Tuesday, November 8, 2011

”Redneck in Prague” Bohemian Pilsner Tasting Notes

For this Bohemian Pilsner, I fermented with kolsch yeast for fear that I couldn’t ferment at the lower temperatures required by Czech lager yeast.

Aroma: light spicy hop aroma with a touch of fruity esters; no malt aroma

Appearance: dark straw/light gold; slightly cloudy; poured with ½ inch white head that quickly fell to a tight line at the surface; cloudiness lifts as the beer warms

Flavor: spicy hop flavor; enough bitterness to offset the malt sweetness; finishes with a bit of bitterness and spicy hop flavor on the back end

Mouthfeel: medium-light body with moderate carbonation; no alcohol warmth; finishes dry with no astringency

Overall impression: nice hop flavor and aroma; malt/hops/bitterness balance is great; lacking in malt complexity; fruity esters too prominent in aroma; poor head retention - possibly try a protein rest in the 130 – 135F range

In case it hasn't become obvious after reviewing the last few tasting notes, most of my beers suffer from a head retention problem. The next couple of batches, I'll probably do a short protein rest to see if that helps.

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