This may sound funny from the guy who’s been posting about Czech Pilsners a lot recently… but I just had my first PU (of recent memory, I know I’ve tried some at one point in the past) out of the 16oz cans. Especially considering it’s an SAB Miller brand, I thought it was awesome. The very noticeable diacytel was interesting which, I think, is what made it taste different than the various American Craft Bo Pils I have had.
Any one know if the beer underwent any heavy changes after the SAB Miller acquisition?
Haven’t yet had this one in the can (yes I said it!). But I am sure it is better than the oxidized examples I get in the bottles, thats for sure. My one buddy who loves the stuff always remarks that it has “that real nice butternut thing going in there”. I try to explain to him about diacetyl but he is usually too drunk by then.
I just went through an example qualification for my BJCP class. It was fascinating.
A class mate brought PU in brown bottles that were just crazy with diacetyl. I am more or less blind to diacetyl and I immediately thought the host had dosed with popcorn butter. It was off the chart… a weird artificial butter note and a really strong mouthfeel slickness. I came home and cracked a fresh can of PU that still had a very low diacetyl note, but was very classic Urkel… freshness, high Saaz-y hoppy-ness. But I could still taste that diacetyl three hours later. It was pretty strange.
My class admin and I visited a brewpub that serves PU on tap. Three ways - all based on foam. We had a flight of the three. Only the "normal’ pour had the butter element. The rest were restricted to half foam and all foam - and the D levels were tremendously reduced, while the bitterness increased. It was a great experience!
I think that with PU, the distance between oxidation, light struck and D is the variation that I have seen. I love Urquell in the can, but will pass when I see it in the glass. Will be thrilled with it in a properly cellared firken… or a properly maintained tap setup.
I and the unfiltered unpasteurized PU that was flown over by World of Beer, so it was fresh. It was like a Kellerbier in that it had yeast in suspension. No diacetyl. Asked a friend who came in to have some, National judge, he said none. Jeff Renner - who has a high sensitivity to diacetyl, has had it at the brewery and said there is none.
The production beer is said to be cold crashed once it gets to a certain level of attenuation. The Czechs are said to like it that way.
Im going to have to grab some more soon. Ive brought it home a couple times and I remember ubber crackery and occasionally some skunk, but I dont recall diacetyl.
I’ve never noticed diacetyl in PU…and it comes in cans? How long has that been the case? Either it’s now, or the cans haven’t made it down here in the sticks yet…
The yeast in suspension in the unfiltered unpasteurized version has time to clean up the diacetyl. Not much of that is made, normally you get it in the brewery and a few places close by (haven’t been yet). When they yeast is crashed the beer would be moved off of it, filtered, and no yeast to clean up the diacetyl. Processing differences. You can get the diacetyl in iPU in Germany in my experience.