Pilsner Urquell Homebrew Contest

[Catt22]

I guess I should buy some PU and actually taste it...for the first time. As if the stuff I'll get here in Florida even compares to the fresh stuff.

The fresh stuff isn't skunked is it? I have a feeling anything I get here will be.

It's very difficult to find fresh, non-skunked PU. Your best shot would be to find it on tap somewhere with a reasonable turnover. The keg certainly won't be skunked and if the bar is buying it by the keg they must be moving it as well.

When PU is fresh it is awesome.

 

[redsox1]

if you happen to be at the beer store as the owner is unpacking six packs from newly delivered cases, then you stand to get a decent taste of something good. i spent three weeks in prague last fall, got to tour the P.U brewery in Pilzen and it was like divine intervention.

 

[lowlife]

I had it on a cruise fresh. It was pretty good.

 

[michaeltrego]

The best and freshest I've had on tap was in 2002 at Frankie's Bohemian Cafe in San Francisco. I was looking for dinner before a Lucinda Williams show at the Fillmore, and sought out the closest beer joint. Frankie's is a little hole in the wall with fantastic character, good Czech food and gigantic mugs of authentic brew. That was a great night.

 

[Lilrascal]

I think the hard part for me will be "Artistic Impression". The words "Accuracy to style" and "Artistic Impression" seem to have opposite meanings. At least in my non-artistic mind.

 

[Mischief_Brewing]

I think the hard part for me will be "Artistic Impression". The words "Accuracy to style" and "Artistic Impression" seem to have opposite meanings. At least in my non-artistic mind.

That's exactly what I was thinking. I'm going to brew up a couple of 2.5 gallon test batches and 2 full scale. Only one will be going 100% toward style, the others will be my personal variations that skirt the style guidelines but will make it more to what I like. Who knows which I'll bring to the actual judging...

 

[Ace_Club]

And I'm in for the Chicago contest. This will be my first ever Pilsner. Better get working on finishing my fermentation chamber.

 

[michaeltrego]

Here are some classic Michael Jackson Beer Hunter videos to get your creative juices flowing. The Urquell portion starts about 2 min. into the second part.

 

[chicagobrew]

If you really want to taste PU you need to go to Prague where there are a couple pubs that sell it unpasteurized (I think they call it Tankovna). It's amazing and unlike the pasteurized version you get everywhere else.

 

[pjj2ba]

If you really want to taste PU you need to go to Prague where there are a couple pubs that sell it unpasteurized (I think they call it Tankovna). It's amazing and unlike the pasteurized version you get everywhere else.

I had a lager in Belgium that I think must also have been unpastureized. It was from Maes, which is a bigger brewery. This beer was a little cloudy and had a fruity note to it. I double checked to confirm it was in fact a Maes Pilsner because it was so different from the bottled stuff. I've got a clone attempt going right now. I'm seriously tempted to do a natural carbonation and add a poor flocculating yeast when I keg it. I'll have to pull a taste and see. This was my first time using White labs new Belgian Lager strain. I might just leave it with that.

 

[Oldsock]

Pilsner Urquell Kvasnicový: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/pilsner-urquell-kvasnicovy-yeast-beer/44956/

"Only available at Na Parkanu in Plzen and on the brewery tour. Pilsner Urquell with yeast and wort added."

More info: http://www.whitebeertravels.co.uk/prague.html

 

[pjj2ba]

I'm thinking more and more that this is what I had in Belgium. A "Real Lager". My searching on the web has not proved fruitful to find out if such a thing exists from the Maes brewery. It was a phenomenal pairing with mussels and frites.

 

[Mischief_Brewing]

My yeast came in last night. Looks like I'll be brewing on Sunday! I'm going to do two starter batches (2.5 gallons) as test batches/starters for the yeast. Just hoping it doesn't cut the time for the full-scale batches too short.

 

[bluesman88]

I just got the word today that I'm in for NYC. Guess I need to make a big starter right away.

 

[pjj2ba]

Ya know, since a bunch of us will be heading to either NYC, DC, or Chicago, we should make sure that we all meet one another in our respective cities. We can wait to plan this more when we have a better idea of what will be happening on the contest dates.

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

Sounds good to me.

Will the NYC group be enjoying superior pizza than the Chicago group? <ducks and runs>

Finally kicked a keg and can tap that Boh Pils I made back in December tonight.

 

[Mischief_Brewing]

Ya know, since a bunch of us will be heading to either NYC, DC, or Chicago, we should make sure that we all meet one another in our respective cities. We can wait to plan this more when we have a better idea of what will be happening on the contest dates.

Depending upon where it's held, I say we pre-party at one of the many great craft beer bars in the city (NYC obviously )

 

[DrawTap88]

Will the NYC group be enjoying superior pizza than the Chicago group? <ducks and runs>

No. But we can discuss that in Prague.

 

[michaeltrego]

Depending upon where it's held, I say we pre-party at one of the many great craft beer bars in the city (NYC obviously )

Count me in. Gingerman, Blind Tiger, mmmm.

 

[Mischief_Brewing]

Count me in. Gingerman, Blind Tiger, mmmm.

Going to Blind Tiger for lunch tomorrow

Rattle n hum is on that list as well. Might have to do both gingerman and rattle n hum if the venue is midtown...

