what is the difference between pilsner and lager
Joe Aggie
Does any one know the difference between pilsner beer and lager beer?
Lars Wireenn
ag...@ee.tamu.edu (Joe Aggie) writes:
> Does any one know the difference between pilsner beer and lager beer?
Pilsner is a quite specific beer style while lager is a family of styles. A
lager doesn't even need to be light in color. A pilsner on the other hand
has to be light in color and should have a quite high bitterness and hop
aroma and flavor. The german substyle has perhaps a little more dry bitterness
and often uses german style hops while bohemian substyle uses Saaz as hop
and is litle more 'smooth' in mouthfeel and body. Of course you don't have to
live in bohemia or germany to make pilsner, but usually pilsners produced
germany and bohemia usually differs in this way.
The original gravity lies at about 12P (in germany and bohemia they often
write 10-12%) which yields a alcohol content of 4.8 - there is a little room
to boost alcohol content, but I've not tasted a pilsner over 5.2% conforming
to style, lowering the alcohol contents is normally a smaller problem. The
most light colored lagers do _not_ conform to the pilsner style and sometimes
they are called pilsner although they aren't.
I don't know if there is any good examples of pilsners available in north
america. Of course pilsner urquell is a good example of a pilsner, but this
one don't like traveling so it may not be representative when arrived to
america. Samuel Adams Pilsner is not a good example of pilsner (based on the
specimens that I've have encountered in sweden). I'd think the best would be
to try the german version which tend to be quite stable in quality even
after transportation and here we have for example Jever or König Pilsner.
--
/Lars
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Dr H
On 13 Oct 1997, Joe Aggie wrote:
}Does any one know the difference between pilsner beer and lager beer?
Lager is a general category of beer which includes many styles, one of
which is Pilsner.
Lagers are made with a "bottom-fermenting" yeast (as opposed to ales, which
use top-fermenting yeast), and are stored for long periods (several weeks to
several months) at low temperatures during fermentation (this is the
"lagering" process).
Pilsner is a specific type of lager beer which originated in the town of
Pilzen in what is now the Czech Republic. One of its most notable features is
the exclusive use of Saaz hops (other lagers may use belnds of many hops).
Most American Light Lagers (Bud, Miller, Coors) are derived from the pilsner
style originally, though they have drifted far enough from their roots that
they now constitute a separate style. Try to find a Pilsner Urquell (that
has not been sitting under a light, or in the sun for months), for a
definitive example if the Pilsner style.
Dr H
Mike McG
Dr H wrote:
> Try to find a Pilsner Urquell (that has not been sitting under
> a light, or in the sun for months), for a definitive example
> if the Pilsner style.
Dr H (we meet again!)
from what I've been reading & hearing lately the classic Czech beers
that are generally available (in UK & US eg Budvar, PU etc) are actually
a shadow of their former selves, having cleaned up those dreadful old
traditional techniques that actually added some very impoortant
characteristics to their beers (I'm thinking of oak fermenters &
lager-tuns etc., & allowing diacetyl character etc to come out)
I'm not arguing this for the sake of arguing, I realise these are still
*very* good beers, but it would seem to be the case if you want a true
true Pilsener you may have to go to Plzen,
opinions anyone?
Mike McG
Dr H
I think PU is still pretty true to style, but it's *really* hard to find
an un-skunked bottle in the US. With the green glass, fluorescent
light in the stores... I try to get it from unopened case-cartons, and
I have had a few fresh ones frm time to time.
But I agree, one would have an easier time ofit, and a better selection,
in Plzen.
Budvar is not available in the US, and I've always wanted to try one.
Oh well, maybe someday I'll get to where the beer is made (after my tour of
Belgian breweries, of course :-)
Dr H
Jo...@pivo.demon.co.uk
Mike McG wrote:
> Dr H (we meet again!)
> from what I've been reading & hearing lately the classic Czech beers
> that are generally available (in UK & US eg Budvar, PU etc) are actually
> a shadow of their former selves, having cleaned up those dreadful old
> traditional techniques that actually added some very impoortant
> characteristics to their beers (I'm thinking of oak fermenters &
> lager-tuns etc., & allowing diacetyl character etc to come out)
> I'm not arguing this for the sake of arguing, I realise these are still
> *very* good beers, but it would seem to be the case if you want a true
> true Pilsener you may have to go to Plzen,
> opinions anyone?
> Mike McG
Something has happened to Pilsener Urquell, and their other beer
Gambrinus is just bloody awful these days. Budvar's still good but I've
had a few nasty ones lately whilst others were incredibly good, so
quality control is an issue. Unless of course my taste buds are failing,
must be my age...
