Continental Pilsener

By Dave Miller
Classic Beer Style Series
Edited by Virginia Thomas
Copyright 1990 by Dave Miller

ISBN 0-937381-209
Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4

Published by Brewers Publications,

a division of the Association of Brewers, Inc.
PO Box 1679, Boulder, Colorado 80306-1679 USA
(303)447-0816 - FAX: (303) 447-2825

Direct all inquiries/orders to the above address.

All rights reserved. Except for use in a review, no

portion of this book may be reproduced in any form
without the express written permission of the publisher.

Neither the author, editor nor the publisher

assumes any responsibility for the use or misuse of
information contained in this book.

Cover design by Robert L. Schram

Cover photography by Michael Lichter, Michael Lichter Photography
 Table of Contents
Acknowledgements and Dedication ....................................................... v
About the Author ............................................................................................. vii
Introduction ............................................................................................................ 1
Chapter 1: History of the Pilsener Style ..................................................5
Czech Origins 5
Success and Change 7
The Rule of Scientific and Engineering Advances 10
The Results of Success 11
Pilsner Urquell 12
All-Malt Continental Pilseners 14
Adjunct Pilseners 15
Chapter 2: Profile os the Pilsener Style ................................................. 17
Pilsner Urquell 17
German, Dutch and Scandinavian Pilseners 22

Chapter 3: Brewing Pilsener Beers

Materials and Equipment ............................................................................. 27
Ingredients 27
Malt 27
Adjuncts 32
Malt Extracts and Grain Syrups 34
Hops 35
Yeast 37
 Water .41
Other Ingredients 44
Equipment 45
Mills 45
Brewing Kettles 46

Chapter 4: Brewing Pilsener BeerProcedures ............................... 49

Mashing 49
Boiling and Cooling 56
Fermentation 59
A Note On Lagering For Homebrewers 64
Filtration and Clarification 65
Biological Stability 67
Serving 69
Chapter 5: Recipes .............................................................................................. 71
Bohemian Pilsener 77
German Pilsener 78
North German Pilsener 79
Dutch-Scandinavian Pilsener 80

AppendixCommercial Pilseners .......................................................... 81

Glossary.................................................................................................................... 83
Bibliography ......................................................................................................... 89
Index .......................................................................................................................... 91
 Acknowledgements and
Dedication
I want first of all to thank Storey Communications,
Inc., for granting permission to include in this book recipes
from my Complete Handbook of Home Brewing.
I also want to thank Charlie Papazian for conceiving
of the Classic Beer Style Series and asking me to participate in
it. Over the last decade and a half, he has done more than
anyone in this country to promote the appreciation of fine
beer and encourage small-scale brewing.
I owe a special debt to all the authors listed in the
bibliography, and the hundreds of brewmasters who stand
behind them. Their work has made it possible for us to brew
better beers today than ever before.
I also want to thank my wife and children for their
patience with me during the writing of this book and their
unfailing support of my brewing ambitions.
Finally, special thanks to George Fix for his many
hours of generous assistance and good fellowship. I am proud
to acknowledge my debt to his vast understanding of brewing
science. Still, as fine a brewer as he is, he is a finer human
being. This book is dedicated to him, with gratitude and
admiration.

v
 Brewers Publications would like to thank the
following companies and individuals for letting us use their
photographs:

Michael Lichter, page 2

Phil Markowski, pages 6, 13
George Rivers, pages 9, 69, 72
Charlie Papazian, page 19
Ian Priddey, pages 35, 61
Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), pages 47, 60

vi
 About the Author

Dave Miller is a native of St. Louis, Mo., where he still

lives with his wife and children. He brewed his first batch of
beer in 1975. In 1981 he won the title Homebrewer of the Year
when his Dutch Pilsner was judged Best of Show at the
American Homebrewers Association national competition.
That same year, his first book, Home Brewing for Americans,
was published. This was the first American book to deal with
advanced all-grain brewing techniques.
Dave is a charter member of the St. Louis Brews
homebrewing club and served for two years as its vice
president, designing brewing projects, making presentations,
and writing a monthly column for the club newsletter. He
credits his club members with inspiring him to write The
Complete Handbook of Home Brewing, which was published
in November 1988. He has also written several articles for
Zymurgy magazine.
A former teacher, Dave has most recently been
involved in lobbying the Missouri legislature for passage of a
bill legalizing brewpubs. With the recent enactment of that
measure, his current project is to found the first St. Louis
brewpub and become its brewmaster.

vii
 Introduction

Pilsener is the dominant beer style in the world today,

From Milwaukee to Brussels and Juarez to Manila, beers
brewed in every part of the planet proudly bear the label "Pils
or "Pilsener," a tribute to the city of Plze, Czechoslovakia,
where this style originated more than one hundred and fifty
years ago. Many brand names also reflect the style's nation of
origin: National Bohemian beer once was brewed in
Pennsylvania, and today you can find on the shelves of
American supermarkets Bohemia beer brewed in Mexico. To
be sure, not all of these beers live up to their heritage. Many of
those brewed in North America and the Orient are pallid
imitations with only a superficial resemblance to the genuine
Pils. Still, the very fact that so many brewers make a Pilsener-
style product is testimony to the reputation of the Bohemian
brewers and the impact their creation has had on the world of
brewing.
Probably the best evidence of Pilsener's appeal has
been its influence on the brewing industry of Munich, where
lager brewing originated. Munich's proud tradition has been
rooted in a very different style of beerdark, sweet, aromatic
Mnchner. In the 1920s, when applied chemistry had

1
2
advanced to the point where brewers could make both light
and dark-colored beers from the same water, the Munich
brewers introduced a new style of Munich beer. The new beer
was similar to the original but pale in color and obviously
designed to compete with the Pilsener lagers that had gained
so much popularity. Today this pale Mnchner, often called
Helles, is the everyday drink of Bavarians. The Munich
breweries also have started making their own Pilseners, and
world beer authority Michael Jackson was bemused to find
the great Spaten brewery touting its Pilsener as our best beer!"
I first became acquainted with genuine, European
Pilsener in Hamburg, Germany, in 1971. I went into a
restaurant and a waiter, assuming that I was American and
would want a light-colored beer, asked if I wanted Pilsener.
"Ja, I answered, not really sure what he meant or even why he
was asking the question. Weren't all beers Pilseners?
I don't believe I had ever tasted a European lager
before, and that one was a revelation. Presented in the classic,
tall, conical Pilsener glass, the beer had a depth of flavor I had
never encountered. The stinging, flowery hop aroma was an
enticing prelude to the rich, malty sweetness of the flavor,
which was perfectly balanced by its bitterness. I drained the
first one and ordered a second. Eighteen years later, I still credit
that German Pilsener as the beginning of my serious
involvement with the brewer's art.
I still feel a special affection for a good Pilsener, and
with the passage of time I appreciate its virtues even more. It
is light without being insipid or bland; hoppy, yet smooth and
mellow. It is simultaneously refreshing and immensely
Satisfyingtwo characteristics that may seem to be mutually
exclusive and that are not, in my opinion, so successfully
combined in any other beer style. At the same time, Pilsener is
not a big or complex" brew that brims with esters and other
fermentation byproducts. It has a clean, simple flavor profile
that makes it an ideal accompaniment for many types of food.

3
It is a drink for all occasions, and I believe it is this adaptability
that has made it the most popular beer today in the nations of
Northern and Central Europe.

4
 1
History
CZECH ORIGINS

Since its beginnings in the mid-nineteenth century,

the popularity and evolution of Pilsener have paralleled the
technological developments of recent history. The worldwide
popularity of lager beer in general, and Pilsener in particular,
would not have been possible without the development of
transportation, refrigeration, and other basic industries. And
while beer cannot be held accountable for the follies and
triumphs of the modern world, it has contributed Some of its
minor advances.
In Europe, the eighteenth century marked the
beginning of the industrial revolution, when scientific
discoveries were applied to the problems of humans. Starting
in England, brewing was transformed from a cottage industry
into a large-scale manufacturing operation with a consequent
need for product consistency. Progressive brewers brought the
thermometer and hydrometer (or saccharometer) into service
in the brewery. While old-timers" first resisted the devices as
a disparagement of their skill, these new tools eventually were
accepted because they were more reliable than the old
methods. The end result was better beer.
At this time, Czech-speaking lands were basically
agrarian, with beer and its raw ingredients an integral part of

5
the national Society and economy. Bohemian and Moravian
summer or two-row barleys (especially the Hanna and Kniefl
varieties) were then, as they are now, among the most prized
in the world, and the famous western Bohemian hop, the
Zatec Red or Saaz, is arguably the finest grown anywhere.
Aware that its hops were a national treasure, for centuries the
Grand Dukes of Bohemia attempted to prevent the export of
their precious herbs and actually mandated the death penalty
for anyone caught smuggling the rhizomes (root cuttings) out
of the country. Then, during the last part of the eighteenth
century and the beginning of the nineteenth, Frantiek
Ondej Poupe, a Bohemian brewmaster, brought modern
standards and techniques to Bohemia's brewing industry and
thus prepared it for its coming prominence.

6
 By 1840, Bohemia possessed the know-how and raw
materials for making first-class beers. But fermentation still
utilized mixed cultures of top-fermenting yeast, and in many
places, including Plze, the results were inconsistent at best. At
about this time, the citizens of the town resolved to build a
new brewery in the hope that it would make better beer than
the old one did. But exactly at this time, the long-held secret
of Munichbottom fermentationwas revealed. While the
function of yeast was still not understood, the new generation
of Bavarian brewers had begun to realize that yeast was the
key to the success of their methods and the quality of their
beer. In 1842, a Bavarian monk smuggled a pot of bottom-
fermenting yeast into Bohemia and supplied the last missing
element for the creation of a new beer. This was the beginning
of the lager revolution" and the beginning of the style we
now call Pilsener.

SUCCESS AND CHANGE

Since then, the story of Pilsener has been one of
unparalleled success and the changes success can bring. The
method for brewing light, well-carbonated lagers spread
quickly across Northern Europe, through Germany, and into
the Low Countries and Scandinavia. Germans and Other
Central Europeans immigrating to the New World brought
with them their brewing skills. As early as 1850, these new
arrivals began brewing lager in Canada and the United States.
Later waves of immigrants reinforced the trend, and in North
America the terms lager" and Pilsener" became almost
synonymous.
This growth in popularity brought changes as brewers
adapted the style to fit their local conditions and shifting
popular taste. In creating Pilsener, the brewery in Plze had
exploited not only the region's excellent malt and hops, but
also its water supply, which is almost unique among the great
brewing centers of Europe. The water there is extremely soft

7
total dissolved solids are under 50 parts per million (ppm)
and this characteristic makes it possible to brew a pale beer
with a very high hop rate, a combination that is almost
impossible with hard water. In other cities, brewers who
attempted to duplicate the Plze beer found that they had to
lower their hop rates and make other changes in order to get
the mellow flavor they wanted. The clean, refreshing palate of
good Pilsener became so desirable that rich flavors were muted
in order to emphasize this characteristic. Carbonation
sometimes was increased slightly, and adjuncts such as corn
and rice were introduced later in order to lighten the body.
To regress a little bit, these changes did not take place
abruptly but rather evolved. In Germany, the Reinheitsgebot
(purity law) forbade the use of adjuncts; yet even there,
Pilsener beers were brewed to be lighter and less malty than
the original Pilsener. The German Pilseners often had a lower
hop rate, partly owing, as previously noted, to the water.
Different brewing methods were also employed. In Plze, the
brewery used a traditional triple-decoction mash similar to
that employed at Munich. This process was as time consuming
and intensive then as it is today and tended to increase the
color of the finished beer. As a result, German brewers usually
adopted a shorter, double-decoction system that produced a
paler beer. Another change that also lightened the beer was the
use of pressurized steam to heat the brewing kettles, since
direct firing almost always scorches the wort and caramelizes
it to some extent. This innovationpioneered in Munich in
the latter half of the nineteenth centurynot only improved
working conditions in the brewhouse, but also improved the
consistency and flavor of the beer.

8
9
 SCIENTIFIC AND ENGINEERING
ADVANCES
The lager revolution began before Louis Pasteur had
demonstrated the true nature of fermentation, but it cer-
tainly would not have succeeded without him. Pilsener owes
its world-wide popularity to the development of brewing
science and adequate microbiological controls. More than
almost any other style of beer, a light lager such as Pilsener
leaves no margin for the ruinous effects of infection. Pasteur's
classic investigations of beer and wine fermentations not only
revealed for the first time the true role of yeast, but also
demonstrated that off-flavors are often the result of other
organisms.
Pasteur's discoveries led directly to the work of
another great microbiologist, Emil Hansen, who worked at the
Carlsberg brewery in Copenhagen. In 1881, Hansen developed
techniques for isolating and propagating single yeast cells.
This ability to produce pure cultures of selected yeast strains
put brewers in control of their product for the first time. Up to
that point, as Hansen discovered, all yeasts were a mixture of
strains, some good for brewing, some not so good, and all were
more or less contaminated with bacteria and wild yeast. It was
mostly a matter of luck if the good yeast managed to
dominate a fermentation and thereby produce an acceptable
beer. But using Hansen's methods, brewers could select a yeast
strain according to their requirements, just as they did their
malts and hops. It is hard to overestimate the importance of
this development in the success of lager brewing in general
and the Pilsener style in particular.
As I previously mentioned, developments in engine-
ering also played a part in the evolution of Pilsener. The great
German brewmaster Gabriel Sedelmayr, chief brewer at the
Spaten brewery in Munich during the mid-1800s, was perhaps
the greatest advocate of steam in the brewery, but he deserves
even more credit for his role in the development of

10
refrigeration. Indeed, he could be called the father of the
brewing revolution, since refrigeration turned lager brewing
into an operation that could be carried on year-round,
independent of climate or terrain. Prior to the introduction of
artificial cooling, brewing could be done only during winter,
and lagering had to be done in natural caves, which limited
the sites on which a brewery could be built.
As Pilsener brewing spread across Europe, adjuncts
were introduced into the process in Scandinavia and the Low
Countries. This alteration brought with it a totally new
mashing system: the so-called mixed mash, described on
page 15. But of far greater significance is the lightening of body
and flavor that this technique made possible. The refreshing
quality of the beer was thereby emphasized. To keep
everything in balance, the hop rate usually was adjusted
downward somewhat, but this depended on the water and, of
course, the judgment of the brewer. So strong has been the
drive towards adjuncts that, in more recent times, some North
German brewers have evaded the spirit (though not the letter)
of the Reinheitsgebot by using a proportion of chit malt" in
the grist. This is barley malt so undermodified that for all
practical purposes it is identical to the raw grain.
American-style Pilseners employed many of the same
innovations as those used in Scandinavia. The difference is
one of degree. Faced with rather coarse-flavored native hops
and high-tannin, six-row barley, the New World brewers
carried the tendency to lighten both the malt and hop
character of the beer to the greatest extreme. Over the decades,
American beer has become more and more delicate in its
bouquet and body.

