What makes it crisp?

[Another_Brewer]

I've been brewing pale ale for a couple of years now, but I can never get them to have that crispness that I've tasted in other beers like Heineken or Pilsner Urquell.
Is there some way to get that crispness, do I need a better yeast, or a new recipe? Any help would be appreciated.

 

[lumpher]

it's not only the yeast, it's ferm temps, time at those temps, and having millions of dollars of equipment at their disposal helping, as well as having multiple brewmasters on shift to monitor every stage.

 

[mmonacel]

Well Heineken is a Pale Lager and Urquell is a Bohemian Pilsner. You said you've been brewing "pale ale". I'm not sure if you meant it literally or not, but if so, it's a different style all together. Both are lagers as opposed to ales so you're going to get a very different flavor profile. Bo Pils and Pale Lager are going to be light and crisp. A good pale ale can be crisp as well, but the ale yeast is going to give a fruitier profile and the different grains of course will provide a different flavor. I'm not a big lager brewer, but my guess is that both pale lagers and Bo Pils will likely rely on Pilsner malts to a great degree whereas most ales have 2-row as a base. Again, different base malts, different yeasts, different flavors. If you're looking for more crispness out of your ales though, look to attenuate higher. If you're doing AG, then mash lower for a more fermentable wort which should drive the FG down which will produce a drier, crisper flavor.

 

[d_striker]

More carbonation...

 

[Reno_eNVy]

Well Heineken is a Pale Lager and Urquell is a Bohemian Pilsner. You said you've been brewing "pale ale". I'm not sure if you meant it literally or not, but if so, it's a different style all together. Both are lagers as opposed to ales so you're going to get a very different flavor profile. Bo Pils and Pale Lager are going to be light and crisp. A good pale ale can be crisp as well, but the ale yeast is going to give a fruitier profile and the different grains of course will provide a different flavor. I'm not a big lager brewer, but my guess is that both pale lagers and Bo Pils will likely rely on Pilsner malts to a great degree whereas most ales have 2-row as a base. Again, different base malts, different yeasts, different flavors. If you're looking for more crispness out of your ales though, look to attenuate higher. If you're doing AG, then mash lower for a more fermentable wort which should drive the FG down which will produce a drier, crisper flavor.

This!

More carbonation...

ಠ_ಠ

 

[Yooper]

One of the characteristics of lagers is that "crispness" that comes from fermenting cool (50 degrees) and then lagering at near freezing temperatures. I usually lager the finished batch at 34 degrees for 6-10 weeks before bottling. That makes it very "clean" and with a crisp finish. I think all lager yeast strains will do very well at 50 degrees for fermenting, so it's not strain dependent, but the Urquell strain makes a very nice Bohemian pilsner.

 

[d_striker]

ಠ_ಠ

Fair enough. My short iPhone response wasn't very descriptive....

Let's not confuse crisp with clean. Crisp is that refreshing bite that makes you make that, "Ahh" noise after a drink. It's that bite that prevents you from chugging a highly carbonated beverage.

All things being considered (like using a clean ale yeast such as WLP029), adequate carbonation will enhance the crispness of a clean beer.

ETA-Here's an analogy....Compare the cleanest flat water to the cleanest sparkling water. Flat water is not crisp....Sparkling water is. We're talking clean vs crisp which are two different attributes.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Water chemistry can also be playing a part here too.

 

[Another_Brewer]

Lagering is a bit more than what I can do at the moment. I can't rely on natural winter temps for good lager conditions, and I dont' have space for a fridge or cooler right now.

Thanks for the advice!

 

[Reno_eNVy]

Yeah, I would recommend trying one of the hybrid(ish) yeasts to get your desired result.

If you use a swamp cooler set-up (fan pointed at the bucket/carboy covered in a t-shirt in a water bath with frozen water bottles) plus a hybrid yeast (kolsch, alt, Cali Common, San Fran Lager, etc) you could get that lager crispness you're looking for.