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Recipe: Art History Vařitace Czech-Style Dark Lager
With thanks to Greg Browne, head brewer at Art History in suburban Chicago, here is a recipe for their Czech-style dark lager, inspired by the beer at the famous U Fleků brewpub in Prague.
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ALL GRAIN
Batch size: 5 gallons (19 liters)
Brewhouse efficiency: 72%
OG: 1.048
FG: 1.012
IBUs: 27
ABV: 4.7%
ALL GRAIN
Batch size: 5 gallons (19 liters)
Brewhouse efficiency: 72%
OG: 1.048
FG: 1.012
IBUs: 27
ABV: 4.7%
[PAYWALL]
MALT/GRAIN BILL
6.25 lb (2.8 kg) Weyermann Floor-Malted Bohemian Pilsner
1.5 lb (680 g) Weyermann Floor-Malted Bohemian Dark
1 lb (454 g) Weyermann CaraBohemian
9 oz (255 g) Weyermann Carafa Special II
HOPS SCHEDULE
1.2 oz (34 g) Zuper Saazer at 60 minutes [27 IBUs]
YEAST
Omega OYL-101 Pilsner I
DIRECTIONS
Mill the grains, mash in at 145°F (63°C), and hold for 30 minutes; then raise to 159°F (71°C), hold for 30 more minutes, and mash out. Recirculate until the runnings are clear, then run off into the kettle. Sparge and top up as necessary to get about 6 gallons (23 liters) of wort, depending on your evaporation rate. Boil for 60 minutes, adding hops according to the schedule. Chill to 46°F (8°C), aerate well, and pitch plenty of healthy yeast. Ferment at 48°F (9°C) until the beer is about 50 percent attenuated (1.024), then raise the temperature to 52°F (11°C). When fermentation is complete and gravity has stabilized, crash to 32–34°F (0–1°C), lager for 4 weeks, then package and carbonate.
BREWER’S NOTES
Water: Soft.
Malt: Don’t use a substitute for the CaraBohemian; it adds a signature flavor that you won’t get with CaraMunich, for example.
Yeast: OYL-101 is thought to be derived from the Urquell H strain, a notorious diacetyl producer. To avoid it, I add alpha acetolactate decarboxylase (ALDC), an enzyme that breaks down diacetyl precursors. No need for a diacetyl rest if you use ALDC (1 ml per 5 gallons/19 liters).