THE RESULTS OF SUCCESS

As a result of its evolution, Pilsener has become a style
with such a range of flavor profilesfrom rich, malty and

11
hoppy to almost blandthat it can only be characterized by
four common characteristics: pale color, relatively high
carbonation, a flavor well-balanced between malt and hops
with neither predominating and, finally, bottom
fermentation that allows a clean aroma in which the basic
ingredients (rather than yeast by-products) prevail. But this
last characteristic is arguable since it is really common to
almost all types of lager beer.

SUBSTYLES OF BEER
No description of Pilsener would be complete without
listing the substyles into which it has evolved. Having
outlined the history behind their development, I will now
briefly describe how they are made today, and how the
differences in formulation and production methods affect the
flavor of the finished product.

- Pilsner Urquell -
Pilsner Urquell (in Czech, Plzesky Prazdroj) is the
original Pilsener beer, and it has changed little since 1870 or
1880, when the technology of the brewery was fixed. The beer
is brewed in small batches of around 152 U.S. barrels (180
hectoliters) from a blend of two-row malts, using the triple-
decoction mash system. The malt is considerably
undermodified by American or German standards, which
makes a lengthy mash necessary. The crushed malt is mashed-
in with cold water, then infused with boiling water to raise the
temperature to 95 degrees F (35 degrees C). Subsequent rests are
made at temperatures of 122, 149, and 165 degrees F (50, 65, and
74 degrees C). After lautering, the wort is boiled in direct-fired
copper kettles for two hours and hopping takes place in three

12
13
stages. The wort is cooled in two stages, first passing through a
closed counterflow chiller and then a large flat copper pan
(coolship) where the trub settles and the wort absorbs oxygen.
The yeast is pitched at about 40 degrees F (4 degrees C), and
fermentation lasts twelve to fourteen days at a temperature
near 46 degrees F (8 degrees C). The beer is then transferred to
the lagering vats and kraeusened. It is stored for a full three
months at temperatures near the freezing point. The beer is
filtered before being kegged or bottled. The bottled beer is
pasteurized, with beer destined for North America receiving a
longer treatment to increase its stability.
Pilsner Urquell is noted for its light golden color and
rich maltiness. The best way to describe it is perhaps to say that
it has a little more of everythingsweetness, bitterness, and
hopnosethan the average Pilsener beer. Flavor will be
described in greater detail in the next chapter.

- All-Malt Continental Pilseners -

Other Czech Pilseners are hard to find in the United

States, but German versions are relatively commonplace. The
Dortmunder Actien Brauerei (DAB) brews an excellent
example of Pilsener that is marketed in this country under the
label DAB. All-malt Pilseners also are brewed in Poland,
Belgium, Holland, and other European countries. Premium
two-row barleys are used almost exclusively, but the trend is
to make a well-modified malt rather than the undermodified
type used at Plze. This goes along with the shorter mash
schedules mentioned earlier. A double-decoction mash, with
mashing-in at around 122 degrees F (50 degrees C), is common
in Germany, though the trend is toward even shorter methods
such as the single-decoction or upward-infusion (temperature
programmed) systems.

14
 Boiling times may be as little as an hour. The finished
beer is usually yellow rather than golden, with a lighter malt
flavor as a result of both the malts and the process employed.
Because they often are brewed from harder water, these
Pilseners have a bitterness that is lower than that of Pilsner
Urquell, but higher than American-style Pilsener. They
usually retain the strong hop character of the original,
including the unique aroma of Saaz hops. (More than half of
Czechoslovakia's annual production of hops is exported.) Two
or three hop additions are usual, with some brewers adding
hops to the hop back or fermenter (a process called dry
hopping) to get the freshest possible aroma. Fermentation is
usually briefer, with the temperature being allowed to rise
during the process from around 48 degrees F (9 degrees C) at
pitching to perhaps as high as 60 degrees F (15 degrees C) by the
end. Kraeusening is sometimes employed, but often the beer is
simply racked into the lager tanks and residual fermentable
sugars are relied upon to carbonate the beer. Lager times are
often shorter than in Czech breweries, though still long by
American standards; four to six weeks is usual. Filtration
almost always is employed, but pasteurization is reserved for
bottled beers destined for export.

- Adjunct Pilseners -

As mentioned before, adjunct Pilseners are brewed

using a mixed-mash method. Well-modified malt is required
for this. The rice or corn grits are mixed with about 10 percent
of the crushed malt and slowly raised to a boil. They are boiled
for at least fifteen minutes to gelatinize the starch. Meanwhile
the remaining malt is mashed-in at protein rest temperatures
of 113 to 130 degrees F (45 to 55 degrees C) and held until the
cereal mash is added. This raises the temperature to the range
of starch conversion at 150 to 158F (65 to 70 degrees C), and

15
when saccharification is complete, the mash is boosted once
more by direct heat before being run into the lauter tun. Boil
times are often short, but multiple hop additions are
customary, and a definite hop aroma is important to the
flavor profile of these beers. Fermentation usually follows the
norm for Continental Pilsener, though many breweries try to
minimize storage times and may employ artificial
carbonation.
Because of the use of adjuncts, the body and flavor of
most Dutch and Scandinavian Pilseners are noticeably lighter
than those of German or Czech examples, though the balance
is usually preserved. In terms of body and flavor, the Dutch
and Scandinavian Pilseners are more Similar to American
examples, while in terms of hop characteristics they lean
toward German standards. Hop bitterness and aroma are lower
than for the all-malt Pilseners but higher than for American or
Canadian beers. Heineken, if it is fresh and has not been light-
struck or otherwise mishandled, is an excellent example.

16
 2

Profile of the
Pilsener Style
While the Pilsener style of beer is pale-colored, highly
carbonated, light to medium in body, and clean flavored with
a distinct hop aroma, these characteristics vary widely
throughout Europe. In preparing to brew his own Pilsener, a
brewer would do well to understand this range and how the
style becomes lighter and more delicate farther away from the
Pilsener homeland of Bohemia.

PROFILES

- Pilsner Urquell -

Pilsner Urquell must be taken as the standard against

which all Bohemian beersand indeed all Pilseners
worldwideare measured. It is therefore particularly useful to
look at some of its characteristics. Keep in mind, however, that
some of the most important aspects of the beer's flavor, such
as its hop aroma, cannot be quantified in any simple way. The
numbers do not tell the whole story.

17
 Original Specific Gravity 1,049 (12.1 P)
Apparent Final Gravity 1,014 (3.7 P)
Apparent Degree of Attenuation 69%
Real Degree of Attenuation 55%
Reducing Sugars (as maltose) 1.4%
pH 4.6
11.5 HBUs per 5 gallons; 43
Bitterness IBUS
Color 4.2 L
Alcohol Content 3.6% w/v.; 4.5% w/v.

The chief observation to be made about these

numbers is that while some of them (such as alcohol content)
are squarely in the middle of the range for Pilsener beers,
others are on the extreme edge. The content of reducing sugars
is moderate for lager beers, but rather high for the Pilsener
style. Original gravity is only a little higher than average, but
the attenuation is lower than for most Pilseners. The beer is
best described as moderately attenuated. The numbers related
to this phenomenon reflect a high content of proteins and
unfermentable carbohydrates, which accounts for the full
body (mouthfeel) of Pilsner Urquell. Subjective evaluations
confirm the full, rich character of the flavor, which is
reinforced by a caramel note in the aroma.
The impression of smoothness and sweetness is
enhanced by the relatively high level of diacetyl in the beer,
which is 0.15 ppm. By modern brewing standards this is on the
edge of being objectionable, especially for lagers. In this full-
flavored beer, diacetyl is not identifiable as a buttery or
butterscotch note, but its level is well over the taste threshold
(0.1 ppm) and undoubtedly contributes to the flavor.
The sweet, smooth flavor and palate fullness of Pilsner
Urquell is balanced by its hop character, which chemical
analysis can only partly reveal. The beer is very bitter, at 43

18
International Bitterness Units (IBU, which is the same as parts
per million of isohumulone). Assuming a 25 percent hop
utilization, which is about average with whole hops, this
translates into 11.5 Homebrew Bittering Units (HBU) [also
called Alpha Acid Units (AAU)] per five gallons. Pilsner Urquell
is certainly the most highly-hopped lager I have ever tasted.
The other component of its hop characterthe aroma
cannot be quantified by analysis of a single component.
Nonetheless, it is extremely high, on a par with the hoppiest
pale ales.
Another factor in the flavor balance of some beers is
their acidity. This can be measured in several ways. The most
common is pH, which reflects the actual concentration of
hydrogen ions in the beer. Unfortunately, pH does not
correlate very well with flavor. At 4.6, the pH of Pilsner Urquell

19
is high but within the normal range for a lager beer. The
titratable acidity (a better measure from a flavor stand-point)
is, regrettably, not available for this beer. In any case, even the
total titratable acidity is a rather crude parameter since
various organic acids have widely differing taste thresholds
and flavors. In most finished beers, lactic acid is present in the
highest concentration, but this acid has a high flavor
threshold and a mild flavor; hence, it has little impact in the
taste of Pilsener and most other beers. Kraeusened beers also
contain relatively high concentrations of pyruvic acid (as well

20
as acetaldehyde and other young beer compounds).
However, the most significant acid from a flavor standpoint is
acetic acid, which is volatile and has a much sharper flavor, as
well as a lower threshold than lactic acid. According to a study
performed by Anheuser Busch, most German Pilseners
contain acetic acid at levels at or above the taste threshold of
160 ppm. By contrast, no American Pilsener even approaches
the threshold level of this compound, which may partly
explain why our Pilseners lack the pungency of many
Continental examples, including the original.
In terms of appearance, Pilsner Urquell is darker than
most of its descendants, measuring 4.2 degrees Lovibond.
Subjectively, this is best described as dark yellow or light
golden, but demonstrably darker than the pale yellow of most
German and Dutch Pilseners. Haze data are not available, but
the beer appears sparkling clear when fresh, and because
precipitated protein has dropped out during its three-month
period of cold lagering, it is practically immune to chill haze,
despite its high protein content.
Terminal gravity correlates with the body and
smoothness of the beer, as does protein content, which also
affects head retention. The protein content of Pilsner Urquell
is 0.45 percent, which is quite moderate for an all malt
Continental beer but half again as high as a typical American
lager. Objective data on foam stability are not available for this
beer, but subjectively, it is excellent.
In summary, Pilsner Urquell has high carbonation, and
when poured forms a thick, long-lasting head. Its aroma is
dominated by Saaz hops, but the malt also comes through, so
its flavor is strong and well-balanced. The malty sweetness
includes more than a hint of caramel, but it is well
complemented by a strong bitterness without the least
roughness or bite. Body is very full. Overall, the beer is
exceedingly Smooth but has great depth of flavor. It is truly a
world classic.

21
 - German, Dutch and Scandinavian
Pilseners -

While dozens of other pale lagers are brewed in

Czechoslovakia (including such notables as Budvar and
Micelovice, the antecedents of Budweiser and Michelob
respectively), very few are exported to North America, and
analytical data on these beers are almost impossible to find in
English language brewing publications. For this reason, and
also because it is the prototype of the style, Pilsner Urquell
stands both by right and necessity as the representative of
Bohemian beer. But there is much more information available
for the beers brewed in West Germany, the Low Countries,
and Scandinavia. I will discuss these Pilseners in general terms
by comparing them to their Czech original. This comparison
shows that the objective data correlate quite well with
subjective taste perceptions, though again, the numbers do
not tell the whole story.

German
Original Specific Gravity 1,047-1049 (11.7-12.0 P)
Apparent Final Gravity 1.008-1012 (2.0-3.0 P)
Apparent Degree of Attenuation 74-83%
Real Degree of Attenuation 59-67%
Reducing Sugars (as maltose) N.A.
pH 4.2-4.6
8.0-9.9 HBUs per 5 gallons;
Bitterness
30-37 IBUS
Color 3.0-3.5 L
Alcohol Content 3.6-4.2% w/v, 4.5-5.2% w/v

22
 Dutch and Scandinavian
Original Specific Gravity 1,042-1,047 (10.5-11.5 P)
Apparent Final Gravity 1.007-1,010
Apparent Degree of Attenuation 75-82%
Real Degree of Attenuation 60-65%
Reducing Sugars (as maltose) N.A.
pH 4.2-4.6
5.4-7.5 HBUs per 5 gallons;
Bitterness
20-27 IBUS
Color 2.5-3.0 L
Alcohol Content 3.4-4.0% w/v, 4.2-5.0% w/v

These Continental Pilseners are better attenuated than

Pilsner Urquell, 75 to 82 compared to 69 percent respectively.
This correlates quite well with the dryer taste of these beers.
The greater the attenuation, the lower the content of reducing
sugars and unfermentable carbohydrates in the finished beer.
Alcohol content is roughly equal to that of Pilsner Urquell, but
the alcohol content of a beer can vary over a wide range
without affecting its flavor. Of greater significance is the
diacetyl content, which, thanks to modern fermentation
techniques, can be as low as 0.02 ppm. Like the lower content
of carbohydrates, this translates into a lower sweetness, as well
as a less complex aroma.
The German Pilseners have a protein content
comparable with the Czech beer, varying between 0.45 and
0.62 percent. As might be expected, they seem subjectively to
have good body, though in most cases not as much as the
Bohemian brew. In general, the German Pilseners can be
described as clean, perhaps even bracing, with full body and
malty flavor, but not as rich and sweet as Pilsner Urquell.
By way of compensating for the lower sweetness of a
German Pilsener, the bitterness also is lower. German beers
with this level of bitterness, however, are not subjectively less

23
bitter than Pilsner Urquell. The balance between sweetness
and bitterness is very much the same. Hop aroma is also strong
and seems to be even more predominant in the nose" of some
of the German beers. This may be because most German
Pilseners do not have a caramel flavor and aroma and are low
in diacetyl.
Finally, German Pilseners also are paler in color than
Pilsner Urquell. They usually are sparkling clear though I have
run across examples that threw a chill haze in the refrigerator.
This characteristic bespeaks shorter processing times, but it is
only a problem if the beers are served very cold. Foam
retention is excellent, as would be expected from an all-malt
beer with a high protein content.
The Dutch and Scandinavian Pilseners are similar to
the German examples in that they are very well-attenuated.
The original gravities are somewhat lower, however. Given
the same degree of attenuation, this obviously translates into
a lower content of reducing sugars and unfermentable
carbohydrates in the finished beer, a dryer flavor and a less full
palate. Furthermore, the protein content of these beers may be
as low as 0.3 percent, due to the use of adjuncts in the grist.
Diacetyl is very low, typically 0.05 ppm or less. The net result
is a beer which, in comparison to other Continental Pilseners,
is very light in both body and flavor.
To keep things in balance, the hop character of these
beers is likewise diminished. Hop aroma is also considerably
lower, in keeping with the more delicate character of the beer.
In appearance, these beers are very clear indeed and are
usually paler than German Pilseners. The low protein content
means that foam retention is not as good as for the all-malt
Pilseners, though it is usually adequate in a clean glass.
In conclusion, I want to repeat that the numbers never
tell the whole story. Obviously, if you want to brew a
particular style of Pilsener beer, you have to stay within the
major specifications, e.g., original gravity, attenuation, color,
and so on. But at best, those numbers can give only some

24
indication of how the finished beer will taste. Flavor depends
greatly on aroma, and aroma is scarcely accounted for in the
numbers I have cited. Beers brewed to the same specifications
can therefore vary significantly, depending on the particular
raw materials and brewing methods used.

