Bohemian Pils Boring Taste

Beer Recipe Design
1

I made a Czech Pils using a recipe I found. Very simple: 10lbs pilsner, 1/2lb acid malt. 4 additions of Saaz during the boil. Mash temp 154. Took a long time to clear in keg, but although now very clear, good head and mouthfeel, something is off with the flavor. Not diacetyl, but seems to lack a good malt flavor. I did use half tap/half distilled, added 1gm CaCl to both mash and kettle, since it would have otherwise been Calcium deficient. My tap water total hardness about 120, alkalinity about 87., calcium 34, sulphate 25. Yeast WY2124.

The taste gives no satisfaction, perhaps a sharpness to it. Total IBU 42. I wonder if perhaps using 1/2 lb acid malt was excessive; although it amounted to just 4.8% of grist, was still the most I’ve ever used. I’d like to try brewing the style again, but avoid whatever mistakes I made with this one.

Any thoughts?

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I do add some oats to my grain bill. Like quaker oats.

3

What yeast did you use?

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Decoction or melanoidin malt. Maybe more calcium chloride and maybe mash warmer 158°

5

WY2124, as stated in my post.

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Will consider those. Thanks. So you don’t see the 1/2 lb acid malt as an issue?

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Iv used up to 5oz but it depends on your water. I know @dannyboy58 used to use 8oz you can try less what was the Ph

8

I have no reliable means of measuring pH. What do you suggest? Never had any luck with the test strips. Too ambiguous. That’s one area where I just wing it. Maybe I need to get more serious about measuring the acidity.

9

if you have a water report you can put your water profile in a online recipe builder and it will give you a predicted ph that will be close enough.

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you can just trial and error. Try using less acid malt and maybe add some wheat and a little Vienna malt. Keep after it. A good Bohemian Pilsener can be a challenge

1 Like
11

Funny I reread you post 3 times and overlooked it all times. WY2124 is the most widely used yeast in the world… so you can expect it to be like most beers.

I’m a huge fan of Mecca Grade, grown in the Orgeon, malts. I’d try this out…

12

What are you looking for? More maltiness? If so you likely need to add some melanoidin malt as @brew_cat mentioned. If the hops are muted you likely need to up your sulfates.
In regards to your water, with that grain bill and only 1/2lb of acid malt your pH was likely pretty high. For a beer like this I would target closer to 5.2-5.3. You threw out some water numbers. How are you getting/using those? Are you using a water program?

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Milwaukee meters are one of many places to look at for pH testing…. I’d think you just do a search…
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