Mike McG
John wrote:
> Something has happened to Pilsener Urquell, and their other beer
> Gambrinus is just bloody awful these days. Budvar's still good but I've
> had a few nasty ones lately whilst others were incredibly good, so
> quality control is an issue. Unless of course my taste buds are
> failing, must be my age...
I would have thought (as I've not tried many Czeh beers recently) that
the changes in plant & technique at these breweries would seek to
improve consistency & result in a blandeisation of the beers' character.
but as I say I aint tried 'em
& I trust your aging tastebuds John, even if you don't,
cheers all,
Mike McGuigan
Sean Kelle
>Mike McG wrote:
>> Dr H (we meet again!)
>> from what I've been reading & hearing lately the classic Czech beers
>> that are generally available (in UK & US eg Budvar, PU etc) are actually
>> a shadow of their former selves, having cleaned up those dreadful old
>> traditional techniques that actually added some very impoortant
>> characteristics to their beers (I'm thinking of oak fermenters &
>> lager-tuns etc., & allowing diacetyl character etc to come out)
>> I'm not arguing this for the sake of arguing, I realise these are still
>> *very* good beers, but it would seem to be the case if you want a true
>> true Pilsener you may have to go to Plzen,
>> opinions anyone?
>> Mike McG
>
>
>Something has happened to Pilsener Urquell, and their other beer
>Gambrinus is just bloody awful these days. Budvar's still good but I've
>had a few nasty ones lately whilst others were incredibly good, so
>quality control is an issue. Unless of course my taste buds are failing,
>must be my age...
>
Not strictly a Pisenser (but then neither is Budvar) but Staropramen is
supposed
to have kept all its traditional methods at the insistance of Bass!
Personally I think Budvar is still very good, esp the supposedly unpasturised
draft version available at the last GBBF
CHRISTIAN MICHAEL AUGUST
Sean Kelle wrote in message
<19971018200...@ladder02.news.aol.com>...
Not the case though, Staropramen does not decoct anymore, they are using a
temerature program regime.
>
hig...@ibm.net
Having visited Plzen last year, I went to the brewery at Pilsner
Urquell. I can tell you they no longer use Oak barrels anymore;
everything is now done in stainless steel vats, and they were planning
(this was Oct 96) a major brewery expansion which may be complete by
now. While certainly a great pilsner, I wouldn't go so far as to say it,
or Budweiser Budvar, which I had both in Plzen, Prague, several Greek
islands, and the UK, was anything near earth-shattering, while visiting
the tasting cafe at Westvleteren and De Dolle Brewers in Belgium was.
Budvar and Pilsner Urquell are really good beers, but I would not say
the difference was astronomical when visiting the brewery. Didn't go to
Budvar, though. Still worth visiting, but I'd do Belgium first, if you
haven't yet. If your a lager lover, do the opposite, and Germany. Chuck
C.
William B. Alderton
Just got on my computer after a few days off and found I'd missed a lot of the
PU info. We can now get PU in 500 ml cans in British Columbia for CAD $1.95
each. So should avoid getting lightstruck. It may be available in other
Canadian provinces in cans.
Dr H wrote:
> On Wed, 15 Oct 1997, Mike McG wrote:
>
> }Dr H wrote:
> }> Try to find a Pilsner Urquell (that has not been sitting under
> }> a light, or in the sun for months), for a definitive example
> }> if the Pilsner style.
> }
> }Dr H (we meet again!)
> }from what I've been reading & hearing lately the classic Czech beers
> }that are generally available (in UK & US eg Budvar, PU etc) are actually
> }a shadow of their former selves, having cleaned up those dreadful old
> }traditional techniques that actually added some very impoortant
> }characteristics to their beers (I'm thinking of oak fermenters &
> }lager-tuns etc., & allowing diacetyl character etc to come out)
> }I'm not arguing this for the sake of arguing, I realise these are still
> }*very* good beers, but it would seem to be the case if you want a true
> }true Pilsener you may have to go to Plzen,
> }opinions anyone?
> }Mike McG
> }
> }
>
> I think PU is still pretty true to style, but it's *really* hard to find
> an un-skunked bottle in the US. With the green glass, fluorescent
> light in the stores... I try to get it from unopened case-cartons, and
> I have had a few fresh ones frm time to time.
>
> But I agree, one would have an easier time ofit, and a better selection,
> in Plzen.
>
> Budvar is not available in the US, and I've always wanted to try one.
> Oh well, maybe someday I'll get to where the beer is made (after my tour of
> Belgian breweries, of course :-)
>
> Dr H
--
William B. Alderton (wald...@direct.ca)
Ambleside Brewing Company Ltd.
http://www.theplant.com/Ambleside_Brewing/