An Ode To Pilsner, The World’s Favorite Beer
Plus A Recipe To Brew Yourself
With summer fast approaching, those long, hot days practically demand a crisp, clean brew to satisfy your thirst and your taste. Luckily, for the last 180 or so years, Pilsner has been the go-to for just such a scenario.
Let’s run through a brief history of the style, and the official stats as per the Beer Judges Certification Program (BJCP) style guidelines.
Overall Impression: A light-bodied, highly-attenuated, gold-colored, bottom-fermented bitter German beer showing excellent head retention and an elegant, floral hop aroma. Crisp, clean, and refreshing, a German Pils showcases the finest quality German malt and hops.
Vital Statistics:
OG: 1.044–1.050
IBUs: 22–40
FG: 1.008–1.013
SRM: 2–5
ABV: 4.4–5.2%
Often imitated, yet rarely duplicated, the original pilsner was brewed in the year 1842 by a Bavarian brewer named Joseph Groll, in the Bohemian town of Pilsen. From there, its popularity quickly surged and brewers all over Europe started to make their own version. Undoubtedly some of the drink's appeal was the light color. Before pilsner, all beer was some shade of brown or black, and often murky. Franky, beer was pretty unappealing to look at. Thanks to new innovations in the malting process, Groll was able to use malt that was much lighter in color, while also producing a lighter, more refreshing beer in the process. At the time, this style was a complete 180 from what most drinkers expected in a beer. That popularity has only continued to grow. Bud Light, Miller Lite, and Coors Light are all riffs on this style of beer.
Aside from the light color, pilsner is known for its unique floral aroma and assertive, yet not aggressive, bitterness, which is traditionally derived from Saaz hops grown in the Czech Republic. Pilsner is bottom fermented, which means it uses lager yeast, and is fermeneded at cool temperaturs, usually in the 50 to 55 degree Farenheit (10 to 13 Celeius) range. It is then lagered at similar temperatures for a period of 4 to 8 weeks before serving. The combination of lager yeast and cool temperatures produce a clean, crisp and bitter beer that showcases the wonderful hop and malt flavors.
Use the link above to view the recipe in its entirety, some of the beer stats are listed below.
Beer Stats
Method: All Grain
Style: German Pils
Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 5.5 gallons (fermentor volume)
Pre Boil Size: 6.5 gallons
Post Boil Size: 5.5 gallons
Pre Boil Gravity: 1.041 (recipe based estimate)
Efficiency: 75% (brew house)
Source: Daniel T
Calories: 156 calories (Per 12oz)
Carbs: 13.4 g (Per 12oz)
OG: 1.047 F
FG: 1.007
ABV: 5.16%
IBU: 36
SRM: 3.25
Want to know more about pilsner and the history to go along with it? I implore you to read the excellent book Pilsner: How the Beer of Kings Changed the World by Tom Acitelli.
