Bohemian Pilsner

5 gallons, extract with grains; OG = 1.054 to 1.055; FG = 1.013 to 1.014; SRM = 4;  IBU = 40;  ABV = 5.3%

Ingredients:

• 4 oz. German crystal malt (2.5° Lovibond)
• 4 oz. German Munich malt
• 6.25 lbs. Muntons extra-light dried malt extract (DME)
• 10.5 AAUs Czech Saaz (3 oz. of 3.5% alpha acid) (bittering)
• 3.5 AAUs Saaz (1 oz. of 3.5% alpha acid) (flavor)
• 1 tsp. Irish moss
• 3.5 AAUs Czech Saaz (1 oz. of 3.5% alpha acid) (aroma)
• 1.75 AAUs Czech Saaz (0.50 oz. of 3.5% alpha acid) (dry hop)
• Czech Pils (Wyeast 2278) or Pilsner
• Lager yeast (White Labs WLP800)
• 1-1/4 cups Muntons extra-light dried malt extract (DME) for priming

Step by Step:

Bring 1/2 gallon of water to 155° F, add crushed grain and hold for 30 minutes at 150° F. Strain the grain into the brewpot and sparge with 1/2 gallon of 168° F water. Add the dry malt extract and bittering hops. Bring the total volume in the brewpot to 2.5 gallons. Boil for 45 minutes, then add the flavor hops and Irish moss. Boil for 12 minutes, then add the aroma hops. Boil for 3 minutes, then remove the pot from the stove. Cool wort for 15 minutes in an ice bath or chill with wort chiller. Strain into the primary fermenter and add water to obtain 5-1/8 gallons.

Add yeast when wort has cooled to below 80° F. Oxygenate-aerate well. Start fermentation at 60° to 62° F until fermentation begins (24 hours). Bring primary fermenter to 47° to 52° F for 7 days then rack into secondary (glass carboy) and add dry hops. Ferment at 47° to 52° F until target gravity has been reached and the beer has cleared. (4 weeks). Prime and bottle. Carbonate at 70° to 72° F. for 2 to 3 weeks. Store at cellar temperature.

Partial-Mash Option:

Acidify the mash water to below 7 pH. Mash 2.75 lbs. German two-row pilsner malt and the specialty grains in 1 gallon of water at 122° F for 30 minutes and then at 151° F for 90 minutes. Sparge with 1.5 gallons of water at 5.7 pH and 168° F.  Then follow the extract recipe, omitting 2 lbs. of Muntons extra-light dried malt extract  from the boil.

All-Grain Option:

Acidify the mash water to below 7 pH. Mash 10 lbs. German two-row pilsner malt and the specialty grains in 3.5 gallons of water at 122° F for 20 minutes and then at 151° F for 90 minutes. Sparge with 4.75 gallons of water at 5.7 pH and 168° F. Total boil time is 60 minutes. Add 8.2 AAUs of bittering hops for the entire boil. Add flavor hops, Irish moss, aroma hops and dry hops as indicated by the extract recipe.

Helpful Hints:

If your water is soft (below 50 ppm hardness), it is proper for the style. If your water is moderate (between 50 to 200 ppm hardness), dilute it 50:50 with distilled water. If your water is hard (greater than 200 ppm hardness), use bottled water. Begin lagering at 45° F and slowly decrease the temperature to 34° F over a period of 2 weeks. This Bohemian pilsner will peak between 1 and 3 months after it is carbonated and will last at cellar temperatures for 5 months.