25
26
 3

Brewing Pilsener Beers

Materials and Equipment
What are the specific ingredients and equipment
employed in brewing Pilsener? Two points need to be kept in
mind: first, this is not a brewing handbook, so many basic steps
that would be addressed at length in such a handbook are
mentioned here only in passing. Second, my
recommendations for materials and methods are not the only
ones that will work. I will give you the rationale for my
preferences, but you must be the final judge.

INGREDIENTS
Assuming that no mistakes are made during
manufacturing, the choice of ingredients largely determines
the flavor of the finished beer. It is therefore Critical to
understand the flavor characteristics that each component
imparts. However, factors such as cost, availability, and
suitability to the equipment at hand must also be considered.

- Malt -
Barley malt is a most important ingredient in any lager
beer, and it is especially critical in Pilseners. Pale malt

27
typically is responsible for 80 to 100 percent of the
fermentable matter in a Pilsener wort, and the clean, simple
flavor profile of this beer means that its character will be
largely determined by the brewer's choice of this most
essential material.
The first choice the American brewer must make is
between imported and domestic pale malt. There are good
arguments to be made on both sides. Domestic malt is
invariably cheaper, owing to lower shipping costs. It is
available from numerous sources, which means that short
ages are unlikely. This is especially important to a
microbrewer who may be faced with increased demand for his
product. It is almost always possible to get as much domestic
pale malt as needed in a few days' time. Rapid delivery and the
multiplicity of suppliers also means that if problems should
arise (e.g., a shipment arrives in bad condition), they can be
solved quickly. The quality is almost always good, in my
experience. Only once did I get a sample of substandard
(grossly undermodified) domestic malt, and this was from a
homebrew supply shop that probably had bought malt
intended for the food or distilling industry.
The negative side of domestic malts is that they are not
quite up to the standard of the best imported malts, in terms
of their pure brewing qualities. This is largely because of the
barleys from which they are made. Over the last twenty years,
breeding programs have improved American six-row barleys
enormously, but they still have a higher total nitrogen (and
therefore protein) content and considerably more tannin
than the two-row barleys that are used on the Continent. The
domestic two-row barleys (e.g. Klages) occupy an intermediate
position between the American six-row and European two-
row types.
If a microbrewer is inclined to favor the imported
malts, he must do his utmost to assure himself a steady supply
at a reasonable cost. All brewers should consider whether the
malt they propose to use will suit their process. For many

28
years, the trend in Europe has been toward using well-
modified malts to brew Pilsener-style beers, but the traditional
undermodified malt is still made. If you are committed to an
infusion mash (a mash carried out in a single vessel), you must
be sure that your malt is fully modified. Undermodified malt
virtually demands a decoction mash (a mash in which the
various temperature rests are accomplished by boiling a
portion of the mash in a separate vessel). The best test is simply
to chew a few grains to see if you can detect the hard, steely
tips of undermodified malt. But specifications also are helpful
to know, particularly the fine-grind/coarse-grind extract
difference.
Most American microbrewers and homebrewers use
domestic malts in their Pilsener beers. There is no doubt that
it is possible to brew excellent beer from such malts, despite
the theoretical advantage held by the European varieties. For
microbrewers, the two-row malt is slightly more expensive
than the six-row; for homebrewers, prices are usually the same.
You might wish to do trial brews with different malts and see
what differences you can detect in the final beers.
Microbrewers making this test should either buy the malt
precrushed from the malting company or use the roller mill in
their own plant. Crushing malt in a small flour mill, as most
homebrewers do, pulverizes the husks to some degree and
results in a greater extraction of tannins into the wort. Thus,
such a mill may possibly exaggerate the differences between
six-row and two-row malt. Also, one must not assume that all
two-row malts are superior. The way the malt is handled and
cured is equally important.
My view of these issues is that six-row barley can make
excellent pale malt, despite its inherent disadvantages.
However, the high tannin content becomes an increasing
liability when the malt is cured at higher temperatures. The
tannins oxidize and polymerize during kilning, and dark six-
row specialty malts, when used in large proportions (certainly
over 33 percent), impart an obvious tannic edge to the finished

29
beer. Since virtually all domestic specialty malts are made
from six-row barley, I would be inclined to favor imported
malts for brewing dark beers such as Munich Dunkel or
Dsseldorfer Alt. Fortunately, dark specialty malts are used
only in very small amounts for Pilseners, and the domestic
products are quite suitable.
Probably the most useful specialty malt for Pilsener
beers is Cara-pils (a trademark of Briess Malting Company),
which is the same as cara-crystal or dextrin malt and has a high
content of dextrins and high-molecular-weight proteins. It
enhances the body or mouthfeel of a beer and also improves
foam stability. It does not affect color, aroma, or flavor. Extract
is comparable to six-row pale malt. Enzyme content is nil.
Dextrin malt contains a Substantial amount of unconverted
starch and must be mashed with pale malt. Normally, it is used
in amounts ranging from 7 to 15 percent of the grist.
Vienna and Munich malts are basically identical to
pale malt but are kilned at higher temperatures. They increase
color, with typical domestic Munich malt being about 10
degrees Lovibond. However, their most important
contribution is the rich malty aroma and flavor they impart.
These properties virtually define the Vienna and Munich beer
styles. In Pilseners, high-kilned malts can be used in very small
amounts (certainly no more than 5 percent) to enhance the
malt character of the beer. Large quantities are not desirable
because they darken the beer too much and skew the flavor
balance toward the malt.
In my opinion, crystal or caramel malt is a better
choice than Munich malt for enhancing the malt qualities of
a full-bodied Pilsener beer. Like Cara-pils, but unlike Munich
malt, caramel improves foam stability and mouthfeel. It is
available in several grades, ranging in color from 20 to 120
degrees Lovibond, and the lower grades (20 and 40 degrees
Lovibond) are most suitable for Pilseners and impart a sweet,
mild, caramel smoothness. Higher grades are too dark and

30
strong-flavored for this style. Only small amounts of caramel
malt are used in Pilseners, typically 5 percent or less.
The dark roasted malts (chocolate and black patent)
scarcely are used in Pilseners; their color is so intense that only
tiny amounts can be used in a pale beer. Chocolate and most
black malts also impart a strong, sharp, roasted flavor that is
inappropriate to Pilsener. However, at least one American
maltster (Briess Malting Company) has developed a black malt
with a mild flavor, suitable for coloring adjust-ments. This
black malt could be added to a Pilsener to darken it slightly
without changing its flavor. This might be useful to a
microbrewer who wanted to make a well-hopped all-malt
beer but found that his customers resisted it because its
appearance resembled that of mainstream domestic lagers.
The amount needed would be very smallperhaps as little as
1/20 of one percent. Black malt usually is rated at about 520
degrees Lovibond.
One specialty malt that should be mentioned here is
chit malt, which is used in certain North German Pilseners.
This malt is not readily available in the United States, so the
reader should refer to the discussion of raw barley, which is
almost the same from a practical standpoint (see below).
Wheat malt is not a traditional component of Pilsener
style beers, but because it has many desirable qualities it is well
worth considering. Its high content of complex proteins and
glycoproteins greatly enhances foam stability. Wheat malt
also contributes to the body or palate fullness" of the beer. At
the same time, because wheat has no husk, its tannin content
is very low. Replacing a proportion of pale malt with wheat
malt lowers the tannin content of the finished beer. Wheat
malt has an undeserved reputation of imparting a strong
flavor. In fact, the typical clovelike taste of the Bavarian wheat
beers is not a result of the wheat malt but of the special yeast
strains used in fermentation. The flavor of wheat malt is
actually quite mild and smooth, and thus wheat malt
combines some of the most attractive aspects of dextrin malt

31
and adjunct grains. In addition, it has a high extract potential,
and the domestic varieties are high in enzymes.
Wheat malt also has some drawbacks. It rapidly
produces haze, especially when it is used in large amounts
such as in a typical Weizenbier. In smaller proportionsup to
20 percentit poses few problems as long as an adequate
protein rest is given. The most troublesome property of wheat
malt is its physical makeup. The kernels are small, hard, and
glassy, and must be crushed quite fine. This demands a high-
powered mill (or some hard labor on a handmill), and in
addition, the mill gap must be reset before each run. To avoid
these aggravations, the brewer might find it worthwhile to
buy wheat malt in precrushed form.

- Adjuncts -

The only unmalted cereals that are traditionally

incorporated into European Pilseners are rice and corn (maize).
Both perform a similar function in lightening the body and
malt flavor of a Pilsener. They differ slightly in flavor; corn has
a sweet roundness, while rice is dryer and more neutral in
character.
Small-batch brewers may find that the easiest way to
incorporate rice or corn is in the form of flakes that have been

32
pregelatinized and are ready to add to the mash kettle. Because
these flakes are not manufactured in America and must be
imported from Great Britain they are quite expensive and may
be cost-prohibitive in small-scale commercial brewing.
Instead, microbrewers may want to consider using uncooked
adjuncts such as grits, even though this method requires using
an additional brew kettle and a more complicated mash. The
traditional form of corn as an uncooked adjunct is ordinary
corn meal, which is very cheap and readily available. Both
yellow and white corn meal are suitable. Rice used as an
uncooked adjunct must be ordinary white (debranned) rice,
not precooked or converted. Short-grain rice is preferred;
long-grain rice can be used, but it must be milled before
cooking. Rice is more problematic than corn because it does
not gelatinize at temperatures below 185 degrees F (85 degrees
C).
Untraditional adjuncts include unmalted barley,
which is equivalent to chit malt used in some North German
Pilseners. It enhances foam retention, imparts a smooth finish
and need not result in chill-haze. Unmalted barley flakes
imported from Great Britain are considerably cheaper than
rice or maize flakes and may be worth considering for
microbrewers. Whole barley also can be used, but it must be
milled and cooked before it is added into the main mash.
Brewers can use any of these adjuncts in quantities up
to 20 percent to produce a light, refreshing Pilsener. Higher
amounts, however, dilute the flavor too much and diminish
the Old World character of the beer.
Sugars are another non-malt source of extract, but
they are not employed in traditional lager brewing. In my
opinion, they have no place in a European Pilsener. The only
exception is the Small amount of glucose (corn sugar) used in
the bottle carbonation of homebrew.

33
 - Malt Extracts and Grain Syrups -

Pilsener is one of the most difficult styles of beer to

brew from malt extract. All malt extracts have been
caramelized to some degree during manufacture, so it is very
difficult to achieve the light color and clean flavor required of
a Pilsener beer. The problem is so acute that many extract
manufacturers incorporate corn syrups into their light" or
lager" extracts and beer kits. This lightens the color but only
at the Costofmalt character, body, and head retention.
Fortunately, there are a few exceptions to the rule.
Malt extracts' chief advantages are considerable sav-
ings in time, and convenience in brewing. These may appeal
to homebrewers and also small-scale brewers who operate in a
location where it is inconvenient or impractical to remove
large amounts of spent grains (the only significant solid waste
product of brewing) or where it is more profitable to allocate
square footage to customer seating rather than to the extra
brewing vessels and allied equipment required for mashing
and lautering.
One drawback of malt extract is that it is much more
expensive than grain malt. This is inevitable since, in effect,
the brewer is paying the manufacturer to do a large part of the
processing. Another disadvantage is that malt extract severely
limits recipe formulation. I would strongly urge any potential
microbrewer who plans to make Pilsener beers a mainstay of
his business to perform some careful trial brews. Beer quality
must be the paramount consideration, and you must satisfy
yourself that your extract-based Pilsener will meet the
standard set by the finest imported and domestic brands.
Grain syrups are a natural accompaniment to malt
extract since they are essentially liquid adjuncts. They also
are well worth considering for the grain brewer who wishes to
make an occasional batch of light-bodied Pilsener but who

34
cannot justify the complication and expense of a cereal
cooker. Corn and rice syrups both are available, as is barley
syrup, though it might be slightly harder to locate. As a result
of processing, the subtle differences imparted by the choice of
grain often are difficult to detect. Of far more importance is
the manufacturing process, which must create a product with
at least 40 to 50 percent maltose and a substantial content of
dextrins and maltotriose. Some grain Syrups are almost
entirely glucose and produce a thin, dry beer with a cidery
flavor.

- Hops -
Traditional Pilsener beer features a strong, fine hop
aroma that can only be obtained from the traditional low
alpha or noble" variety of hops such as Hallertauer,
Tettnanger, or Saaz. High-alpha varieties can be used for

35
bittering, but they have a high cohumulone content that
imparts a coarse, clinging bitterness. Such hops also often
contain sharp-smelling hydrocarbons like pinene, which must
be driven off by a long, vigorous boil.
One thing the brewer must keep in mind is that the
rate of boil-off depends very much on the vigor of the boil and
the design of the kettle. Therefore, some brewers may
conclude that the choice of hops for the first addition (forty-
five to sixty minutes before the end of the boil) makes no
difference to the aroma and flavor of the finished beer. Others
may find that they must use noble hops exclusively in order
to get the best results. If trial brews are not possible, the latter
is obviously the safest course.
For the finish or aroma hops (whether added near the
end of the boil, or in the hop back or lager tank), noble hops
are absolutely necessary, and the Saaz variety is the
overwhelming choice of European brewers. You may wish to
try other types such as Hallertauer, Styrian Golding,
Tettnanger, Spalt, Perle, or Hersbrucker. Saaz is strongly
preferred, however. Its aroma is almost a requisite feature of a
true" Continental Pilsener.
The merits of whole hop flowers versus pellets have
been argued in the literature for some years now. There seems
to be general agreement that the grinding and compressing
process destroys a certain amount of the most delicate
aromatic components. On the other hand, once pelletized, the
hops are much more stable than the whole flowers and also
possess enormous practical advantages. In practice, most
microbrewers probably will choose between whole and pellet
hops based on their brewing process. One fact of importance
to Pilsener brewers is that Saaz hops are much more readily
available in pellet form.
Because hop character is so crucial to a Pilsener, the
brewer must exercise the greatest care in selecting and storing
hops. One difficulty posed by pellets is that one cannot rub
them in order to release their aroma and thus evaluate their

36
freshness before buying them. Whatever the form, hops must
be stored properly to prevent oxidation. Experiments have
shown conclusively that oxidation is the only significant
factor in hop deterioration. If hops can be stored in an
atmosphere devoid of oxygen, temperature is irrelevant.
When hops are stored in normal air, however, temperature
and variety determine the rate of oxidation. Most noble hops
store very poorly and can lose a substantial proportion of their
alpha acid and aromatics in a few weeks if kept at room
temperature. They should be kept in a freezer at 0 degrees F (-
18 degrees C) if they cannot be packaged in nitrogen or carbon
dioxide.
Let me remind you to select hops with a reliable
analysis of alpha acid content. Few small brewers have the
resources or time to analyze their own hops. The best course is
to anticipate your hop requirements and have sufficient
freezer storage to purchase all the hops you will need during
the autumn; when the new crop becomes available. Selection
is best at this time.

