By now, as a good brewer, you know that the most characteristic style of the Czech brewing school is the Pilsen -style lager . It is such a popular style that it has superseded all other styles in the area. And no wonder, because Pilsen beers, refreshing and light, are perfect for everyday use . But how did the Czech brewing school manage to achieve such a balanced style?
We already told you in detail here , the Czechs, tired of the poor quality of their beers , launched a perfect plan. They created a modern factory with the greatest brewing experts, and each one contributed the best of their country: the yeast, the manufacturing processes, the construction in the ideal place... And today the Czech style continues to be based on these bases. Let's see it in more detail.
Ales vs. Lagers
For many, many centuries almost all beers were ales and used strains of yeast that rose to the surface during fermentation. As we have explained to you in this article , this style was discovered in Germany when the Bavarian brewers began to store the beer in frozen caves to improve its conservation.
so by chance ( As many of the great advances in science occur ) it was discovered that these caves not only provided the ideal age temperature to preserve the beer, but also allowed the appearance of another type of yeast with a different fermentation. Not only was the chemical process achieved in cold environments, it was a slower and less vigorous fermentation that was deposited at the bottom of the vats. For this reason it was also called bottom fermentation yeast. This is the birth of lagers , whose name comes from the word store .
Pilsen- style beer is a type of lager , as are others such as bocks, helles, dortmunders, and märzens . Although it is very common to think that all lagers are golden and light, while ales are dark and heavy, in reality there are dark lagers, as well as golden ales. The difference between these two broad categories of beer lies in two factors: the type of yeast used and the fermentation temperature.
What are the characteristics of a Pilsen?
In principle, making a beer is easy: water, malt, yeast and hops . So far all beers should be the same. However, Pilsen-style beers have a few characteristics that make the difference:
- an unmistakable bitter touch,
- its golden color and
- a perfect foam.
And how does the Czech brewing school get it? The secret is in the ingredients, which have to be of the best quality and with a very specific origin.
So at Beer Sapiens we have started to investigate the secrets of Czech beer, to tell you in detail what are those traditional ingredients that should be used to have the well-known Pilsen-style blonde lager .
The ingredients of the Pilsen
This beer was created by Josef Groll in 1842, precisely in the city of the same name, and the Pilsner Urquell brewery continues to produce it to this day. But this style became so popular that the recipe is now brewed all over the world, including in our wonderful Spanish breweries (and we'll give you some in the next article). recommendations for artisan beers of this style that you cannot miss)
But let's get to the point, rather the four ingredients that are needed to make this style. They are the basic four of all beer: malt, yeast, water and hops. The secret (and there is even a really secret ingredient) is that in the original recipe there is no It can be any water, or any malt, or a yeast that you get out there, or a hop without a designation of origin.
- Water is 90% of a beer so, as in the paella that your mother makes on Sundays, it can totally change the final flavor. In the original Pilsner Urquell brewery they have their own aquifer that provides them with a liquid with a low mineral content. Before, they stored the water in the famous tower-reservoir built in 1905 (which is still preserved). If you cannot get a few barrels of this precious water, don't worry, its main characteristic is that it is soft water, that is, with very little amount of minerals. Madrid's water would work, Valencia's would not.
- The malt gives the beer its alcohol content, its aroma and its golden color. The original brewery is very strict with this ingredient and they produce their own malt from a barley with a designation of origin: Moravian fine-hulled pale barley .
- The yeast . Did you know that for the production of the most famous beer in Pilsen they have a totally secret ingredient, like Coca-Cola? And it's yeast. They assure that the one they use is a direct descendant of the strain that Josef Groll made for you in 1842 and that, according to legend, he obtained it from a monk who took it without permission from a monastery.
- Hops are another of the ingredients that have a Controlled Designation of Origin . In the traditional style , Saaz hops are used. This ingredient, which is used in small proportions, is what gives this beer its unique touch, since it is responsible for its bitter taste and its intense aroma.
Using these four ingredients (within the indicated manufacturing processes) the result is a very refreshing beer with low alcohol content, golden, with plenty of foam. In other words, an authentic pilsen-style blond lager.
The other Czech beer: The original Budweiser
Although you will not find this beer in our store, because you already know that we like to bet on local and craft breweries, we could not close this article without telling you the story of the other reference brand of this brewing school, Budweiser Budvar.
This golden yellow beer with strong malt flavor and weak to medium bitterness was created in the Czech Republic. It turns out that the original Budweiser was already consumed in the 15th century at the court of King Ferdinand I of Habsburg, Holy Roman Emperor. From there comes its motto beer of kings , that is, beer of kings.
But at the end of the 19th century, the beer was brought to the United States by emigrants, and there, the businessman Adolphus Busch registered it in 1880 under this name. Today it is proven that the original recipe is that of the Czech school, although they did not register the style, and Budweiser cannot be used as a trademark in some countries of the world, such as in most of Europe where the American brand it is marketed as “Bud”.
Other Czech beers
Other lesser known Czech beers are Staropramen, Starobrno; Krusovice; and Radegast , also blond, but with a stronger, more intense and bitter flavor. This last characteristic is what defines this beer, which owes its name to the Slavic god Radegast and whose slogan is " Life is bitter, thank God ." So be it.