Czech Amber Lager Recipe Help

Beer Recipes
1

I want to brew a Czech Amber Lager but have not found much helpful information online as far as a style profile or even example recipes. When putting together a recipe I typically like to see some example recipes and read a style profile for it to come together in terms of the style framework then come up with my own.

I was hoping someone on the forum might be able to chime in or direct me to some solid info online to help me put this together. I brew all grain and mostly lagers. Any help would be appreciated!

James

2

Pretty sure there have been a couple recent threads on here about the style. Do a quick search of the forum and see, I’m about to as well

3

Here is a linked beersmith recipe I found here on the forum:
http://beersmithrecipes.com/viewrecipe/845479/czech-neck-oil
no idea how it comes out, as I have not made it myself, but am looking into doing something similar in the next couple of batches

4

You might find this has what you are looking for:  https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/attachments/presentations/pdf/2015/2015%20AHA%20Czech%20Lagers%20-%20History,%20Brewing,%20Judging.pdf

Czech Lagers:History, Brewing, Judging Bob Hall & Randy Scorby  It’s from NHC 2015.

5

Awesome link, should be exactly what you need to get where you want to be!

6

I brewed this in November.  It came out awesome.

Polotmavé Speciální (Czech festbier)

10 gallons, 1.057 OG, 28 IBUs

11 lbs. Avangard Pilsner
9 lbs. Durst Turbo Vienna
7 lbs. Avangard Munich
10 oz. Weyermann Caravienne
6 oz. Weyermann CaraRed
5 oz. Weyerman CaraFa III

Mash 60 min at 148, add boiling water to 158°F for 15 min

Batch sparge to collect 14 gallons of wort

1 oz. Perle 90 min
1 oz. Spalt 90 min
0.9 oz. Hallertauer Mittelfrueh 30 min
1 oz. Spalt 10 min
1.4 oz. Saaz 5 min

7

looks very nice chumley - what yeast did you use though?

8

+1 - This recipe looks in the ballpark of a Maerzen. How does it compare in flavor?

9

What exactly is Durst Turbo Vienna? Maltier, darker, etc?

10

Durst is the maltster.  The “turbo” refers to the fact it’s highly modified.  Great malt, as are all Durst malts.  Durst was my go to continental malt til I discovered Best.

11

I didn’t have any Czech yeast available, unfortunately (LHBS was out), so I split it between 34/70 and WLP833.  So, it was missing that little hint of diacetyl that I like in my Czech lagers, but the squeaky clean German lager yeasts worked fine.  Truth be told, I could not tell any difference between the two.

It had a nice amber color, a tad darker than a marzenbier. I think it is close to style, but I confess the only Czech amber beers I have ever tasted have been the American interpretations, like Full Sail’s Session Festbier.  When my wife and I visited the Czech repubic in 2002, the only choices were light and dark.  I did get to drink the light table lager of the Czech republic - Gambrinus.

Durst Turbo Vienna is regular Vienna, but with I believe more diastatic power than regular Vienna, so that it converts itself better.  It was the last of an five year old bag.  :o

12

I could see 833 working pretty well there. Really like that strain.

13

The turbo line is for single infusions. High Kohlbach index, high DP, converts fast.

14

Thanks for all the turbo explanations. Just was not something I had seen before. Have not used any Durst product yet but am familiar with the brand name

15

I’m brewing a 20 gallon batch closely based on this recipe today and splitting it with 4 yeasts. Thanks Chum!

16

It looks like nice Vienna recipe. Then who is to say the Vienna beer brewed in Czech Republic is not their Amber.

There are multiple ways how this is done on commercial scale in Czech Republic.

  1. brew Pilsner, Brew dark. Ferment separately and post fermentation blend both beers.
  2. Brew Pilsner wort, Brew Dark wort blend wort together into one fermenter and ferment as single beer.
  3. Brew Amber beer as a single recipe beer.

I have 5 BBL brew house and 15 BBL fermenters. I will use method 2) this summer.