- Yeast -

Traditional Pilsener beer is fermented and lagered at

low temperatures, which is an important consideration in
selecting a yeast strain. Bear in mind that the yeast must be
suitable to the process employed. For example, in recent
decades, there has been a strong trend toward warmer
fermentations that reduce energy costs and processing time.
Yeast strains suited for this American-style fermentation may
go dormant at colder temperatures.
Another factor of importance to small brewers is the
stability of the yeast strain. A yeast prone to mutation may be
acceptable to a large commercial brewery that can afford to

37
watch it closely and reculture frequently, but Such measures
may not be possible for a microbrewer, and are certainly out
of the question for most homebrewers. Stability is vital if
consistent quality is to be maintained.
Flocculation is another property that must be
carefully considered. An ideal yeast stays in Suspension and
ferments the wort down to the limit, then settles out quickly
and firmly once fermentation is over. This is especially
important for homebrewers who use bottle fermentation to
carbonate their beer because they cannot filter out the yeast.
However, these two traits are to some extent mutually
exclusive. One factor that can complicate flocculation in the
homebrew process is cold tolerance. Some strains of yeast shut
down completely and flocculate if the wort temperature
drops below a critical point. They then have to be roused back
into the wort in order to restart fermentation. Such yeasts
virtually require a system of temperature control in order to
function satisfactorily.
Attenuation is another key factor. All strains of true
lager yeast, unless they are mutants, ferment maltotriose and
many minor wort sugars such as melibiose. However, the
strength of their enzyme systems varies considerably, and
some strains take a long time to finish the fermentation of
these complex sugars. This trait is not a disadvantage for
traditional lager beers that are carbonated and matured during
a long, cold secondary fermentation in the lager tank.
However, the modern trend is to finish the fermentation
quickly, and for this purpose it is preferable to have a yeast
that can finish off the minor sugars in a brief time span.
Finally, the flavor characteristics of the yeast must be
considered. Lager beers, including Pilseners, have a clean palate
in which the basic ingredients of malt and hops should
predominate. Therefore, an obviously estery aroma, such as is
typical of most ales, is undesirable, and low fermentation
temperatures, as well as yeast strain selection, are necessary to
avoid this. Nonetheless, it remains a fact that absolute

38
neutrality is neither possible nor desirable. All yeasts produce
a host of by-products in addition to ethanol and carbon
dioxide, and therefore the choice of yeast exerts a great effect
on the flavor of the finished beer.
Some lager breweries use yeasts that have a slight
estery character. But generally the esters are in the secondary
rather than the primary flavor component range and impart a
very subtle fruity note to the aroma. For example, Anheuser-
Busch highly prizes its yeast for its delicate apple character.
As mentioned earlier, Pilsner Urquell exhibits a
noticeable, but subtle characteristic of diacetyl. However, the
level of diacetyl, one byproduct of yeast, must be highly
controlled in a lager beer. As with esters, yeasts vary
considerably in regard to this compound. Often brewers must
adjust their fermentation system in order to maximize
diacetyl reduction with a yeast that is weak in this respect.
Optimally, a brewer can select a strong diacetyl reducer as the
production yeast.
Fusel alcohols and fatty acids also have strong
unpleasant flavors that are undesirable in Pilseners.
Fortunately, the low fermentation temperatures used in lager
brewing make these by-products less of a problem than they
are in ale brewing. Most commercial strains are satisfactory if
handled sensibly.
Of paramount importance to Continental Pilseners is
the influence of the yeast strain on the primary flavor
components, the malt and hops. Many Continental lager
yeasts accentuate the sulfury compounds (DMS, for example)
that contribute so much to the malt aroma of a beer. (Actually,
this is probably a matter of not removing these compounds
during fermentation, rather than actively creating them.)
Some yeasts also emphasize the hop flavor and aroma,
probably because they produce larger amounts of acetic and
other organic acids. It should be noted that fermentation
temperature also has a great influence on these flavor
components; nonetheless, it is a well-known fact among

39
brewers that some strains of yeast emphasize the hops, while
others emphasize the malt, still others emphasize both, and
some emphasize neither. Obviously a Continental Pilsener
needs a yeast that accentuates the hops. Full bodied, malty
Pilseners benefit from a sulfury note in the yeast as well, but
this is not important if you are trying to make a lighter version
of the style.
While I hesitate to recommend specific strains, I want
to state here that my experience has convinced me that the
choice of yeast is absolutely critical if one wishes to achieve
true European flavor in a Pilsener-style beer. Typical American
yeast strains simply do not produce the hop and malt flavors
characteristic in the Continental brews. I have demonstrated
this with duplicate test batches in which the only variable was
the pitching yeast. The beer fermented with the yeast of
European origin had a stronger malt flavor and tasted as if it
had been brewed to a higher hop rate than its counterpart.
All the European lager yeasts I have used were
obtained from Wyeast Labs. Other laboratories supplying
yeast to microbrewers and homebrewers carry similar strains.
The two I have experience with are Wyeast 2042 (Danish) and
Wyeast 2206 (Bavarian). The 2042 emphasizes hops and is
quite suitable for a light-bodied Pilsener. It is a slow flocculator
at normal temperatures of 46 to 52 degrees F (7 to 11 degrees C)
but needs temperature control because it flocculates and
ceases fermentation if the temperature falls below 40 degrees
F (4 degrees C). The 2206 emphasizes malt as well as hops and
is quite suitable for full-bodied Pilseners and Bavarian lagers. It
is temperature tolerant and settles out well once fermentation
has been completed. Both yeasts are good diacetyl reducers
and produce only low levels of other by-products.
My recommendation of these yeast strains does not
imply that others are inferior. Furthermore, the performance
of any yeast depends on its being properly handled and
maintained. However, I want to state here for the record that I

40
have never found a dried lager yeastdomestic or imported
that gave professional quality results.

- Water -

One of the grand generalizations of brewing is that soft

water is necessary for making lagers, especially pale lagers. This
statement is more or less true, but there are plenty of
exceptions. Dortmund, one of the great brewing centers of
Germany, has a water supply with around 1,000ppm of total
dissolved solids, which would put its water in the extremely
hard classification. Yet both Pilseners and the famous
Dortmund Export style are successfully brewed there. The fact
is that the whole concept of water hardness is so vague that it
is nearly useless for purposes of evaluating brewing water.
What matters is the specific ion content of the water, and the
fact is that by adjusting the brewing process, Pilseners can be
brewed from vastly different water supplies.
Nonetheless, it is worthwhile to comment on a few
specifics to point out some potential difficulties and the
corrections that a brewer may need to make. Consider first the
calcium content. Most brewing chemists believe that this
ideally should be in the range of 50 to 100 ppm. The main
effect of calcium is to assist in lowering the mash pH into the
desirable range of 5.5 to 5.2. There are other ways of doing this,

41
however. In Plze, the water contains only about 10 ppm
calcium, but the decoction mash effectively lowers the pH
into the proper range. It is easy to raise the calcium content of
water by adding calcium chloride or calcium sulfate and I
would recommend this procedure especially if one is using an
infusion mash. But the problem has to be approached
empirically. The overriding concern is the mash pH, and the
calcium content must be adjusted accordingly.
Magnesium is well known for its dry, bitter flavor,
which is especially unpleasant in Pilseners. It is a necessary
yeast nutrient, but malt contains plenty of magnesium for this
purpose, and the ion should never be added to brewing Water.
Likewise, trace amounts of certain other metallic ions
such as manganese, copper, and zinc are necessary for yeast
nutrition. Most natural water supplies contain plenty of these,
but occasionally brewers find it necessary to add small
amounts of zinc sulfate to their wort. Inclusion of Some
copper equipment in the brewing plant will take care of the
copper requirement. I must emphasize that we are speaking
about very small amounts of these ions. In general, metallic
ions (except calcium) are not wanted in brewing water, and
substantial amounts of iron or manganese (which are
common in ground water) mean that lime or other treatment
will be needed to remove them. Nickel, zinc, and other ions
also impart a metallic taste and/or contribute to haze
problems.
Sulfate is well-known for imparting a sharp, dry edge
to hop bitterness, and this characteristic does not complement
the flavor of Pilsener beers. In general, the higher the sulfate
content of your water supply, the lower your hop rate must
be. Levels under 100 ppm usually are acceptable. The effect of
sulfate is magnified and worsened by potassium and sodium.
Unfortunately, the sodium content of many fresh water
supplies has increased in recent decades, partly because
detergent manufacturers have replaced phosphates with
sodium compounds in their formulations.

42
 Chloride emphasizes sweetness, and in quantities
under 150 ppm, it has no adverse effects. For this reason,
calcium chloride often is preferable to calcium sulfate for
adjusting the mash pH.
Without a doubt the most important ion in brewing
water is bicarbonate/carbonate. The content of this ion is
often called the total alkalinity" of the water supply. The one
firm rule a brewer cannot escape is that pale lagers, including
Pilseners, should be brewed from water with low-level total
alkalinityideally under 50 ppm and certainly not higher
than 75 ppm. Levels higher than this cannot effectively be
countered during the mash. Fortunately, it is fairly simple to
remove excess bicarbonate from most water supplies, either
by lime treatment, acidification, or boiling.
Treatment of water for Pilsener brewing should be
tailored to the water supply in question. The following
treatments should be considered. However, very few water
supplies will need all of them.
First is chlorine removal, which is recommended for
all water supplies that have been chlorinated. In practical
terms, homebrewers can remove all free chlorine by boiling
the water. Microbrewers find it more economical to install a
carbon filter. Chlorination off-flavors are especially noticeable
in Pilsener beers.
Next is the reduction of the total alkalinity
(carbonate/ bicarbonate ion content). Many municipalities do
this when they soften the water through lime treatment.
Lime is the most economical means of reducing total
alkalinity, but the treatment requires a large mixing tank.
Lime is also very effective in removing iron. However, most
small-scale brewers prefer to boil the water and decant it off
the chalk precipitate, or to use acid. The acid should be chosen
carefully to be sure that it will not add undesirable flavors.
Hydrochloric, lactic, and phosphoric acids (USP or food grade
only) are generally suitable.

43
 Other undesirable ions affect the characteristics of
Pilsener and must be removed from the brewing water. For
example, if you are determined to make a highly hopped
Pilsener, you should consider the sulfate and sodium levels of
your water supply. These ions can be reduced by running part
of your brewing water through a deionizing filter or a reverse-
osmosis filter. These demineralizers remove virtually all solids
and produce the equivalent of distilled water. I do not
recommend complete deionization of the brewing water
because it removes the trace elements needed by yeast. It is
better to blend demineralized brewing water in order to
reduce harmful ions to acceptable levels.
Finally, you may need to restore the calcium content
because many of these treatments remove calcium along with
other ions. As noted above, calcium chloride or calcium
Sulfate can be used for this.
Carbon filters and demineralizing filters can be
purchased from laboratory and food-industry equipment
Suppliers. Chemicals for water treatment are available from
various chemical supply houses. For details on the various
treatment procedures, the reader should consult the brewing
manuals listed in the Bibliography.

- Other Ingredients -

Besides malt, adjuncts, hops, yeast, and water, the only

materials generally used in brewing Continental Pilseners are
clarification aids such as silica gel, Irish moss (copper finings),
and polyvinylpyrollidone (known as PVP or PolyclarTM).

44
These materials are readily available through brewing supply
houses.

EQUIPMENT

The equipment needed for brewing Pilsener is no

different from that required for brewing other lager beers.
Several items are optional, depending on the brewer's choice
of method and other variables.

- Mills -

A microbrewer may choose to omit a malt mill and

buy malt in a precrushed form. This lowers the initial cost of
the brewery and may lower insurance costs since the dust
generated by grain mills can be explosive. Homebrewers, too,
may opt for precrushed malt. Available hand mills do not give
as good a crush as a roller mill, so if homebrewers can get their
malt precrushed in such a mill, they may find the extra cost
well worthwhile.
The chief drawback of not owning a mill is the higher
price of precrushed grain. There is also the problem of storage;
crushed malt is much more vulnerable to moisture pickup
than is whole grain. To keep precrushed malt in peak quality,
the packaging must be of a high standard. Another
disadvantage of using precrushed malt is that it is only
available from a few domestic malting companies. If you want
to use imported malt you must be able to crush it yourself.
Assuming the brewer chooses to mill his own malt, the
next choice involves the design. Practical experience indicates
that a simple mill with a single pair of rollers (minimum
diameter eight to ten inches) is adequate for well-modified
lager malt. However, undermodified malt such as that used at
Plze requires a four-roll mill for a good crush.

