U Fleku Recipe (Bohemian Dunkel)

I've been searching for a proper recipe for this beer for years - and it seems it was hanging out on the Brewers Association website since November. As such, I thought I would share this for those who might be interested in brewing this amazing beer. For those of you who have not encountered this beer, it's almost like a cross between a Munich dunkel and a stout - with a very complex malt sweetness. I'll be brewing a batch up this weekend.

Here is the recipe as listed on the website:

50% Weyermann Floor-Malted Bohemian Pilsner Malt @ 1.8 °L
30% Weyermann Munich I @ 6 °L
15% Weyermann CaraMunich® II @ 45.5 °L
5% Weyermann Carafa® II @ 45.5 °L (at sparge)

3.9 oz (110 g) Saaz @ 4.5% AA (10 minutes into the boil)
3.9 oz (110 g) Saaz @ 4.5% AA (20 minutes into the boil)
4.3 oz (122 g) Saaz @ 4.5% AA (115 minutes into the boil)

O.G: 1.048+ //F.G: 1.012// 30 (?) SRM// 28 IBU

http://www.brewersassociation.org/p...as/show?title=style-spotlight-bohemian-dunkel

Thank you for this. How did it come out? I tried this place when I was in Prague and their beer was amazing. I definitely want to try this out.

I brewed this about 10 days ago and recently racked it over for lagering. Even being so young, the gravity sample tasted freaking amazing! Its been a while since I was last in Prague but the flavor profile is very similar to what I remember it as. I'll probably brew up another batch of this next month if I can make some space. The recipe is not beginner friendly (with multiple decoctions) but you could probably make an equally excellent beer by just doing a single infusion mash.

I remember drinking this at u fleku, along with goulash, and remember it tasting awesome.

Can this recipe be translated to extract? I would like to give it a try if it can.

Sure, if you can lager. I've brewed an all grain version of this that was awesome.

I would try this streamlined recipe:

5.25 lb Munich LME
1.75 lb Pilsen LME
1.5 lb Caramunich
0.5 lb Carafa

2 oz of Saaz at bittering
1 oz of Saaz at 5 minutes left in the boil

Any bohemian lager yeast would work. If you can only do ales, try Alt yeast. But keep it as cool as possible. <60F

Wow, so this can actually be done?

This is one of the best beers, I live in Prague and go to U Fleku from time to time and the beer always surprising, plus it is not heavy and it is very refreshing. I'm very tempted to buying a Grain Father? Can a Grain Father do this recipe?

avillax said:

Wow, so this can actually be done?

Click to expand...

Indeed, all can be done But IMHO, most crucial part is fermentation (it's a lager after all)process. Eventually decoctions during mashing. Try to hit that guy from Braumeister vs Grainfather: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPKK8TO5M6T0lRljnJ6hYETnEi4XmmEaU
And he'll maybe have some detailed answers

I have very basic brewing equipment only good enough to brew extracts, can I brew this with extract?

Here's the list of Malt extract in powder form that I can buy, if you tell me which extract to use and some guidelines I'll build you an altar, please!

https://www.brouwland.com/en/our-products/brewing/malt-extracts/spraymalt/spraymalt-brewferm

https://www.brouwland.com/en/our-products/brewing/malt-extracts/spraymalt/spraymalt-muntons

and also I can get this two in liquid form, these are all the specs they can give me from malthause Bruntal (Czech Republic), I'm guessing these are 100% the Pilsner and Munich:

Light Malt extract - is a thick, viscous liquid golden brown, honey consistency, malt aromas, sweet maltiness of the dry matter of around 81%. It is an infusion made from the wort Bohemian Pilsner malt-type and drinking water. After lautering wort is concentrated on vacuum evaporators at a low temperature. One package you produce using hops and yeast, up to 10 liters of pale lager.