 

[Oldsock]

Happy to report mine was just starting to ferment when I got home last night, and had a three inch krausen when I checked this morning. Hopefully the effort I put into it (triple decoction, distilled water, ice water circulation to chill etc...) is worth it in the results.

How is everyone else doing?

 

[michaeltrego]

I'll be brewing it this weekend - much anticipation. My first real lager, now that I have a fermentation freezer. I have decided to go with a step infusion (133/154/168) rather than decoction. The 2L WLP800 starter looks great and will finish phase one today, and will be stepping up to 4L tomorrow for the 10 gallon batch.

 

[Oldsock]

Good luck, I did my first triple decoction (100, 148, 162, 170) for my batch, four hours of fun. Not sure if it will make it taste better for anyone else, but the hard work will certainly make me appreciate it more.

 

[Ace_Club]

I'm not brewing mine until June 4th. So I've got a little time left.

 

[redsox1]

brewed two so far, both triple decoctions, one to dry hopped and the other not. figure out in august what one will be going with me

 

[Oldsock]

I'm considering adding a hop tea closer to serving if my beer needs a hop aroma boost, I've heard mixed things about dry hopping with Saaz.

 

[Mischief_Brewing]

I have 2 half batches (2.5 gallon) running about 3 days apart. The first was a triple decoction and the second was extract. Both are going to be ready to cold crash before transferring to the kegs for lagering next week. The following weekend I'm going to try to brew the first of 2 full-size batches using the yeast cake from the first. Then a few weeks later I'll do the second using the second's cake. My only issue is the fermentation chest freezer will be fermenting a Westy12 clone. I'm not good at this timing thing...

 

[DrawTap88]

Brewed mine over the weekend. Hit all my numbers spot on. Pitched and put it in my lagering freezer, only to find out the next morning that the freezer wasn't kicking on enough. Ambient temp in the freezer was 60F. I'll check it in a month and decide if I should brew another.

 

[Rhoobarb]

Brewing mine this Saturday.

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

What have you guys received as far as confirmation? When I first registered, back in early April, I got a confirmation e-mail along with a copy of the R&R. But I haven't received anything else since, even after sending e-mails/g-mails asking for any info (got no response to either).

Has the venue in NYC been chosen? I'd like to know that I'm actually registered and where it is taking place so I can start booking flights/rooms/reservations @ Masa/etc.

 

[Ace_Club]

I've received no further information about the Chicago event.

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

I've received no further information about the Chicago event.

That reassuring, I thought I had been left behind.

FWIW, mine is 'secondary-ing' in a corny keg. Hope to rack clear beer in a couple of weeks and let it sit for another month. Didn't taste bitter enough out of the fermenter.

 

[pjj2ba]

I haven't heard any word on NYC yet either. They do have a Facebook page, but I haven't seen any more details there

 

[beefeater]

I'd love to enter this competition but I guess I'm not allowed as I'm Norwegian..

I attended the Urquell brewery tour recently and that was great, allthough I'd like to hbe offered a bigger sample at the end! The unfiltered, unpasteurized beer they served straight from a wooden casc was amazing! It was brewed differently from the bottled product; in the "old" way, with open fermentation in wooden cascs in the underground tunnels beneath the brewery. Temperature in a batch of beer they had just put in there was 5 degrees C. It would rise naturally up to seven or so, dependent on ambient temperature, the guide said. 12 Plato wort with their H-strain.

The beer was of course delicious. Rich, fresh hops, less carbed than bottled, hazy and veeery drinkable. My first thought was "WOW, this is (the perfect) homebrew! I haven't been able to reach the levels of perfection found in bottled PU with my homebrews but this I think I can do! Very encouraging!!

Good luck with the competition!

 

[michaeltrego]

I haven't seen any more details yet either. I will be transferring from primary to lager tank sometime this week. Can't wait to try a sample!

 

[Oldsock]

I was happy with the flavor of mine coming out of the primary after a few days of diacetyl rest. It has been lagering ~34 for the last few weeks, hoping to put it on tap maybe 3 weeks before the competition to give me time to dial in the carbonation.

 

[DrawTap88]

I haven't heard anything either about the Chicago contest. I'll be transferring mine to a keg this weekend.

 

[michaeltrego]

Per the PU Facebook page today:

Artistic Impression should be interpreted as:
Anything varying from the BJCP definition of a Bohemian Pilsner whether it be ingredients or process. The artistic impression should be noted by the brewer and should not take the beer out of style.

Possibilities may include use of caramel malt instead of decoction mashing and fire-brewing for caramelization, use of another hop other than Saaz, dry hopping, etc…

The idea was that we didn’t want homebrewers to be choked artistically and forced to brew Pilsner Urquell exactly. If, as an artist, home brewers attempt to do it exactly as PU has we will take that into consideration. They will get all of the points if they get it exactly right. It’s more of a catchall to allow brewers some flexibility rather than a requirement of differentiation.

I wish they would have clarified that earlier! I'll have to get creative on my definition of creative...

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

FWIW, I did get a response to my last e-mail and was told the venue for NYC had not yet been chosen but would be very soon (nothing new here, just mentioning it).

I only had one ounce of Saaz so I was forced into my 'artistic impression'. I'm also dry-hopping (not with Saaz).

 

[DrawTap88]

I kinda figured that was what they meant by "artistic impression." Good to know I wasn't off. Thanks , michael.