Wenceslas Pilsner

Firestone Walker Pivo Pils clone. Recipe according to Matt Brynildson from his interview on the Brewing Network on 12/22/13. He uses 100% Weyermann Pilsner malt. The key is to get the beer to attenuate all the way down to 1.004 to 1.008 range. Which, according to him, is done with this particular mash schedule, which certainly works for me.

He never mentions hop amounts, only varietals and location in the boil, but I am going with the assumption that it is a little hop heavy especially for a BoPils, since their website states: "with a West Coast dry‐hopping twist," so I go heavy on the later additions and dryhop.

Start with distilled water, add a bit of Calcium Chloride to get the Ca levels up to 100 or so for yeast health. No other salt additions. I use lactic acid to keep my mash pH in the correct range.

Since I batch sparge in an orange cooler, I strike in with a lower mash to grist ratio and use separate infusion water additions to hit each mash step.

Never bothered entering in any comps, since I doubt it would fare well, it's too hoppy for any traditional pils, and the dry hopping gives it a haze, but I can say it is very close to Pivo Pils. It's a great summer beer, in fact I just brewed it again this February so I can lager it until May or so.

OG: 1.047
FG: 1.006
IBU: 59
SRM: 2
ABV: 5.4%

Fermentables

9.0 lbs Weyermann Floor Malted Bohemian Pilsner Malt

Hops

60 mins 1.0 oz Magnum
10 mins 1.0 oz Spalt Select
5 mins 1.0 oz Spalt Select
5 days Dry Hop 2.0 oz Saphir

Mash Steps

Protein Rest Infusion 122.0 °F 20 min
Saccharification Rest Infusion 145.0 °F 60 min
Saccharification Rest Infusion 155.0 °F 20 min
Mash-Out Infusion 168.0 °F 10 min

Yeast

Wyeast 2124 Bohemian Lager (4 ltr starter)

Fermentation Lagering Schedule
Primary for 3 weeks. Pitch at 45°F and let temp naturally rise to 50-52°F. A few days after peak krausen has been achieved, begin raising the temp a couple degrees per day up in to the mid 60s, which in addition to helping with any potential diacetyl, will also help the yeast finish out below 1.010. When FG is stable and no diacetyl or acetaldehyde is detected in the beer, begin ramping the temp down to lager temps. Once that has been reached, rack into a purged keg, seal, purge some more, and lager at 30-32°F for a few months.

 

Forgot to mention, I add the dryhops when the beer is in the mid 60s and before I drop down to lager temps.

 

Sorry for the late response, for some reason I did not get notified of your reply. I have not read "Brew Your Own Big Book of 300 Clone Recipes" so I haven't seen the recipe. It may very well be more accurate, as I said I kinda guessed on the hop amounts and IBUs. That said, I do not find the bitterness to be outrageous. As for the temp reduction, I usually shoot for a couple two three degrees per day.

 

I've make it yearly, and haven't changed a thing.