Czech pilsner too "full bodied"?

[stirrah]

Hi,
Not sure if this post would be better in the newbie forum, but anyway...
Also, I'm from Sweden so sorry for my confusiong regarding units (metric). Ill try to convert
I tried to make a Czech pilsner (Urquell or something like that). I've never brewed that before since I mostly do IPAs.

I used 4,5kg/10lbs of pilsner malt
yeast was W-34/70
hops was 100g saaz.

Brew day went fine and also the fermentation. Hit my FG and ABV was 5,2%. It's been 3 weeks since i kegged it, and tastes good but it so "full bodied". Hard to explain but it tastes almost like a strong lager or barley wine, it's very intense. I was aiming for a much easier beer. Do you know what I mean?
What went wrong? Did I use too much hops?

 

[ebbelwoi]

Have you compared it side-by-side to a commercial version, like Urquell? What was your FG? Urquell has an alcohol content of 4.4%, so assuming you've got the same (or similar) final gravity, I can see why yours would have a fuller body.

 

[McMullan]

You might need to wait a bit longer for more yeast to drop out of suspension. This is an important part of the beer maturation process. Depending on your process, 3 weeks in a cold keg might not be enough. How clear is the beer? What was your mash temperature? How many packs of yeast? What was the OG and FG? 100g Saaz sounds good to me. When were they added?

 

[stirrah]

Have you compared it side-by-side to a commercial version, like Urquell? What was your FG? Urquell has an alcohol content of 4.4%, so assuming you've got the same (or similar) final gravity, I can see why yours would have a fuller body.

Thanks for the reply. No, I havent compared it. It doesnt have to taste exactly like Urquell but like something in that ballpark.

 

[stirrah]

You might need to wait a bit longer for more yeast to drop out of suspension. This is an important part of the beer maturation process. Depending on your process, 3 weeks in a cold keg might not be enough. How clear is the beer? What was your mash temperature? How many packs of yeast? What was the OG and FG? 100g Saaz sounds good to me. When were they added?

Oh, that might be the reason...I'm new to lagers. You mean that there's a chance it will get better with time?

I used 2 packs of yeast. The beer has not cleared yet, it is fairly hazy. I've only had a couple of glasses yet but it seems it clears a little bit when it gets warmer.

 

[McMullan]

Two packs are better than one. What was the OG and FG? Store it cold for a few more weeks then check again. Is it carbonated? That's the best way to keep a cold keg sealed, assuming you're using a corny keg. It's not unusual to detect a little chill haze at very low temperatures. It doesn't have much impact in terms of body/mouth feel. Just a visual flaw if it persists.

 

[stirrah]

OG was 1.051 and FG almost 1.010. The beer is kept cold in my kegerator right now and carbonated.

 

[friarsmith]

What was your mash schedule?

Seems like you have the makings of a solid CZ lager. You are now tasting the beer in its fresh/young/keller phase—The Saaz is bright, the last of the yeast hasn’t flocculated, and the flavors have not melded/matured yet. All of this may seem to create a “noisy” and too-vibrant beer.

Take just a few small tastes every week or so, because you will probably love this beer in 4-6 weeks of more.

 

[McMullan]

Just a little patience needed then.

 

[monkeymath]

I recently brewed my first Czech pilsner as well, and this was precisely my impression when I first tasted it. After two more weeks of lagering, that changed dramatically - and I almost longed for the more full-bodied days
So, yeah, just wait it out and enjoy the beer in all its stages. There's probably a reason why Budvar mature their beer for 90 (iirc) days.

 

[stirrah]

Thanks for all the replies ! Great forum

 

[JohnDBrewer]

Be patient, give it time.

 

[Beermeister32]

I’ve had Pilsners that seemed a bit sweet and heavy on the palate, even after finishing out correctly and after the D-rest. Fear not, these have come out as some of the best Pilsners I’ve produced. Once they have lagered 90 days and are carbonated, they are an entirely different beer. You are on the right track! Brew on!