Munich malt in Bohemian Pils

[chefchris]

Planning on brewing up a Bohemian Pils this weekend and wondering if anyone's used Munich in the recipe. If so what percent? I was thinking 8-10%.

 

[binkman]

If I were you, I'd just use 100% pilsner, but I'm not you. I've seen Carapils often added at 5-10%. Adding Munich, especially around 10% will make your beer kind of un-pilsner-y. It will probably lack that crisp clean pilsner character. You might consider subbing in carapils instead if you want to stay true to a Pilsner lager in terms of style.

That being said, it will probably still be a good brew even with the Munich.

 

[chefchris]

I had a bohemian pils at Thirsty Bear Brewing Company in California last year and have been wanting to brew one ever since. It was divine. On their page they state they some Munich malt in it. I am aware that this is a little out of style, but if I could get close to that beer it would be a staple in my kegerator. I also plan on adding carapils.

 

[Malticulous]

If you keep it subtle I don't think it will make it out of style. If your pills malt is not real good it could help.

 

[chefchris]

I'm gonna use Weyermann Pils. I work in a brew shop with a high turn over so they'll be fresh.

 

[ghpeel]

You should call it your "Bro'Hemian Pils".

I was thinking about doing one but got side tracked by the pumpkin brew off and Chris Hart's Octoberfest, so I'll be tied up for another few weeks but want to try one soon.

On a side note, Ward's has Pilsner Urquell for $8 a 12-pack right now. If it's not skunked, that's a fine Pilsner, but not quite a Bohemian.

 

[chefchris]

Urquell is more of a German Pils (i think) and I don't really care for those.

And you know me too well, I like that beer name.

I might also do an octoberfest soon. I just got back from Dorn's and bought a bunch of beers to sit down and drink to figure out what I wanted to brew next.

 

[BigEd]

Urquell is more of a German Pils (i think) and I don't really care for those.

Pilsner Urquell is not a German pils. It is a Bohemian Pils and is considered the benchmark for the style. It's from Pilsen, the town in Bohemia, Czech Republic. Urquell means original, as in the original pilsner beer. For those that say they don't like this beer I can only assume they have only ever had oxidized and skunked beer from those miserable green bottles. Seek out a bar, tavern or restaurant that has the stuff fresh on tap and I guarantee you will change your opinion. BTW there is absolutely no Munich malt in Pilsner Urquell. Cheers!

 

[chefchris]

Thanks for clearing that up!

 

[dgez]

I made a pilsner with 4 oz of munich and it was fan effing tastic...

 

[michaeltrego]

Follow your instincts. I did a double decoction (first time) for the PU comp in NYC and used 82% Best Malz Pilsen malt, 10% Weyermann Cara Foam malt, 8% Best Malz Munich 8L malt. Even though mine wasn't a clone in a side-by-side comparison (PU was a deeper golden color, smoother malt/hop balance), it did place 2nd and was favored by a couple of the judges. It was crisp, clear and hoppy - and I loved it!

 

[chefchris]

Thanks!

Reading your post was like watching the beginning of a Star Wars film in reverse.

 

[michaeltrego]

Ha! I'm not sure what happened to the font on that post -- in any case, may the force be with you, I guess.

 

[pjj2ba]

No Munich in mine, but I did add .5 lbs of aromatic and .5 lbs of home toasted Pils malt.

I was really looking to add some bready/grainy/toasty flavors, and I find Munich has a little bit of sweetness to it that I didn't want

 

[ghpeel]

I'm drinking an Urquell now. I kinda forgot how this beer tastes. Its got a grainy sweetness in the aroma. I get like a slight honey smell in this beer, and in a lot of German Lagers, I think it's from the Pilsner malt. The beer has medium body to me, so definitely add some CaraPils or Carafoam. Its quite bitter, like a Pale Ale, and on the verge of astringent but not in a bad way, which makes it very drinkable. The sweetness of the aroma is not present in the flavor, probably because the strong bittering addition covers it up.

I think you should start this beer with just Pilsner and CaraPils. Its so pale, and doesn't really have any "bready" flavor so too much Munich will turn it into a strong German lager, but not a Czech Pilsner. Aromatic, a little Melanoiden or Toasted Malt seem like good choices, but start out with small additions I'd say. Actually, I think a little toasty richness of Vienna might work too.

 

[Tiber_Brew]

If you're strictly going for authenticity, use only 100% pilsner malt. Using small quantities of Munich or carapils is fine, though, if you want to vary from the original a bit.

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

I had a bohemian pils at Thirsty Bear Brewing Company in California last year and have been wanting to brew one ever since. It was divine. On their page they state they some Munich malt in it. I am aware that this is a little out of style, but if I could get close to that beer it would be a staple in my kegerator. I also plan on adding carapils.

From the web site, they seem like nice folks. They even list the email addresses of the brewmaster & head brewer on the web site. Why don't you email the brewers and see if they'll give you some advice on the recipe?