LAGER & PILSNER RECIPES PAGE TWO

DIRECTIONS FOR DECOCTION MASH:
Mill the grains and dough in at 99°F (37°C). