on sunday I managed to squeeze in some time for a last-minute brewday.

• this wasn’t any ordinary brew, though – it was my first pilsner!  I was inspired by my recent keezer build to brew a beer that needed some colder fermentation temps and long-term lagering, and a pilsner fit the bill perfectly.
• I was also inspired by my trip with AP to the czech republic, and I therefore decided on a bohemian style pilsner, or “bo pils.”
• after a little internet scan I came across jamil zainasheff’s bo pils recipe, which I then slightly modified as follows:
  • 10.00 lb Pilsner (2 Row) Bel (2.0 SRM) Grain 93.02 %
    11 oz. Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 6.98 %
    1.50 oz Saaz [3.50 %] (60 min) Hops 18.5 IBU
    1.80 oz Saaz [3.50 %] (30 min) Hops 17.0 IBU
    1.00 oz Saaz [3.50 %] (10 min) Hops 4.5 IBU
    1.00 oz Saaz [3.50 %] (0 min) Hops –
    1 Pkgs Budvar Lager (Wyeast Labs #2000) Yeast-Lager
• I also made a pretty hefty (for me) 1L starter a couple days before and gave it a shot of O2 to get it going.  I pitched at 70F and let it sit for about an hour before tossing my fermentation bucket into the keezer at 55 +/- 5F.
• the next morning, I knocked the keezer temp down to 50 +/- 2F, which seemed to be right for the yeast.  last I checked, the airlock was bubbling away, so everything seems to be on the up and up.  keep your fingers crossed…
• I also managed to keg the IPA during the brew.  as usual, I forgot to grab a gravity reading, but the aroma was pretty awesome, so I’m hoping for the best.
• on monday I also cruised over to san pedro brew co. to meet up with JW to try out his new lineup.  he has a belgian wit, amber, and brown on tap, all of which were tasty.  I especially liked the brown, which was clean and very sessionable, a perfect summer beer for the brown ale lover.
• JW also showed me his fermenter cleaning procedure and, as usual, fielded a barrage of questions with patience and enthusiasm.  thanks again JW!
• also, on the hop front – all the plants are doing well, but the cascade vines are definitely larger than any first year growth I have ever seen.  there are tons of developing cones and which will hopefully result in a significant harvest.
  

Tags: bohemain pilsner, ipa, san pedro brew co.

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