Homebrew Recipe
Utopian Rebels Svetly Lezak
- Method:
- All Grain
- Style:
- Czech Pale Lager
- Boil Time:
- 90 min.
- Batch Size:
- 5 gal.
- Boil Size:
- 6.5 gal.
- Efficiency:
- 72
- Rating:
- Source:
- Craft Beer and Brewing
- Source Notes:
- June-July 2020 page 71. Rob Gallagher is former chairperson of the London Amateur Brewers, is married to a Czech, and has a thing for decoction mashing. This is the recipe for his Czech-style pale lager, which won Best of Show at London Brew Con 2018. It includes a triple-decoction mash and plenty of gorgeous Saaz hops. I use reverse-osmosis (RO) water to start. For this beer, I basically just add calcium chloride until I have 50ppm of calcium (Ca+) for yeast health. Other than that, you want the water as soft as possible. It might be worth pointing out the importance of making a huge starter. I normally try to get about 2 million cells per ml per degree Plato (this beer is 12P). I think that's about a 4-liter starter (if you have a stir plate), but I generally make a batch of low-gravity lager beforehand and pitch the fresh wort straight onto the yeast. It takes a bit of coordinating, but it generally works well for me.
- Notes:
- Mill the grains and mash in at 122F. Scoop out about one-third of the mash (from the thickest part) and, in a separate pot, bring it to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, then return it to the main mash to raise the overall temperature to about 144F. Rest 20 minutes. Take about one-third of the mash again, bring it to a boil, and return it to the main mash to raise the overall temperature to about 158F. Rest 20 minutes. Finally, take about one-third of the mash again, bring it to a boil, and return it to the main mash to bring the overall temperature to about 169F. Rest 10 minutes and mash out. Sparge and top up as necessary to obtain 6.5 gallons of wort - or more, depending on your evaporation rate. Boil for 90 minutes, following the hops and additions schedule. After the boil, chill the wort to 50F, aerate the wort, and pitch the yeast. Ferment at 50F for about 2 weeks, then allow the temperature to rise to 55F. Over 3 days, drop the temperature to 32F and lager for 30 days. Package and carbonate to 2.3 volumes.
Brew Numbers
| OG | FG | ABV | SRM | IBU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.05 | 1.008 | 5.5 | 0 | 41 |
Fermentables
| Name | Amount | % Grain Bill |
|---|---|---|
| Lager or Pilsner Malt | 9.1 lbs. | 100.00 |
| Notes: Bohemian pilsner. | ||
| Total: | 9.10 lbs. | |
Yeast
| Name | Lab | Product |
|---|---|---|
| Urkel | Imperial | L28 |
Other Ingredients
| Name | Amount | Time | Use | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Irish Moss | 1 tsp. | 10 minutes | Boil | Clarifying |
Mash Steps
| Step | Name | Temp | Time | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Protein Rest | 122 | 10 | All Grain |
| Notes: Recipe does not list rest time, so entered 10 minutes as a typical protein rest. | ||||
| 2 | Decoction | 212 | 5 | All Grain |
| Notes: Scoop out about one-third of the mash (from the thickest part) and, in a separate pot, bring it to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes. | ||||
| 3 | Step Mash | 144 | 20 | All Grain |
| Notes: Return boiled decoction to the main mash to raise the overall temperature to about 144F and rest 20 minutes. | ||||
| 4 | Decoction | 212 | 5 | All Grain |
| Notes: Take about one-third of the mash again, bring it to a boil. | ||||
| 5 | Step Mash | 169 | 10 | All Grain |
| Notes: Return decoction to the main mash to bring the overall temperature to about 169F. Rest 10 minutes and mash out. | ||||