Classic Saaz Lager Recipe

In a world full of big IPAs and heavy-handed hazies, every once in a while it is nice to take a trip to the lighter side. Lagers and Pilsners are making a strong come back both in the commercial brewing world and for homebrewers.

Here is a Classic Czech Pilsner recipe from our friends at Oilcreek Brewing that uses only Saaz hops and comes out clean, crisp, and refreshing. Matt, the brewer, says “It's a super simple Czech Pils recipe but with a couple special ingredients can really make a unique lager that is very crushable.” 

Saaz hops are one of the classic noble varieties that deliver their highly sought after floral and spicy character that is backed by some soft sweet fruit and subtle citrus.

This recipe is brought to you by the newest member of the Brewing Buddies family, Oilcreek Brewing. Hopefully it inspires you to brew some up for yourself!

Old World Czech Pils Recipe

INGREDIENTS

Malts:
10 lbs of floor malted Bohemian Pilsner malt. (If you can’t get this a good German Pilsner malt will do) 

Hops:
2 oz Saaz Hops - 60 minutes
1 oz Saaz Hops - 20 minutes 

Yeast: 
WLP800 - Pilsner Lager Yeast 

Directions:

-  Mash for an hour at 150°F.
-  Ferment at 50°F for 7 days. Then turn the temp up to 60°F to clean up.
- To achieve an old world taste, toss in 4 oz of medium char oak chips. Let the oak cubes sit until desired flavor is reached. This produces a unique old world oak flavor in this traditional style. 

- Lager for 4 weeks at 36°F

ENJOY!

Specifications: 

5.00 Gal // 5% ABV // OG: 1.049 FG: 1.009 // IBUs 32