Brew Dudes

To add to the continuing series of the Bohemian Pilsner brew log and the overarching Master of Lagers post series, I am posting the first update of the Bohemian Pilsner fermentation.

I was on the west coast on business last week so I didn’t really know how the ol’ pilsner was doing until I got back.  When I left the house on Monday morning, the first signs of fermentation were visible but it certainly wasn’t vigorous.

When I got back, I had a nice krausen going and it appeared the temperature in the fridge was on target.

I love it when a plan comes together, even if I am not there to see it happen.

The plan now is to leave it alone for at least another 5 days (going for the full 14 days in primary).  Now, the plan is to let Mike use this yeast left over from this brew if he so chooses so we’ll have to coordinate brew sessions.

I am happy so far with this brew.  We’ll see how the transfer goes.

If you ever wondered what a 9 liter starter looked like, well, here’s your chance to see one.   I made a wort with 900 grams of extra light dry malt extract along with just around 9 liters of water.

I let that boil for 15 minutes with a little bit of yeast nutrient.  After the 15 minutes, I let it cool down to around 60° F.

Once it was cool, I transferred it to my sanitized carboy and aerated it for a while with my aquarium pump.  I also sloshed it around for good measure.

Then I added my WLP 800 lager yeast to the carboy.  The starter should be at its peak in 48 hours, which will be right in time for my brew session on Saturday night.

I finally feel like we’re getting somewhere with this brew.  This beer will be a true test of my brewing abilities so far.

With the Better Bottle cleaned, it was time to sanitize.  I think we have written on this blog a number of times about the awesomeness of StarSan.  If you don’t believe me, buy a small bottle and try it out.

I can tell you that I was put off by the price of the sanitizer when I first started brewing, but after having some failed beers using a bleach solution and Iodophor (I never felt confident with the ratios and a few contaminated beers didn’t help matters) I bought some StarSan and never looked back.  For it’s effectiveness, it’s worth the price.

Having a measuring tool built into the bottle so you can get the right amount of StarSan for a 5 gallon carboy filled with water is handy as well.  No more guessing – a simple squeeze into the reservoir and a pour into the carboy and you’re done.

I am going to let this Better Bottle sit overnight and let the sanitizer sanitize.  It probably won’t take that long but I have always had good luck letting it sit for extended periods of time.

Next up is the mighty yeast starter.

Sometimes you have to hit the reset button.   You learn things.  You start doing things.  You start falling into patterns.   I think it’s good to stop and just start from the beginning again.  Pretend it’s your first brew…but use all your knowledge and experience to make it the best you can.

For me, I need time.   I need time to plan it out and have time to execute effectively without distractions.  With this Bohemian Pilsner session, everything has to be just right.  I need to reset – and take time.

Part of the reset is to revisit cleaning the fermentation equipment before the brew session.  I took the time to clean my Better Bottle well.  It was in good shape before I dumped the PBW into it and nearly filled it with hot water.

Then,  I scrubbed the inside using the carboy brush.  I made sure to get the sides and the bottom.   I sometimes don’t get to the brushing part.  This brew session I did.

So, this step is pretty basic.  But for this pilsner, it’s about getting all the basics done perfectly so everything else will have a chance to be done perfectly too.