45
 - Brewing Kettles -

A brewer may wish to employ the decoction system or

the so-called mixed-mash method in which some or all
temperature boosts are accomplished by boiling a fraction of
the mash and returning it to the main kettle. In this case, he
will need two mash kettles: a main mash kettle with a capacity
at least equal to the batch size, and a second kettle with a
capacity of about two-thirds of the main kettle. Note that the
mixed-mash method, which must be used in recipes calling for
raw cereal adjuncts, requires that both kettles be heated.
If a brewer uses the classic triple-decoction mash
system, in which temperature boosts are accomplished by
removing a portion of the mash three different times and
boiling it, it is theoretically possible to provide heating only
for the smaller vessel. This can lower the initial cost of the
equipment somewhat. But I recommend that both mash
kettles in a decoction system be heat able simply because there
are bound to be times when additional BTUs are needed to
achieve a particular rest temperature.
Step-infusion mashing, in which temperature boosts
are accomplished by heating the mash kettle, requires only a
single vessel. This is therefore the cheapest method, both in
the initial investment and ongoing energy costs. An unheated
mash kettle must be very well-insulated to avoid heat losses
during the prolonged rests.
Another decision faced by the brewer is whether to
combine the mash and lauter tuns. This is the traditional
British arrangement, and the simplicity and economy are very
attractive. It makes particular sense for small microbreweries
where only one brew per day is made. Separate vessels are
worthwhile when two or more brews are made in succession.
Most other brewing equipment depends on the
brewer's specific choices. For example, if one uses whole hops,

46
one must have a hop back or strainer to separate them from
the wort.
Several pieces of equipment are particularly important
in the brewing of Pilsener beer. One is a whirlpool or some
other means of separating the trub from the boiled wort.
Another is a wort cooler, which gives a rapid drop to pitching
temperature. The clean taste of this beer style depends upon a
good cold break and trub removal. Also, some method of
controlling temperature during fermentation and lagering is
very important both to the clarity and flavor of the finished
beer. For homebrewers, having a refrigerator or two is very
useful; for microbrewers, fermenters with cooling jackets are
virtually required.
The design of the wort cooler is of some importance.
Because Pilseners show oxidation very readily, it is best to
avoid aerating the hot wort. Oxidation of certain wort
compounds (called reductones) may permit them to function
as oxygen carriers during beer storage, so they actually

47
facilitate staling. For this reason, even more than for
sanitation, I recommend closed heat-exchange coolers for
microbreweries. For homebrewers, the counterflow design is
good provided that sanitation is strict. If you choose an
immersion cooler, use it right in the boiler (with the lid on)
rather than transferring the wort to a separate container for
chilling.
The last point to be made about equipment has to do
with the transfer of mashes, wort, and beer from one container
to another. Pilsener has a very full, fresh hop aroma, so it is
even more vulnerable to air pick-up than other lager beers.
Disappearance of hop aroma is the first sign of oxidation,
which is followed by the presence of a cheesy character
reminiscent of old hops. To avoid these effects, the mash and
hot wort, as well as the fermenting and finished beer, must be
handled gently. Any pump (including the positive-
displacement rotary as well as the cheaper impeller types)
causes a certain amount of turbulence and aeration. There is,
therefore, good reason to favor the traditional tower design for
the brewhouse because it allows most transfers of wort to be
done by gravity. More importantly, the finished beer should
be pushed by carbon dioxide pressure through the filters (if
used) into the bright beer tanks. This transfer method actually
removes dissolved oxygen from the beer rather than
introducing it.
Almost all commercial Pilsener beer is filtered. I urge
all lager brewers not to use tight filtration as a substitute for
other means of clarification. It is often necessary to filter the
fresh beer to remove a slight yeast haze and obtain a sparkling
product, but only alight, "polish" filtering should be needed.

48
 4
Brewing Pilsener Beer
Procedures
Choice of materials and equipment determines which
procedures can be used in a particular brewery. For this reason,
I recommend that you read this chapter on procedures for
brewing Pilsener beer when considering your equipment's
capabilities. Both the previous chapter and this one examine
the process of brewing Pilsener from different perspectives.

MASHING

The mash method is one of the most debatable aspects

of Pilsener brewing. The choice clearly relates to the recipe
formulation, which must be determined first. If the brewer
elects to use raw cereals as adjuncts, he must use the mixed
mash system as defined in the previous chapter. Most
microbrewers and homebrewers prefer all-malt formulations,
however, and they can choose between step-infusion and
decoction mashing as defined previously. The method
selected may depend on the choice of pale malt.
Undermodified Pilsener malts virtually demand a decoction
mash. On the other hand, six-row malts probably should not

49
be mashed by decoction because the repeated boiling extracts
more tannin from the grain husks than the gentler, shorter
infusion mash.
In other words, with undermodified, two-row malt,
use the decoction process. With well-modified, domestic six-
row malt, use step-infusion. With well-modified, two-row
malt, either method will work. In fact, some German breweries
now are making pale lagers with what is virtually a single-
temperature infusion mash. However, domestic two-row
barley has a higher level of protein and beta glucan than the
Continental strains, and I believe that some type of multi-step
mash, including a protein rest, is desirable with American or
Canadian malt.
In most cases, I prefer step-infusion mashing because it
is simpler, quicker, and less problematic. The difficulties of
decoction mashing include not only tannin extraction but
also the danger of scorching the mash during the decoctions.
The chief advantage of the method is that it always yields
more extract because the boiling bursts and gelatinizes all or
most of the starch granules that were not modified during
malting. This renders them available to the amylase enzymes
that are active during the starch conversion rest. Decoction
mashing also gives a lower mash pH without resorting to the
addition of calcium because the boiling precipitates more
phosphates from the malt.
It is also true that decoction gives a cleaner wort, as
demonstrated by far less trub in the boiler. This is because the
mash has already been boiled so that a large proportion of the
proteins, tannins, gums, and other sludge components have
already been coagulated and deposited. After boiling, worts
produced by either mash method should be very clean.
However, it is a fact that more care is needed during the
lautering and sparging of an infusion wort in order to avoid
bringing unconverted starch into the boiler.
If the brewer chooses the decoction system, he must
decide on the number of decoctions and the temperature of

50
the rests to be given. By varying the strike heat of the liquor
and the grist-to-liquor ratio, the mash-in temperature can be
set at any point. Likewise, by varying the fraction of the mash
that is removed and boiled, the temperature of subsequent
rests can be controlled. One of the difficulties of decoction
mashing is establishing values for these parameters. Variations
in the physical characteristics of the brewing equipment make
it impossible to follow hard and fast rules; exact procedures
must be determined by experience.
In brewing a Pilsener beer, some general
considerations influence brewers' choices. One of these is
tradition. The traditional Pilsener mash is the classic triple-
decoction method. In this system, the grist is mashed-in with
a small amount of cold liquor and brought to 95 degrees F (35
degrees C) with an infusion of boiling liquor. After an acid
rest at this temperature, one-third of the mash is removed,
brought to a boil [with a rest at 158 degrees F (70 degrees C) for
saccharification] and returned to the mash kettle to raise the
temperature to 122 degrees F (50 degrees C) for protein
conversion. Subsequent decoctions raise the mash
temperature to 149 degrees F (65 degrees C) and finally to 168
degrees F (75 degrees C). This is a very long mash process since
each decoction involves the following steps: (1) boosting to
saccharification temperature; (2) saccharification rest of
fifteen minutes or longer; (3) boost to boiling and, finally; (4) a
fifteen-minute boil. With each decoction, starch that would
otherwise be lost is rendered available. Also, the repeated
boiling progressively lowers the pH. Then, after the boiling
fraction of mash is returned to the main mash, a rest of twenty
minutes or longer is given to allow the enzymes to do their
work. This means that it is hardly possible to run a triple-
decoction mash in less than five or six hours.
Jean deClerck observed in his A Textbook of Brewing
(Chapman-Hall Ltd, 1957) that this mash method has been
criticized as being too intensive. It is ideal for the specific
materials used in Plze; i.e., low-calcium mash water (which

51
requires that other measures be taken to lower the pH) and
undermodified malt. It is unnecessary with more normal
water supplies and well-modified malt. The norm for brewing
Pilsener in Germany is a two-step decoction process with the
mash-in at protein rest temperatures.
Other variations are even quicker. For example, some
brewers use a single-decoction mash in which the boost to
saccharification is accomplished by decoction but the final
boost to mash-out at 168 degrees F (75 degrees C) is done by
directly heating the mash-tun. This program is arguably more
Sensible than the double-decoction method because starch
released during the second boil may not be converted during
the mash-out rest (the amylase enzymes are rapidly destroyed
at such temperatures) and might cause hazes in the wort and
finished beer. However, both methods have been shown to
work well with fully modified malt.
Decoction mashing requires planning and experience,
and I recommend that you read Brewing Lager Beer by Greg
Noonan (Brewers Publications, 1986) for a complete discussion
of the process. However, I would like to offer a couple of
suggestions to beginners. First, all the experts recommend
removing the thickest part of the mash for boiling. But do not
make the decoction. So thick that it is hard to stir effectively
because the slightest scorching may ruin the finish of a
Pilsener. Scorching is not such a problem in a kettle heated by
pressurized steam, and traditionalist microbrewers who want
to make Pilseners with the decoction method should seriously
think about investing in a steam generator.
The second suggestion is, don't make your decoction
too small. If you are not sure how much it takes to achieve a
particular temperature rest, guess high rather than low. This is
especially important if you are using a main mash kettle that
cannot be heated. It is always possible to add the decoction to
the main mash a little at a time, and to cool it, if necessary, in
order to get the rest temperature you want. But if you take too
little, there is not much you can do to rectify the situation.

52
 I must restate my preference for infusion mashing
with domestic malts. Infusion mashing is simple and has been
well-described in the standard reference works. Furthermore,
domestic malts are quite well-modified, and the difference in
extract yield between decoction and infusion is not likely to
exceed 2 percent. But is step-infusion mashing necessary in
order to provide a protein rest? Recent research indicates that
relatively little protein degradation takes place in the mash,
regardless of temperature. One consideration that complicates
the issue is that other substances besides protein are degraded
at the low-temperature rest, particularly beta glucans and
other gummy carbohydrates. American barleys contain large
amounts of these substances, which can cause hazes and a slow
runoff in the lauter tun. For this reason, a low temperature rest
may be useful even if proteins have been adequately broken
down during malting. Following is a temperature program
optimal for each enzyme group:

mash-in and fifteen-minute rest at 113 degrees F (45

degrees C), which is optimum for peptidase,
fifteen-minute rest at 140 degrees F (60 degrees C),
which is optimum for glucanase and protease,
rest at 150 F (65 degrees C) until starch conversion
(confirmed by iodine test),
rest for five minutes at 168 degrees F (75 degrees C),
which is mash-out.

In my own brewing I follow a simpler schedule,

involving only a single low-temperature rest at 131 degrees F
(55 degrees C) for thirty minutes. This temperature is not
optimal for any of the enzymes, but it is a good compromise.
When I use wheat malt, I lower the rest temperature to 122
degrees F (50 degrees C) to favor protein degradation (most

53
important with this grain) and lengthen the time to forty-five
minutes.
Pilseners are usually dry, well-attenuated beers so I
generally favor a starch conversion temperature on the low
end of the scale. For the same reason, a low mash pH, which
favors beta amylase, is helpful. However, these
recommendations may have to be modified according to the
brewer's experience, the materials he has to work with, and the
exact results desired.
Some breweries omit the mash-out rest, but I believe
this is a mistake. The wort runs off much more readily at 160
to 168 degrees F (71 to 76degreesC), and sparging is therefore
quicker and extraction is often higher if a mash-out is used. At
the same time, in doing an infusion mash, it is very important
that the sparge water temperature not be allowed to rise over
168 degrees F (76 degrees C). If it does, unconverted starch
washes through into the sweet wort, which increases the
chance of problems with haze and certain types of amylolytic
microorganisms. Anheuser-Busch uses a sparge water
temperature of 163 degrees F (72 degrees C), which is just about
ideal for infusion or mixed mashes.
The mixed mash method is used only with uncooked
cereal adjuncts. The procedure is well-described in standard
textbooks and need only be outlined briefly here. The malt is
milled and about 10 percent of it is mixed with the rice or corn
meal. This mixture then is infused in cold water, which is
raised to the starch conversion temperature of around 155
degrees F (68 degrees C) and held for fifteen to thirty minutes.
The purpose of this rest is to allow the malt amylases
to saccharify the loose starch before the porridge is boiled.
This reduces problems with sticking but the mixture must still
be stirred frequently throughout the process. Then the heat is
raised, and the cereal mash is boiled for at least fifteen minutes.
Longer times maybe needed with rice, as this starch does not
gelatinize as readily as corn starch. After the cereal mash has
been through starch conversion, the main load of malt is

54
mashed in and held at protein rest temperatures for about half
an hour. The exact temperature is not very important and
should be set so that the addition of the cereal mash to the
main mash raises the whole to the desired temperature for
saccharification. As in the decoction method, a mixed mash
requires experimentation before you achieve consistency in
your procedures because equipment and the recipe variations
make it almost impossible to count on fixed rules or formulas.
I advise beginners to make the main mash as thick as it
can be initially, but to make the cereal mash thin because the
grits absorb a lot of water as they are brought to a boil. I suggest
three quarts of water for every pound of grain. You may wish
to experiment with this. As with decoction, add the cereal
mash slowly and keep track of the temperature so that you
don't overshoot and destroy the malt enzymes.
In reading these pitfalls of a mixed mash, you may be
thinking that flaked adjuncts are a reasonable choice. Any
type of flake may be used in either a decoction or an infusion
mash, though obviously they are preferable (in terms of
saving time and work) in the latter. Flaked corn and flaked rice
contain little protein or gum and can be mixed with hot water
and added to the mash before the starch conversion begins.
However, it is easier just to mix them into the grist before
mashing in. Note that flaked barley must be handled in this
way because it is rich in haze-forming components and needs
the benefit of a low-temperature rest.
Sparging technique is no different with Pilsener
mashes than with any others. An extra measure of caution is
required because, as with other pale beers, Pilseners are highly
susceptible to haze. The sparge water temperature must not be
too high. Also, the pH of the runoff must not be allowed to get
above 6.0 and preferably not above 5.7, particularly when the
grist is based on six-row or domestic two-row malts.
The last question to be addressed in this section has to
do with the clarity of the runoff. It is my strong belief that,
because pale beers such as Pilsener must be as clear as possible,

55
it is vital to recirculate the first runnings until the filter bed is
well established and the runoff is reasonably clear. Of course,
the first runnings will have some protein haze, but this should
be very slight once the filter is settled. If the first runoff is not
recirculated, grits and fine-ground pieces of husk are bound to
wash into the boiler. This increases the chances of starch and
tannin hazes and astringency in the finished beer.

BOILING AND COOLING

In brewing Pilsener beers, boil time is an issue mainly

because of its effect on wort color. In Plze, the wort is boiled
for two hours, but Pilsner Urquell is darker than most
examples of the style, and a shorter boil makes it easier to get
the lighter color of a typical Pilsener. Some breweries boil
under pressure for only a few minutes, but for ordinary boiling
at atmospheric pressure, a time of at least forty-five minutes is
needed to get an adequate hot break. I usually boil the wort for
seventy-five minutes, adding the first lot of hops after thirty

56
minutes of boiling. The reason for this procedure is to get
maximum coagulation of the wort proteins with the harsh,
astringent malt tannins before adding hops (the other major
source of tannin in beer). However, I have not been able to
verify the effectiveness of this procedure. The total time is
short enough to minimize wort darkening, even with a direct-
fired kettle.
When brewing with malt extract, even shorter boils
are called for. To avoid darkening and caramelization, I suggest
a maximum boil time of forty-five minutes. Extract worts
begin to breakeven before reaching the boil, so boils as short
as 15 minutes are quite adequate when you are using pelletized
hops.
It is customary in some breweries to add the first lot of
hops before the wort reaches the boil. The hops hold down
foaming and minimize the danger of a boil over. This may be
necessary if the boiler capacity is close to the batch size.
However, if the boiler is at least 25 to 30 percent larger than
the volume of wort that is run into it, boilovers can be avoided
simply by regulating the heat under the copper. In order to
save time, most breweries begin applying heat as soon as the
sweet wort covers the bottom of the boiling kettle. The wort
reaches the boil as soon as the copper is filled. For Pilsener
brewing, especially when using a direct-fired kettle, I advise
caution with this procedure. The first runnings are of high
gravity and are easily caramelized, or even scorched. A few
experiments may be needed to determine when the boiler can
be fired up without darkening the wort.
At Plze, hops are added in three stages over the course
of the boil. This procedure gives a full hop flavor because
different fractions of the hop aromatics are retained according
to boil time. The customary method for imparting the
characteristic hop aroma to Pilsener is to add the last fraction
of "finishing" hops either shortly before (say five minutes) the
end or at the very end of the boil. Some brewers add their
finishing hops to the hop back instead.