Malt extract dark- dark beer, is designed to produce dark beers at a microbrewery. It is a thick viscous liquid, brown, caramel malt flavor and aroma of dry matter of 81%. The wort extract infusion is prepared from a mixture of malts (Czech, Munich, caramel and Colouring) and drinking water. After lautering wort is concentrated. One package are prepared with the use of hops and yeast, and 10 liters of dark lager. Mixing the extract with light can also produce semi-dark beer.

Aha!!!That dme/lme from Bruntal seems awesome (should deliver best taste approximate to original - region wise ).
But unfortunately it could be also a huge guess work without 'numbers'(extract /Plato/SG & ebc).
May I suggest a partial mash recipe?
(with extract base malts and speciality, dark grains steeped, not mashed)
It's Alistair Reece's 'Morana':


Morana
(5 gallons/19 L,
extract with grains)

OG = 1 .056 FG = 1.016
IBU = 24 SRM = 26 ABV = 5.3%

Ingredients
3.6 lbs. (1 .6 kg) Pilsner dried malt extract
2.5 lbs. (1.1 kg) Munich liquid malt extract (late addition)

1.25 lbs. (0.57 kg) CaraBohemian®(CaraMunich® I) malt

0.45 lbs. (0.20 kg) Carafa® Special II malt

5.3 AAU Saaz hops (60 min)
(1 .3 oz./38 g of 4% alpha acids)

2.2 AAU Saaz hops (20 min)
(0.55 oz./16 g of 4% alpha acids)

0.375 oz. (11 g) Saaz hops (5 min)

Wyeast 2782 (Staro Prague Lager) yeast


My take: replace Saaz with Zatecky (almost the same, it depends whatever you can get).
And yeast, Staro Prague is almost impossible to get. Go with Kolsh strain, if you can't do lager fermentations, instead.

But Im very new at this, I dont know how to steep, I dont know if I even have tools to steep, I just have my kettle and fermenters.Any quick tutorial on that?

mirogster said:

Aha!!!That dme/lme from Bruntal seems awesome (should deliver best taste approximate to original - region wise ).
But unfortunately it could be also a huge guess work without 'numbers'(extract /Plato/SG & ebc).
May I suggest a partial mash recipe?
(with extract base malts and speciality, dark grains steeped, not mashed)
It's Alistair Reece's 'Morana':


Morana
(5 gallons/19 L,
extract with grains)

OG = 1 .056 FG = 1.016
IBU = 24 SRM = 26 ABV = 5.3%

Ingredients
3.6 lbs. (1 .6 kg) Pilsner dried malt extract
2.5 lbs. (1.1 kg) Munich liquid malt extract (late addition)

1.25 lbs. (0.57 kg) CaraBohemian®(CaraMunich® I) malt

0.45 lbs. (0.20 kg) Carafa® Special II malt

5.3 AAU Saaz hops (60 min)
(1 .3 oz./38 g of 4% alpha acids)

2.2 AAU Saaz hops (20 min)
(0.55 oz./16 g of 4% alpha acids)

0.375 oz. (11 g) Saaz hops (5 min)

Wyeast 2782 (Staro Prague Lager) yeast


My take: replace Saaz with Zatecky (almost the same, it depends whatever you can get).
And yeast, Staro Prague is almost impossible to get. Go with Kolsh strain, if you can't do lager fermentations, instead.

Click to expand...

OK, I have read about steeping, now please tell me how to proceed with the partial extract recipe with steeping, please state times and when to add, what to do, etc. I just know the very basics, I have brewed 2 beers so far. Thanks.

What I'd politely suggest, that you'd focus more on ales (few more brews). I don't want to sound like all knowing p*ick , and you could brew it now, of course I don't doubt it, but for proper lagers you need to have fermenting temps regulation etc. With more brews under your belt, comes experience etc bla bla bla (wow what kind of logical discovery .
Anyways, here's some food for thought:

https://youtu.be/Gt6EvfOFdLE

It really doesn't look so bad (I mean partial mashing).
And you can also watch some CraigTube videos (bit cheesy, but he's also trying to explain that way to brew).

