Yesterday, it was a great beer brewing afternoon. A lager based on beech smoked barley malt and mainly Hersbrücker Pure hops went into production. While tasting the great ale I made in November also mainly on Hersbrücker Pure, its taste is really based on the purest aroma of hops. The new lager is now fermenting at 8 degrees Celsius, right beside the pilsner in the Bohemian tradition I brewed a week ago.
Czech-style Pilsner was originally brewed in Plzen, Bohemia, today in the Czech Republic, in 1842. It was the first light lager that was ever made. Outside of the Czech Republic, Czech-style Pilsner is synonymous with any lager beers that have a golden colour, brewed with malt and Saaz hops, such as Pilsner Urquell.
50 years later brewers In Bavaria came up with their own version of pilsner where the German-style Pilsner is characterised by a golden colour with more bitter or earthy taste, like Warsteiner.
The European-style Pilsner has a slightly sweet taste, and can be produced from grains other than barley malt. Stella Artois is one example. While the American-style Pilsner is closer to the German style and can contain up to 25% corn and/or rice.
In the end of this post I would like to include a Czech proverb that could be a good indicator of the health of the ruling government in a country:
“The Government that increase the price on beer will perish”