57
 In the equipment section, I have already discussed the
various options for removing the hops from the wort and
cooling it. The main point is to avoid oxidation of the hot
wort. Some American breweries use open-air cooling in order
to maximize the evaporation of certain sulfury compounds
(especially DMS) from the finished beer. But since small
amounts of these compounds are part of the flavor profile of
typical European Pilseners, there is no reason to go to extremes
in order to remove them. Also, in a small-scale operation, it is
relatively easy to get all the wort chilled shortly after the boil,
and once the wort is cool, DMS is no longer formed. In fact,
homebrewers using an immersion cooler in the boiler may
want to let the hot worts it for a short time, in order to increase
the DMS content of their European-style Pilseners.
The final step that needs to be considered in wort
processing is trub removal. This is important because it greatly
affects the flavor of the finished beer. To minimize fusel
alcohol production, all the hot break must be removed before
fermentation begins. Furthermore, it is advantageous to
remove a large proportion (at least 40 percent) of the cold
break as well. This further reduces fusel alcohols and make it
unnecessary to skim the kraeusen of the fermenting beer.
The usual procedure is to run the hot wort through a
hop back (if whole hops are used) and into a whirlpool, where
the break material collects in a compact mass at the bottom of
the tank. Then the wort is chilled and run into a starting tank
where the yeast is pitched. During the lag period, the cold
break partially settles, and this sediment is left behind when
the wort is racked once more into the primary fermenter. This
system works well and gives very clean beers. The only
problem I can see is that it requires an extra fermenting vessel
(the starter tank).
At Plze, coolships are used, but the wort is first run
through a closed heat exchanger (which avoids wort
oxidation), and the main function of the coolship is to allow
cold break material to form and Settle out before the wort is

58
pitched. I suggest a simpler alternative for small-scale brewers:
use a whirlpool, but chill the wort before whirlpooling it. Like
the Plze coolships, the whirlpool then removes both hot and
cold break material and allows the wort to be pitched in the
primary fermenter. Also, I suggest chilling the wort as much as
possible, down to 40 degrees F (4 degrees C) at least. This
reduces the need for subsequent measures to remove chill
haze, which is a major problem with all-malt Pilsener beers.
The only drawback to this method is that there is a greater
accumulation of break material in the heat exchanger so that
more frequent cleaning is necessary. Also, the cooler may need
to be slightly larger because the deposition of sludge reduces
its efficiency.

FERMENTATION

The traditional fermentation of Pilsener beer is a long,

slow process requiring three months or more. Pilsner Urquell
is still made in this way, and the finished product is a
testimony to the efficacy of this system. On the other hand,
economic pressures have forced most breweries to adopt
shorter schedules in order to maximize their output.
Fortunately, scientific research has explained many of the
mysteries of fermentation, and greater understanding of the
process has enabled brewers to reduce fermentation time
without compromising the quality of the beer. However,
there are limits. Pilseners with the traditional European flavor
cannot be produced by a two- or three-week fermentation
cycle.
One trend in modern lager brewing is the use of a
separate starter tank, as described previously. The wort usually
is held in this tank during the lag phase at a relatively high

59
temperature, perhaps 60 or 65 degrees F (15 to 18 degrees C). The
wort is cooled to fermentation temperature after yeast
activity begins. This can cut a full day off production time.
However, careful monitoring is required or esters and diacetyl
may be increased. The traditional fermentation method is to
pitch the yeast into the wort at 40 to 48 degrees F (4 to 8
degrees C). This guarantees minimum production of diacetyl,
but it also gives a long lag period. In order to get a reasonable
fermentation (six to ten days), it is important to pitch a large
amount of strong, active yeast. Pitching rate should not be less
than 0.67 to 1.3 fluid ounces of slurry per gallon (20 to 40 fluid
ounces per U.S. barrel).
The trend in America is toward relatively warm
fermentations, typically around 55 degrees F (12 degrees C).
This shortens fermentation time, and with a suitable yeast,
esters and other by products are not noticeable in the finished
beer. Nonetheless, the flavor is affected. Acetic acid and DMS,

60
for example, are actually lowered by a warm fermentation,
and these compounds are part of the characteristic flavor
profile of European Pilseners. For this reason, I recommend
that the wort temperature be no higher than 50 degrees F (10
degrees C) during the initial stages of fermentation.
The traditional method of brewing Pilsener calls for a
temperature held steady throughout primary fermentation,
after which the beer is racked to the lager tanks while
secondary fermentation is still in progress. This is in sharp
contrast to a newer method wherein the temperature is
allowed to rise to about 53 degrees F (11 degrees C) as
fermentation progresses. The beer is often held in ruh storage"
for twenty-four to forty-eight hours after fermentation before
being transferred to the lager tanks. This allows the yeast to
reduce diacetyl to below threshold levels before the beer is

61
racked and lagered. Lagering is not required to mature the
beer's flavor and is used mostly for clarification. With the
traditional method, several months of cold secondary
fermentation are needed before diacetyl is reduced and the
terminal gravity of the beer is reached.
One part of traditional Pilsener brewing technique
that continues to be popular is kraeusening. This is used
mainly for carbonation, but it has other purposes as well. For
one thing, the introduction of fresh, active yeast at the end of
fermentation gives a boost to the diacetyl reducing process.
Just as important, it tends to give a more complete
fermentation, which means a lower terminal gravity and a
dryer finish to the beer. At the same time, the content of
certain young beer components (such as acetaldehyde) is
increased in the finished beer, which may or may not be
desirable.
While kraeusening is an excellent technique, it is not
always practical, especially for small-scale brewers who do not
often brew Pilsener. It is quite possible to get a true Pilsener
flavor without kraeusening, especially because the modern
fermentation system tends to give some of the same benefits
(diacetyl reduction, complete fermentation). Both natural and
artificial carbonation can be used, with the latter typically
taking place very late in the process, after lagering has been
completed. Natural carbonation without kraeusening is very
simple, especially when using pressure resistant tanks for
secondary fermentation. The only point to remember is that,
if a brief storage time is desired, the temperature should not be
dropped as soon as the tank is sealed. The young beer should
be allowed to ferment out at 53 degrees F (11 degrees C) before
the thermostat is lowered.
It has been mentioned in passing that lagering
traditionally served three purposes: clarification, carbonation,
and flavor maturation. The last of these can be largely
eliminated by modern fermentation technique, as outlined
above, and the second can be done artificially. It might

62
therefore be supposed that by the use of filters for clarification,
lagering could be eliminated entirely. This may be true in
theory, but it does not work out well in practice. Young
unfinished beer contains so many yeast cells that an
enormous amount of filter material would be necessary to
remove them. Also, filters work by adsorption (gathering
particles on a surface in a condensed layer) and are quite
indiscriminate. Yeast cells are so small that they cannot be
filtered out without also removing a certain amount of
protein material that is important for the head retention,
flavor, and body of the finished beer. Therefore, if the brewer
aims to make a full flavored, traditional Pilsener, his only
choice is to allow most of the yeast to drop out naturally
during lagering and thus minimize the need for filtration.
The time needed for lagering depends on many factors.
One is the flocculation characteristics of the yeast; obviously,
the faster the dropout after fermentation, the shorter the
lagering time. Many breweries use fining agents to enhance
the dropout rate. Isinglass, which is very popular in British ale
brewing, is not used much in lager brewing. One popular,
traditional method is the addition of beech or other hard
wood chips to the lager tank. These provide an ideal surface
for the yeast cells to adhere to and thus speed up the
clarification process considerably. The only drawback is that
they are difficult to clean and sanitize. Aluminum chips" also
work and are much easier to maintain, but they are not as
effective as the wood chips.
Another factor that influences lager time is the quality
of the malt. In order to get a sparkling clear Pilsener, more than
the yeast must be eliminated. Colloidal haze, whose chief
constituents are protein and tannin, also clouds beer. Haze
slowly continues to form and settle out at any temperature,
but it forms much more rapidly at low temperatures hence
the well-known phenomenon of chill haze. In any case, haze
continues to form in the lager tank, but the amount of haze
depends greatly on the amount of haze precursors in the beer.

63
Higher quality malts contain less protein and tannin than
those of lesser quality, and therefore require less lagering time.
Dr. George Fix, author of Principles of Brewing Science
(Brewers Publications, 1990), is of the opinion that four to five
weeks of lagering is optimal for beers brewed with
Continental two-row malt; five to six weeks for beers brewed
with American two-row malt; and Seven to eight weeks for
beers brewed with six-row malt.
Shorter lagering times are certainly possible, and
indeed, many American brewing companies do not use a
traditional cold lager process. The beer is aged for two to three
weeks at fermentation temperature to allow the yeast to settle
at least partially, and the beer is chilled briefly (perhaps for
twenty-four hours) just before it is filtered and packaged. This
method relies on the filters, along with treatments that
remove precursors, to eliminate colloidal haze.

- A Note on Lagering for Homebrewers -

The discussion of lagering above is aimed mostly at

microbrewers and at homebrewers who serve most of their
beer on draft from stainless steel soda" kegs. These kegs are
ideal lager tanks, built to withstand pressure, and a draft
system makes it easy to apply polish filtration (if necessary) at
the end of the lager period, using carbon dioxide (CO 2)
pressure to push the beer through the filter into another keg.
This places them in essentially the same position, with the
same resources, as their commercial brethren.
On the other hand, homebrewers who use the simple,
old-fashioned technique of priming (or kraeusening) and

64
bottle fermentation for carbonation, face a different situation.
They cannot rely on filtration at all and therefore must use
other means to achieve clarity of their finished beers. In my
view, the ideal way of dealing with this problem is to ferment
the beer out and then rack to a carboy or other closed
fermenter to allow partial settling of the yeast. Dry hopping
can also be done at this stage, and clarifying agents such as
PolyclarTM can be added. This settling period should be not less
than five days, and two weeks is preferable. At the end of this
time, the beer should be primed, bottled, and stored at
fermentation temperature for at least a week to allow the
bottle fermentation to take place. At this point the beer
should, if possible, be put into cold storage for one to two
months. At the end of this time the beer should be clear when
warmed to serving temperature, though it may still be hazy at
the 32 to 34 degrees F (0 to 1 degrees C) lager temperature.
The idea here is to regard each bottle as a miniature
lager tank. It is possible to make Pilseners with a true European
flavor with this system. In fact, if the wort was well chilled
before pitching, and you are willing to apply a dose of
PolyclarTM in the carboy, you can get a clear, chillproofed beer
even if it is stored at fermentation or cellar temperature. The
problem is that there is always a bit of oxygen pickup with
home bottling (unless the bottling is done from a draft keg
using a counter pressure filter), and the first thing that goes
when beer is oxidized is the hop aroma. Therefore, it is better
to store homebrewed Pilsener cold, if for no other reason than
to forestall oxidation.

FILTRATION AND CLARIFICATION

A light, polish filtration is generally required to get a

sparkling, clear Pilsener. A four-micron filter generally will do

65
an adequate job unless the beer has not been properly lagered
and handled. Only a minimum of filtration should be
necessary. A hazy beer clogs the filters in short order, leading
to air pickup and the resulting destruction of delicate hop
aroma.
Air pickup must be avoided at all costs. For this reason,
I recommend that microbrewers use the same system as
homebrewers; that is, push the carbonated beer through the
filter with CO2, pressure while maintaining a slight bleed in
the bright beer (receiving) tank, which has been filled with
CO2, beforehand. With this system, dissolved oxygen is
actually removed from the beer during transfer. By contrast,
all types of pumps introduce some air into the beer.
The need for clarification, like filtration, can be kept to
a minimum by sound brewing practices. I have found that
chilling the wort as much as possible after boiling, in order to
maximize the formation and precipitation of cold trub,
greatly reduces the need for clarifiers later on. However,
PolyclarTM is very useful with American malts as it selectively
adsorbs polyphenols (tannins) from the fermented beer and
reduces chill haze considerably. Polyclar TM powder can be
added to the lager tank after chilling, or treatment can be
combined with filtration by selecting a filter element that is
impregnated with the compound. The only drawback is that
it adsorbs isohumulone to a slight degree and so reduces hop
bitterness. This must be compensated for in the recipe
formulation.
The other compounds used to clarify and chillproof
beer work by adsorbing or breaking down protein. Since this
affects the mouth feel and head retention of the finished beer,
I consider these compounds less desirable than Polyclar TM.
However, with beers that have a severe haze problem, a
combined attack may be needed, and silica gel (which adsorbs
protein) may be added to the lager tank along with PolyclarTM.
Protein-degrading enzymes, such as papain, also are employed
sometimes. However, they are hard to control, so unless the

66
beer will be pasteurized (which deactivates the enzymes after
a definite period), they must be regarded as a second choice.

BIOLOGICAL STABILITY

Pilseners are especially susceptible to showing off-

flavors in the finished beer. Therefore, sanitation is the first
line of defense against biological hazes from bacteria or yeast.
Without proper sanitation, all subsequent measures are likely
to fail.
Beyond sanitation measures, active yeast works
against other organisms competing with it, creating chemical
conditions that favor its own survival. This means that one of
the best ways of assuring the biological stability of a finished
beer is not to remove the active yeast. It is common
knowledge that filtered homebrews are much more prone to
infection than those primed and bottled with active yeast.
The problem is that bacteria are much smaller than yeast cells,
and the light polish filtration recommended for removing
yeast haze and yeasty, "young-beer" flavor notes from Pilsener
does not remove completely the lactobacilli and pediococci
that can wreak havoc on Pilsener flavor and clarity. There are
basically three techniques that can be used to avoid the
problem.
The first is the conservative method used (of necessity)
by many homebrewers; either don't filter or filter very lightly
so that some live yeast remains in the beer, then keep the beer
cool and drink it quickly. Most American breweries do not
pasteurize their draft beer because they know it will be stored
under refrigeration and consumed within a week after it is
racked. Brewpubs can follow the same approach.

