topic was discussed in the preceding 9 pages (not that I can find a specific post...) but I saw 500 ml. cans of Jever in a Polish-Greek (yeah, go figure) deli-sandwich shop in St. Augustine, Florida a few days ago. The place only carried a half dozen beers, all Euro-imports, of which the most well-known being 500 ml cans of O.K. Beer (Okocim), plus a German light and a dark in bottles I'd never heard of and a couple of other obscure brands.

"What's this? Some sort of grey market deal?" I thought, since it seems to me that Raven's been anti-can in their rare contacts with consumers (maybe even mentioned above?). Picked the "sample" can of Jever off the cold cuts display case and it's a legal Raven import. And was the second most commonly ordered beer that I saw being served, after O.K.

Ha - but I didn't buy one. Over a year old, stamped with both canning and "best by" dates, so it was still "in code" - can't call it "fresh" - since they use a 1¼ year shelf life code - and I was not drinking and was on foot (a sore foot, no less, and already had a heavy pack, blah blah, other stuff/reasons).

 

Lol, no other reason needed but the age on the can. There’s Jever on the shelf here in green bottles on the top shelf exposed to fluorescent light 24/7/365, so I don’t bother to pick up the bottle and check the dates. I guessing there’s a really good chance it’s light struck.