In This Article
Introduction to Czech Pilsners
The beer type, Czech pilsner, originates from the city of Pilsen. The beer is characterized by its use of light and pale malts, which give the beer its distinctive yellow to golden color and malty taste with a good sweetness. The hops used for brewing pilsner are Saaz. This hop gives the beer a mild taste, along with a spicy and herbal aroma. A pilsner is cool-fermented at 46–54°F (8°C to 12°C), giving the beer a dry and crisp taste.
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What Is a Czech Pilsner?
Alright, let’s break it down. A Czech pilsner is basically the OG of lagers. It’s smooth, golden, slightly sweet, and has this clean, crisp snap at the end that makes you want another sip. It’s what you imagine when someone says, “ice-cold beer” — but better.
Here’s what makes it tick:
- Malt-forward but crisp: Unlike hoppier lagers, this one lets the malt shine a little more.
- Light bitterness: It’s there, but it’s not trying to pick a fight.
- Spicy and herbal aroma: That’s thanks to the Saaz hops.
- Fermented cold: Which keeps things clean, dry, and refreshing.
It’s the kind of beer that’s perfect for a sunny afternoon or, honestly, any time you want a beer that’s not too complicated.
Czech vs. German Pilsners
You won’t believe how many people mix these two up — but they’re actually pretty different! Here’s a quick rundown:
- Czech pilsner: Smoother, a bit more malt-forward, and slightly lower in carbonation. Think soft and round.
- German pilsner: Drier, sharper, and more bitter. It’s got a crisp snap and a punch of hop bitterness.
They’re like cousins — same family, different personalities. What do you prefer: smooth and sweet or dry and snappy?
Saaz Hops Profile
Let’s talk about the real MVP: Saaz hops. If Czech pilsner had a signature scent, this would be it. It’s got that earthy, herbal, slightly spicy aroma that just smells like beer is supposed to smell.
Here’s what you should know:
- Low alpha acids (around 2–4%) — which means it’s subtle, not in-your-face bitter.
- Classic noble hop character: Earthy, grassy, peppery — it’s elegant.
- Perfect for balance: It doesn’t steal the show; it ties everything together.
Fermentation Tips and Yeast Selection
Okay, so you’ve brewed your wort — now don’t mess it up during fermentation. This part really makes or breaks the beer.
Here’s what you should do:
- Pick a good pilsner yeast. Wyeast 2001, White Labs WLP802, or any clean lager strain will do.
- Ferment at 46–54°F (8–12°C). Don’t rush it. Too warm and you’ll get fruity off-flavors.
- Lager it after fermentation. This means cold conditioning for a few weeks at a temperature of around 34–39°F (1–4°C). It clears things up and smooths out any rough edges.
The Target Values for a Czech Pilsner
When brewing a pilsner, you must be within the values in the style guide you see below. These are your target values when designing a recipe:
- OG (Original Gravity): 1.046 – 1.052
- FG (Final Gravity): 1.012 – 1.017
- Color (EBC): 7 – 14
- Bitterness (IBU): 35 – 45
- Alcohol (Vol%): 4.1 – 4.7
Czech Pilsner Recipe
I’ve created a simple Pilsner recipe for you. The amount of ingredients in the recipe is for one liter of water. This means that if you have 20 liters of water in your kettle, then you must multiply the ingredients by 20.
Ingredients (per liter of water)
- Pilsner Malt (3 EBC): 140 grams
- Munich Malt (20 EBC): 40 grams
- Dry Light Extract (8 EBC): 14 grams
- Saaz Hops (2.8% Alpha Acid): 8 grams
- Yeast: You can pick any pilsner yeast suitable
Czech Pilsner Brewing Process
Heat the water to 154°F (68°C) and add all the malt. Stir and maintain the temperature at 154°F (68°C) for 60 minutes. Then raise the temperature to 163°F (73°C) and keep it there for 20 minutes.
Separate the mash from the wort with your strainer. Sparge the mash with 73 °C water until you have the equivalent volume of wort in the kettle as you started with (1 liter in this case).
Next, raise the temperature to 212°F (100°C) for boiling. The total boiling time is 60 minutes from the time you add the first wort until you begin cooling.
Add hops in stages as follows:
- 2 grams/liter Saaz at the start of the 60-minute boil
- 2 grams/liter Saaz after 15 minutes (for a total of 45 minutes boil time)
- 2 grams/liter Saaz after 30 minutes (for a total of 30 minutes boil time)
- 2 grams/liter Saaz after 50 minutes (for a total of 10 minutes boil time)
After 60 minutes of hopping, start chilling the wort. When the wort is at 50°F (10°C), pour it into a sanitized fermenter bucket. Add the yeast and keep the fermenter at fermentation temperature.
When fermentation has stopped, transfer the beer to another sanitized fermenter bucket for secondary fermentation. Add sugar to carbonate the beer to achieve the desired CO₂ pressure, and then bottle it.
Final Brew Stats
These ingredients, and this process of brewing Czech pilsner give you the following values:
- OG: 1048
- FG: 1012
- Color (EBC): 10
- Bitterness (IBU): 40
- Alcohol (Vol%): 4.7
As you can see, these values fit perfectly within the target values for brewing a Czech pilsner.
Conclusion: Brewing a Czech Pilsner at Home
Brewing a Czech pilsner isn’t complicated, but it does require a bit of care. Stick to clean, simple ingredients, pay attention to your temperatures, and give the beer time to ferment and lager properly. The result is a smooth, crisp, and well-balanced beer that’s worth the effort.
Whether this is your first time brewing a pilsner or just your first go at the Czech style, following the process step by step will help you stay on track. And once you taste that final product, you’ll see why this style has remained popular for so long.
Take your time, enjoy the process, and don’t stress too much if everything isn’t perfect. With each batch, you’ll learn more and improve your technique. Good luck with your brew — and enjoy that first glass.