67
 The second method is to pasteurize the beer. Most
European Pilseners exported to the United States are
pasteurized, as are most domestic bottled beers. Pasteurization
can assure long-term biological stability if carried out
properly. At Plze, bottled beer exported to Western Europe is
pasteurized at 145 degrees F (63 degrees C) for thirty minutes.
Beer shipped to America is pasteurized for sixty minutes in
order to give it a greater degree of stability commensurate
with the long sea voyage and extremes of temperature it is
likely to encounter. The problem with pasteurization is that
the high temperatures used greatly accelerate oxidation,
which leads to stale, winey or cardboardy flavors, as well as
destruction of the fine, fresh-hop aroma so vital to a Pilsener.
If bottled beer is pasteurized, there are three points to
remember:
1) the wort and beer must be maintained in a reduced
(unoxidized) state as much as possible at every stage of
production or pasteurization can bring about oxidation even
though there was no dissolved air in the beer when it was
bottled;
2) beer must not be aerated during bottling, and air
must be eliminated from the headspace, which means using a
good counter pressure bottle filler and knocking the bottles
before capping; and
3) pasteurization should be carried out at the lowest
temperature for the shortest time needed to achieve biological
stability (flash pasteurization is particularly attractive but,
since it is applied prior to bottling, sanitation in the bottling
plant must be very carefully attended to).
The third method of attaining biological stability is
sterile filtration but, because this has the net effect of stripping
out much of the body and flavor, this process is entirely
inappropriate for any European style of lager beer, including
Pilsener.

68
 SERVING

When they bottle, homebrewers face the problem of

flat beer that must be primed in order to bring about a bottle
fermentation that will carbonate the beer. The problem can
be overcome by a two-step procedure. First, fill the bottles
carefully to a rather high level. Leave only about five
milliliters of air in the neck of each bottle; this means filling a
standard longneck to the line that marks the bottom of the
bulge beneath the lip. Second, carefully place the bottle caps
on all the bottles after filling, and let them sit for half an hour
before crimping the caps down. This allows the priming
fermentation, which begins immediately, to displace the air in
the headspace with carbon dioxide. This gas is heavier than air
and therefore tends to expel it. This trick adds time to the
bottling procedure and requires an extra degree of caution to

69
avoid knocking off the caps while they are being crimped. But
I have proved its worth in my own brewing. As of this writing,
I still have in my basement a few bottles of Pilsener that were
bottled six months ago. The beer was made using standard,
primitive homebrewing techniques, including glucose
priming and bottle carbonation. Nonetheless, this beer
maintains afresh hop aroma after half a year of storage.
On draft, European Pilsener tends to draw slower than
American lager because of its greater viscosity. This must be
accepted. Increasing gas pressure on the keg will not speed up
the flow appreciably.
The temperature at which Pilsener is served is critical
because low temperatures numb the taste buds and high
temperatures do not allow the beer to remain well-carbonated
as a Pilsener should be. In my opinion, a serving temperature
of 45 degrees F (7 degrees C) is ideal for this style of beer.
Microbrewers and brewpubs may have to educate their
customers (including bar owners) about the taste advantages
of this relatively high serving temperature. Homebrewers face
no resistance but their own to the higher temperatures, but
they may need a dedicated refrigerator for their beers if they
want to maintain the proper serving temperature for Pilsener.

70
 5
Recipes

I am presenting fifteen recipes for four different types

of Pilsener beer: Bohemian, German, North German, and
Dutch-Scandinavian. These recipes represent the spectrum of
Pilseners brewed in Europefrom a rich, malty, well-hopped
brew to a light-bodied, refreshing variety. The recipes are off
our types: all-extract, designed for homebrewers with a
minimum of time and equipment; partial-mash, designed for
homebrewers who do not have a full set of mashing
equipment but want to incorporate a substantial amount of
grain into the formulation; five-gallon all-grain, designed for
homebrewers with a complete mashing outfit including a full-
size lauter tun and boiler and a wort chiller; and finally, one-
barrel all-grain, designed for microbrewers. The one-barrel
recipes can be multiplied up to any desired batch size though
hop utilization may change drastically in larger batches and
may require compensation.
Because it is such a pale beer, Pilsener is very
susceptible to subtle changes in the grist formulation. This
makes it difficult to create Some of the variations with an all-
extract recipe. Most special malts and all adjuncts must be
mashed, and therefore cannot be used in an extract beer. This
means that the extract brewer must rely on grain syrups,

71
which may not have flavor characteristics identical to those
of the raw adjuncts. Also, the color may be different and
unsuitable for a Pilsener-style beer. I have not by any means
tried all the grain extracts on the market, though I can vouch
for the malt extracts listed in the recipes. Therefore, I urge all
readers who wish to try the all-extract recipes for North
German Pilsener or Dutch-Scandinavian Pilsener to carefully
assess the liquid adjuncts" available before using them.
The quantities listed in the all-extract recipes give the
stipulated original gravity, but the quantities of grain listed in
the partial-mash and all-grain recipes may not, depending on
the brewer's equipment and procedures. It is easy to calculate
any adjustment required. They are based on what I get in my
homebrewery, namely, about 35 points S.G. per pound of two-
row malt per gallon.
The exact type of boiling hops is not specified in the
recipes because several noble types are suitable. However, Saaz

72
are specified for aroma because they are so much identified
with the style. Based on my experience, I recommend dry
hopping, and the recipes specify this. For the extract recipes, I
recommend hop pellets because they yield their full bitterness
with a short boil, which is desirable for minimizing
caramelization and darkening of the wort. Also, please note
that the hop rates for the recipes assume you are using
unhopped malt extract.
Hop rates are based on the rate of utilization usually
achieved by homebrewers using a full wort boil; about 25
percent with whole hop cones and 31 percent with pellets.
Microbrewers and advanced homebrewers who know what
they actually get with their own equipment can calculate the
adjustment required to get the results they want. Other
homebrewers should try the specified hop rate and adjust it
based on their own taste and comparisons with commercial
Pilseners.
Hop rates are stated in homebrew bittering
units(HBUs), which are the same as alpha acid units (AAUs).
International Bittering Units (IBUs), on the other hand, are a
measure of the actual bitterness (isohumulone content) of the
finished beer. In the one-barrel recipes, I specify the IBUs in
order to make it easier for microbrewers to assess and adjust
the hop rate (and bitterness, if our tastes are different).
Readers will notice that my recipe for Bohemian
Pilsener does not conform to the bitterness specification of
Pilsner Urquell. This reflects my experience with my own
water supply, which contains 80 to 150ppm of sulfate. I have
made Pilseners using the Urquell hop rate, and the beers had a
harsh bite. Brewers must be prepared to alter their recipes, if
necessary, in order to accommodate their raw materials.
Specifications are the letter of the law, but it is the spirit that
must be preserved.
Yeast strain is not specified because several good
strains are available. All of them are liquid cultures of
Continental lager yeast, and I have specified these

73
requirements. American lager yeast strains can be considered
as a second choice. Dry yeasts are not recommended. A starter
culture of at least one pint is strongly recommended for
homebrewing five gallons and should be made up three or
four days before the brewing session.
The priming rate specified in the homebrew recipes
gives the correct degree of carbonation for this style of beer.
Other methods of carbonation, including kraeusening, are
also possible but tend to give more variable results, and rates
are best determined from experience. Microbrewers will
choose a method of carbonation depending on their
equipment and personal preferences.
The one-barrel recipes are less detailed in some respects
because microbrewery equipment is quite variable and largely
dictates the details of the process. One example is carbonation,
as discussed above.
The following recipes can be used with standard
techniques as described in many homebrewing and
professional brewing texts. The following points should be
kept in mind, however, because they are especially critical for
success when making Pilsener beers.

1) Pay careful attention to water treatment, including

dechlorination (either by carbon filtration or boiling) and ion
adjustment.
2) When using specialty malts in extract recipes, crush
the grain and steep it at about 150 degrees F (65 degrees C) for
half an hour or so. Do not boil. Also, do not use dextrin malt or
any type of flakes; these grains must be mashed with pale malt.
3) Thoroughly dissolve extract in the kettle before
applying heat, to avoid darkening the wort. For the same
reason, keep boil time short with extract recipesforty-five
minutes with whole hops, fifteen minutes with pellets.
4) Use a wort chiller if possible, and in any case avoid
pouring or stirring the hot wort.

74
 5) Rack the wort off the cold trub, either before or eight
to twelve hours after pitching.
6) Pitch the wort at 45 to 50 degrees F (7 to 10 degrees
C) with a large quantity of active yeast.
7) If using bottle carbonation, follow the methods
discussed in Chapter 5 to avoid air pick-up and oxidation.
8) For the partial mash recipes, homebrewers will need
a soup kettle (two gallons minimum) for mashing, and some
sort of strainer (again two gallons) for containing the grains
during sparging. The mash should be strained into a separate
vessel before the strainer is placed above the boiler, and the
cloudy first runnings must be recirculated through the bed of
spent grains to filter out husks and other solid matter. Sparge
with two gallons of water at 160 to 168 degrees F (71 to 76
degrees C). The malt extract is added to the wort after sparging,
before the boil commences. Boil time should be one hour.
9) For all recipes that require a mash (full or partial), I
recommend the following:

a water-to-grist ratio of 1.33 quarts per pound;

a protein rest of thirty minutes at 131 degrees F (55
degrees C);
a starch conversion rest of ninety minutes at a
temperature of 150 degrees F (65 degrees C), except for the
Bohemian Pilseners, which use 153 to 154 degrees F (69 to 70
degrees C);
mash-out of five minutes at 168 degrees F (75 degrees
C);
sparge water adjustment to pH 5.7, using food-grade
lactic, hydrochloric, or phosphoric acid;
careful attention to sparge water temperature [on no
account higher than 168 degrees F (75 degrees C)].

10) For all-grain homebrew recipes, use four to five

gallons of sparge water as needed so that you finish up the boil

75
with five gallons of wort. A boil time of ninety minutes is
adequate.
11) Pay careful attention to sanitation at all stages past
the boil.

76
Bohemian Pilsener

77
German Pilsener

78
North German Pilsener

79
Dutch-Scandinavian Pilsener

80
 Appendix:
Commercial Pilseners
I am listing only a few commercial Continental
Pilseners that I have tried recently. Most of the world's
Pilseners are of the very light American type, and this includes
most of the imports available in the average grocery or liquor
store. Even in Europe, many breweries have jumped on the
light" and dry beer bandwagons in an effort to increase
their Sales in North America. As a result, the country of origin
is no guarantee of authenticity.

Pilsner Urquellbrewed at the Plzesky Prazdroj

brewery in Plze, Czechoslovakia. This original Pilsene rbeer is
darker, maltier and better hopped than most of its imitators.
The technology used for brewing this beer has not changed
since about 1870. In this country, Urquell seems to vary quite
a bit. Many times it is old and stale with its hop character sadly
gone. In good condition, it is one of the world's great beers.

DABbrewed at the Dortmunder Actien Brauerei in

Dortmund, West Germany. This is an excellent example of the
German interpretation of the Pilsener stylelighter in color

81
and lacking the caramel note of Pilsner Urquell. It is clean and
refreshing, with a full malt flavor well balanced by the hops.

Warsteinerbrewed at the Warstein brewery in

Warstein, West Germany. Another fine example of an all-malt
German Pilsener. Dry hopping gives it a very fresh, pungent
aroma.

Beck'sbrewed at the Beck brewery in Bremen, West

Germany. Once a fine example of a North German Pilsener,
Beck changed its recipe formulation to cater to American taste
and take advantage of the loophole in the Reinheitsgebot that
allows adjuncts in beers designed for the export market.
Though still well-made, the beer today is closer to a
Scandinavian-type Pilsener than a German one.

Heinekenbrewed at the Heineken brewery in

Amsterdam, The Netherlands. A good example of the lighter
variety of Continental Pilsener that uses adjuncts in the
formulation. Better hopped than some of its competitors in
this class and, when fresh, a very rewarding beer.

Carlsbergbrewed at the Carlsberg brewery in

Copenhagen, Denmark. Another example of the lighter style
of Continental Pilsener. Less hop character than Heineken.

Old German Pilsnerbrewed at the Frankenmuth

brewery in Frankenmuth, Michigan. An excellent
microbrewed Pilsener in the German style. Dryer than most
examples of the type.

82
 Glossary
adjunct. Any unmalted grain or other fermentable ingredient
added to the mash.
aeration. The action of introducing air to the wort at various
stages of the brewing process.
airlock. (see fermentation lock)
airspace. (See ullage)
alcohol by volume (v/v). The percentage of volume of alcohol
per volume of beer. To calculate the approximate
volumetric alcohol content, subtract the terminal gravity
from the original gravity and divide the result by 75. For
example: 1.050 1.012 = .038 / 75 = 5% w/v.
alcohol by weight. The percentage weight of alcohol per volume
of beer. For example: 3.2% alcohol by weight = 3.2 grams
of alcohol per 100 centiliters of beer.
ale. 1. Historically, a nonhopped malt beverage. 2. A generic term
for beers produced by top fermentation, as opposed to
lagers, which are produced by bottom fermentation.
all-extract beer. A beer made with only malt extract as opposed
to one made from barley, or a combination of malt
extract and barley.
all-grain beer. A beer made with only malted barley as opposed to
one made from malt extract, or from malt extract and
malted barley.
all-malt beer. A beer made with only barley malt with no adjuncts
or sugars.
alpha acid. A soft resin in hop cones. When boiled, alpha acids are
connected to isoalpha acids, which account for 60
percent of a beer's bitterness.