Basicaly, you'd steep speciality grains for, let's say 20-30 min. In warm water, take it out before boiling point & add first extract ( flame low/off). Boil for 60 min (hopping schedule comes in way), before or on flame out add the last extract. Check your OG. Cool the wort (lagers=10-13°C, ales below 25°C), inoculate with yeast and ferment

No, you're right, I just checked and U Fleku is a lager so I would need to find a way to keep the temp really low, maybe in winter.

Do any of you know of an extract that would work to replace Caramunich?

Well, afik there're no 'widely' available extract equivalents for caramelized/crystal malts (at least in homebrewing shops which I saw here in Europe). But I'm pretty sure, that such thing 'exists', and is used in common food industry (as an taste adjunct, coloring agent etc).

All crystal malts can be steeped, it's really easy. Gives extra 30 mins for your total brew day. But improves beer taste and creates its 'new dimension'
Just buy it pre crushed or diy (nylon panties, rolling pin and kinetic energy )
I forget to mention that you'd use 1.5-2 l of water per 500g of grain. And pull it out when temp will reach 68-70(max) °C. It prevent extracting of tannins from the grain husks.

I appreciate your input, I even dreamed that I was tasting U Fleku with its rich flavor of molasses but yeah, it is a Lager and I don't have a fridge or something to keep the temps down,s o right now I should just stick with the noob stuff.

Haha dreaming about beer and brewing, been there done that too
Unfortunately so far I didn't had an opportunity to taste U Fleku ! I mean I had a lots of tmaves but this particular one, not yet
BUT you could still brew it with some really neutral ale yeast. As I said Kolsch or even Wyeast 2124 (lager yeast but working good in ale temps) will be pretty good to try.
Btw check this out. Oldies but goldies:
https://youtu.be/zluCEyQtQ0A
Cheers and keep on brewin !!

Thank you so much! and they seem to be using extracts too!

I brewed this all grain recipe a few months ago but cut back on the Caramunich and Carafa a bit. It turned out awesome, very smooth, and malty rich. I got another batch fermenting now.

Just found another recipe. It's from "Modern Homebrew Recipes" by G. Strong.

Requiring to perform a double decoction for authenticity, but can be done without as well.
I didn't ran it yet, thru some hb software, so I don't know if % wise - is the same as recipe from 1st post

It's 13°P .

Batch Size: 6.5 gallons (25 L)
OG: 1.052
FG: 1.014

Efficiency: 70%
ABV: 5.1%
IBU: 28
SRM: 28

Ingredients:
6.5 lb (2.9 kg) German Pilsner malt (Weyermann) Mash
4 lb (1.8 kg) German Munich malt (Weyermann) Mash
2 lb(907 g) Caramunich III (Weyermann) Vorlauf
10 oz(283 g) Carafa III Special (Weyermann) Vorlauf

1 oz(28 g) Czech Saaz 3% whole FWH
1.9 oz(54 g) Czech Saaz 3% whole @ 60
1 oz(28 g) Czech Saaz 3% whole @ 5

Wyeast 2124 Bohemian Lager yeast

Hybrid step and double decoction, mashout, dark grains added at vorlauf.

Mash rests:
99°F (37°C) 10 minutes
127°F (53°C) 15 minutes

Pull decoction, rest at 145°F (63°C) for 15 minutes, 163°F (73°C) for 15 minutes, boil 15 minutes, remix

145°F (63°C) 15 minutes

Pull decoction, rest at 163°F (73°C) for 15 minutes, boil 15 minutes, remix

163°F (73°C) 15 minutes
170°F (77°C) 20 minutes

Kettle volume: 8.5 gallons (32 L)
Boil length: 90 minutes
Final volume: 6.5 gallons (25 L)

Fermentation temp:
50°F (10°C) 2 weeks
32°F (0°C) 13 weeks

I believe that the recipe ( or at least very similar ) was done by the mad fermentionist

http://www.themadfermentationist.com/2015/12/tmave-pivo-czech-dark-lager.html

he wasn't too happy with the clone aspect of the recipe, but enjoyed it anyway