Pilsner Urquell Homebrew Contest

[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.

 

[pjj2ba]

I am working along the artistic impression angle in my batches. They all have some Saaz in them but I have made extensive use of other hops as well. I've also added a few surprises to the grain bill. Not enough to take it out of style, but hopefully it will add a little extra character - in a good way (fingers crossed as they bubble away)

And looking forward to meeting a bunch of you guys in NYC!

 

[michaeltrego]

I brewed it 5 weeks ago today. The krausen finally fell a few days ago, after fermenting at 50 for 3 weeks and then 53 for two more weeks. It ended up at FG 1.012 and is pretty tasty. I transferred it to a keg and will lager at 35 for 3 weeks and then start to carb at that point.

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

Found out the NYC venue is Hospoda in Manhattan. It's a Bavarian/Bohemian/Austrian restaurant. It's a few blocks east of Central Park.

I joined facebook just for this and I think at this point I can officially say that facebook sucks really really hard. Damn what a POS it is.

EDIT: Dibs on Hopsoda as a name for my pils.

 

[pjj2ba]

I received an email this morning giving that location. Bonus for me, it is just 9 blocks from my sister-in-laws place. They used to live just 2 blocks from there so I'm sure I've gone by the place.

As far as meeting up before hand, there is not a whole lot beer wise in the immediate area that I've run across. There is Heidelberg about 10 blocks away, and Cafe d'Alsace a couple more blocks, which has a cicerone on staff, and a smallish, but very good beer list (read $$) I'm sure any locals will know much more than I.

We'll be arriving on Friday so we'll be around the whole weekend if anyone wants to get together then.

On Hospoda's website you need to check out the beer photos!!!! It looks like you can order the SAME beer 4 ways. Each version differs in the amount of head it is poured with, and each has it's own flavor attributes. I would assume this would be related to how much carbonation is lost. The flatter (more foamy) the beer, the sweeter and maltier it will taste.

My beer will be named in honor of one of our former cats, whose name was in Slovak, but the Czech use the same word

 

[michaeltrego]

I received the email today as well -- Hospoda looks really interesting. The ONLY beer they serve is Pilsner Urquell, four ways as noted. I'm not sure I would be ordering a glass full of foam (Mliko) any time soon. Speaking of their pictures, check out the coils under the sink in the fourth interior photo -- what do you think that is for?

pjj2ba -- I noticed you are in PA and mentioned the Slovak cat -- are you Slovak descent? My wife's family (Petrick/Mankovich) is Hungarian from the Greensburg and Hazelton areas.

 

[pjj2ba]

My wife is half Slovak. She had the cat before me. Our second cat had a Polish name, in honor of the numerous visiting Polish scientists in the lab when I was working on my degree. I'll have to check with my Czech friend (doh!) if the Polish and Czech word for that cat's name are the same - it would be a good beer name as well. Yes, I have a Czech friend to act as a beer taster. :rockin:

 

[Mischief_Brewing]

My wife is a refugee from Slovakia! I have no shortage of relatives who will gladly critique my entries and help me decide which to bring...

 

[DPlan00]

I was thinking about, for "artistic impression," adding oak during the lagering phase. Any thoughts on this?

 

[pjj2ba]

Oak could get a bit strong in a beer that is pretty "simple". It might work, but I bet the hops and oak would clash in a younger beer and it might take a couple months more than normal for the two to meld together.

 

[Oldsock]

Oak could get a bit strong in a beer that is pretty "simple". It might work, but I bet the hops and oak would clash in a younger beer and it might take a couple months more than normal for the two to meld together.

I was considering this as well since this is how PU was originally brewed. If you do go with a very small amount of oak (1/8-1/4 oz French or Hungarian medium toast oak cubes) and boil it in a couple changes of water to leach out most of the tannins. I’ll probably end up skipping it this time, but it is on my list for my next attempt at the style.