83
alpha-acid unit. A measurement of the potential bitterness of
hops, expressed by their percentage of alpha acid. Low = 2
to 496, medium = 5 to 7%, high = 8 to 1296. Abbrev: A.A.U.
attenuation. The reduction in the wort's specific gravity caused
by the transformation of sugars into alcohol and carbon-
dioxide gas.
Balling. A saccharometer invented by Carl Joseph Napoleon
Balling in 1843. It is calibrated for 63.5 degrees F (17.5
degrees C), and graduated in grams per hundred, giving a
direct reading of the percentage of extract by weight per
100 grams solution. For example: 10 B = 10 grams of sugar
per 100 grams of wort.
blow-by (blow-off). A single-stage homebrewing fermentation
method in which a plastic tube is fitted into the mouth of
a carboy, with the other end submerged in a pail of sterile
water. Unwanted residues and carbon dioxide are
expelled through the tube, while air is prevented from
coming into contact with the fermenting beer, thus
avoiding contamination.
carbonation. The process of introducing carbon-dioxide gas into
a liquid by: 1. injecting the finished beer with carbon
dioxide; 2. adding young fermenting beer to finished beer
for a renewed fermentation (kraeusening); 3. priming
(adding sugar) to fermented wort prior to bottling,
creating a secondary fermentation in the bottle,
carboy. A large glass, plastic or earthenware bottle.
chill haze. Haziness caused by protein and/or tannin during the
secondary fermentation.
coolship. A flat, open tun placed immediately after the hop
strainer and into which the hot wort cools naturally and
loses its coarse sludge.
decoction mashing. A brewing method used for bottom
fermenting beers. The process requires three vessels: a
mash tun for mash-mixing, a mash kettle (or copper or
mash copper) for boiling and a lauter tun (or clarifying
tun) for straining. Mashing is carried out in a mash tun
and starts at a low temperature while portions of the
mash are taken out and boiled in the mash kettle and later
returned to the mash tun thus gradually raising the

84
 temperature of the entire mash. The process is usually
repeated two or three times and sometimes up to 13 times.
The mash is afterwards filtered in a separate vessel known
as a lauter tun.
diacetyl. Described as buttery, butterscotch.
direct fired. Flames used to heat the kettle.
DMS (dimethyl sulfide). A compound that may be present in beer
that has the character of a sweet, corn-like aroma/ flavor.
dry hopping. The addition of hops to the primary fermenter, the
secondary fermenter, or to casked beer to add aroma and
hop character to the finished beer without adding
significant bitterness.
dry malt. Malt extract in powdered form.
extract. The amount of dissolved materials in the wort after
mashing and lautering malted barley and/or malt
adjuncts such as corn and rice.
fermentation lock. A one-way valve, which allows carbon-
dioxide gas to escape from the fermenter while excluding
contaminants.
final specific gravity. The specific gravity of a beer when
fermentation is complete.
fining. The process of adding clarifying agents to beer during
secondary fermentation to precipitate suspended matter.
flocculation. The behavior in which yeast cells join into masses
and settle out toward the end of fermentation.
gelatinization. The inhibition of water and the resulting swelling
of starch granules when moist heat is applied to starch. It
is the first stage in the enzymatic breakdown of starch
followed by liquefaction and saccharification.
homebrew bittering units. A formula invented by the American
Homebrewers Association to measure bitterness of beer.
Example: 1.5 ounces of hops at 10 percent alpha acid for
five gallons: 1.5 x 10 = 15 HBU per five gallons.

85
hop pellets. Finely powdered hop cones compressed into tablets.
Hop pellets are 20 to 30 percent stronger by weight than
the same variety in loose form.
hydrometer. A glass instrument used to measure the specific
gravity of liquids as compared to water, consisting of a
graduated stem resting on a weighed float.
International bitterness units. An approximate (within 20%)
method of measuring bitterness in beer based on parts per
million content of alpha acids. IBUs are calculated with
the following formula:
B.U. = H x (a-a + b-a/9)
0.3
where:
H = weight of hops in grams per liter (H g/l)
a-a = alpha acid percent
b-a = beta acid percent

Bittering units are an internationally agreed upon

standard and equal .000133 of an ounce (avoirdupois) of
isoalpha acid per gallon of solution or about 1 milligram
per liter.
kraeusen. (n.) The rocky head of foam which appears on the
surface of the wort during fermentation. (v.) Adding
fermenting wort to fermented beer to induce
carbonation through a secondary fermentation.
lager. (n.) A generic term for any bottom-fermented beer. Lager
brewing is now the predominant brewing method
worldwide except in Britain where top fermented ales
dominate. (v.) Storing beer at near-zero temperatures to
precipitate yeast cells and proteins and improve taste.
lautering. The process of separating the spent grains from the
Sweet wort with a straining apparatus. Etym: From the
German lauter meaning clarifying.
lauter tun. A vessel with a false, slotted bottom and spigot in
which the mash settles and the grains are removed from
the sweet wort through a straining process.
liquefaction. The process by which alpha-amylase enzymes
degrade soluble starch into dextrin.

86
malt. Barley that has been steeped in water, germinated and dried
in kilns to convert insoluble starches to Soluble
substances and sugars.
malt extract. A thick syrup or dry powder prepared from malt.
mashing. Mixing ground malt with water to extract the
fermentables, degrade haze-forming proteins and convert
grain starches to fermentable sugars and nonfermentable
carbohydrates.
modification. 1. The physical and chemical changes in barley as a
result of malting. 2. The degree to which these changes
have occurred, as determined by the growth of the
acrospire.
original gravity. The specific gravity of wort previous to
fermentation and compared to the density of water at
39.2 degrees F (4 degrees C), which is given the value 1.000.
A measure of the total amount of dissolved solids in wort.
pH. Potential of hydrogen. A measure of acidity or alkalinity of a
solution, usually on a scale of one to 14, where seven is
neutral.
Pilsener. A general name for pale, golden-hued, highly hopped
bottom-fermented beers. The original Pilsner was first
brewed at the Brgerlisches Brauhaus in the Bohemian
town of Plzen (meaning green meadow) in
Czechoslovakia in 1842. It was then the palest beer
available and the style was soon copied worldwide. The
archetypal Pilsner is presently known as Plzensky
Prazdroj of Pilsner Urquell (Urquell means original
source) and the name was patented in 1898.
Plato. A saccharometer which expresses specific gravity as extract
weight in a one-hundred-gram solution at 64 degrees F (18
degrees C). A revised, more accurate version of Balling, by
Dr. Plato.
primary fermentation. The first stage of fermentation, during
which most fermentable sugars are converted to ethyl
alcohol and carbon dioxide.
priming sugar. A small amount of corn or cane sugar added to
bulk beer prior to racking or at bottling to induce a
racking. The process of transferring beer from one

87
 container to another, especially into the final package
(bottles, kegs, etc.).
saccharification. The naturally occurring process in which malt
starch is converted into fermentable sugars, primarily
maltose.
saccharometer. An instrument that determines the sugar
concentration of a solution by measuring the specific
gravity.
secondary fermentation. 1. The second, slower stage of
fermentation, lasting from a few weeks to many months
depending on the type of beer. 2. A fermentation occuring
in bottles or casks and initiated by priming or adding
yeast.
sparging. Spraying the spent grains in the mash with hot water to
retrieve the remaining malt sugar.
specific gravity. A measure of a substance's density as compared
to that of water, which is given the value of 1.000 at 39.2
degrees F (4 degrees C). Specific gravity is dimensionless,
with no accompanying units, because it is expressed as a
ratio.
starter. A batch of fermenting yeast, added to the wort to initiate
fermentation.
strike temperature. The initial temperature of the water when the
malted barley is added to it to create the mash.
trub. Suspended particles resulting from the precipitation of
proteins, hop oils and tannins during boiling and cooling
stages of brewing.
ullage. The empty space between a liquid and the top of its
container. Also called airspace or headspace.
water hardness. The degree of dissolved minerals in water.
wort. The mixture that results from mashing the malt and boiling
the hops, before it is fermented into beer.

88
 Bibliography
Burch, Byron. Brewing Quality Beers. Fulton, California: Joby
Books, 1987.
Clerck, Jean de. A Textbook of Brewing. 2 vols. Translated by
K. Barton-Wright. London: Chapman-Hall Ltd., 1957.
Fix, George. Introduction to Brewing Science. Boulder,
Colorado: Brewers Publications, 1989.
Hough, Briggs, Stevens, and Young. Malting and Brewing
Science, 2 vols. London: Chapman-Hall Ltd., 1981.
Jackson, Michael. World Guide to Beer, Second Edition.
Philadelphia: The Running Press, 1988.
Master Brewers Association of America. The Practical Brewer.
St. Louis, Missouri, 1977.
Miller, Dave. The Complete Handbook of Home Brewing.
Pownal, Vermont: Garden Way Publishing, 1988.
Noonan, Greg. Brewing Lager Beer. Boulder, Colorado: Brewers
Publications, 1986.
Papazian, Charlie. The Complete Joy of Home Brewing. New
York: Avon Books, 1983.

89
90
 Index

Acid dimethyl sulfide (DMS),

acetic, 21, 60 39, 58, 60-61
hydrochloric, 44 esters, 3-4, 39, 60
lactic, 20, 44 fatty acids, 39
phosphoric, 44 fusel alchols, 39,58
pyruvic, 21 Carbon dioxide (CO), 66
Carbonation, 8, 12, 21, 62, 64-65,
Acidification, 44 74, 75
Acidity, 20 artificial, 16, 62
Adjuncts, 8, 11, 15-16, 32-33, 49, 54- natural, 62
55 Chips (for clarification), 63
Alcohol, 18, 23 Chlorination, 43
Alpha acids, See Hop resins Chlorine removal, 43
Aroma, 12, 21, 25 Clarification, 63-64, 65, 66-67
hop, 15, 16, 17, 24, 35,36, Cold break, 47, 58-59
37, 40, 48, 57, 66, 68, 70, 73 Color, 21, 24, 30-31
malt, 30, 39-40 Copper, 12
Attenuation, 18, 23, 24, 38, 54 Corn (maize), See adjuncts, flakes
Bacteria, 10, 67 Decoction, 8, 12, 14, 29, 42,46, 49-
Barley, 6, 11, 30, 50 53, 55
See also Adjuncts, flakes Dextins, 30, 35
Beta glucan, 50, 53 Dryness, 23, 42, 54, 68
Bitterness, 3, 14, 15, 16, 19, 21, 23, Dry hopping, 15, 65, 73
24, 36,42, 73 Enzymes, 30, 32,38,50, 52,53,54,55,
Body, 8, 11, 16, 18, 21, 23, 24, 30, 31, 67
32, 34, 63, 68 amylase, 50, 52
Boiler, 46, 71 beta amylase, 54
Boiling, 56-57 glucanase, 53
By-products of fermentation, 60 peptidase, 53
acetaldehyde, 21, 62 protease, 53
diacetyl, 18, 24, 39, 41, 62 Extract (yield), 30, 32, 50, 53, 72

91
Fermentation, 38, 59-62 Kraeusening, 15, 62, 64-65, 74
primary, 61 Lag period, 58, 59-60
secondary, 38, 61 Lagering, 11, 14, 21, 47, 62, 63, 64-
Filtration, 63, 64, 65-66 65
Finings, 63 Lauter tun, 16, 46, 71
Fix, George, 64 Lovibond, See Color Malt, 15, 27-
Flakes, 32-33, 74 32
barley, 55-56 aroma, 30, 39-40
maize (corn), 55 black, 31 crystal
rice, 55 (caramel), 30-31
Foam stability, See Head dextrin (Carapils ,
retention caracrystal), 30
Gelatinization, 15, 33, 55 in Pilsner Urquell, 12
Gravity Munich, 30
original, 18, 25, 72 Vienna, 30
terminal (final, wheat, 31-32, 54
apparent), 18, 62 Malt extract, 34, 57, 71-72, 74, 75
Grits, See Adjuncts Hansen, Malt mill, 29, 32, 45
Emil, 10 Malting, 29, 30, 53
Haze, 32, 42, 48, 52, 54, 55, 56, 59, Mashing, 8, 11, 14, 15-16, 29, 33, 49-
63-64, 66-67 55, 75
Head retention (foam stability), acid rest, 51
21, 24, 30, 31, 33, 34, 63, 66 protein rest, 15, 32, 50,
Helles, 3 52, 53, 55, 75
Hop starch conversion (rest),
aroma, See Aroma 15-16, 50, 51, 52, 53-54, 55, 75
back, 47 Mash equipment, 46
rates, 8, 40, 73 Mixed mash, 11, 15-16, 54-55
resins (alpha acids), 19, Modification, 14, 29, 45, 49-50, 52,
37, 73 53
utilization, 19, 66 Munich, 1-3, 7, 8, 10
Hopping, 57-58 Nitrogen, 28
Hops, 6, 11, 15, 35-37, 40, 72-73, 74- See also Protein
75 Off-flavors
finishing, 57 astringency, 56
Hot break, 56, 58 buttery, 18
Hydrometer, 5 cardboard, 68
Infections, 10, 67 cidery, 35
Infusion, 53-54 oxidized, 65, 68
Ions, 41-43, 44 Oxidation, 37, 47-48, 58, 59, 65, 68,
bicarbonate, 43 69-70, 75
calcium, 41-42, 44, 50, 52 Pasteur, Louis, 10
chlorine, 43 Pasteurization, 14, 15, 68
copper, 42 pH, 20, 56, 75
iron, 42, 43 mash, 41-42, 43, 50, 52,
manganese, 42 54
magnesium, 42 Plze, 1, 7-8, 12
nickel, 42 Pilsener
phosphate, 43, 50 American, 7, 11, 21, 60-
potassium, 42-43 61, 64
sodium, 42-43, 44 adjuncts in, 15-16
sulfate, 42, 44, 73 all-malt, 14-15
zinc, 42 Bohemian, 6-7, 12-14, 17-
Irish moss, 44 22, 59, 73; Recipes, 77
Isohumulone, 19, 66, 73 flavor characteristics, 11-
Kraeusen, 58 12

92
 German, 3, 8, 23-24; hardness, 8, 41
Recipes, 78 Plze, 8, 52
North German, 11, 31,33; sparge, 54, 56
Recipes, 79 treatment, 43-44
Scandinavian-Dutch, 11, See also Ions
24; Recipes, 80 Whirlpool, 47, 58-59
Poupe, Frantiek, 6 Wild yeast, 10
Priming, See Carbonation Wort boiling, 56-57
Protein, 21, 23, 24, 28, 56, 63-64, cooling, 14,47-48, 58, 65,
66-67 66
Rice, See Adjuncts, flakes color, 8, 56
Refrigeration, 10-11, 47 oxidation, 68
Sedelmayr, Gabriel, 10 Pilsener, 28
Sanitation, 48, 67, 68,76 scorching, 8, 57
Serving, 69-70 Yeast
Sparge, 50-51, 54, 56 American, 40
Steam, 8, 10, 52 and bacteria, 67
Sugar(s), 33, 38 attenuation, 38
glucose (corn sugar), 33, European, 39-41
35, 70 flavor characteristics,
grain syrups, 34-35 38-40
maltose, 35 flocculation, 38
maltotriose, 35 haze, 48
Sweetness, 3, 14, 18, 21, 23, 43 lager, 7, 38, 40, 74
Tannins, 29-30, 50, 56-57, 66 mutation, 37-38
Temperature control, 38, 47 pitching, 14, 15, 47, 58,
fermentation, 14, 15, 40, 60, 75
60-61 pitching rate, 60
hop storage, 37 selection, 37-41
lager, 65 starters, 74
mash, 12, 15, 51-55, 75 starting tank, 58, 59
pasteurization, 68 top-fermenting, 7
pitching, 14, 15 wheat beer, 32
serving, 64, 70 Yield, See Extract
sparge water, 54
Trub, 14, 47, 58, 66, 75
Water, 41-44, 73

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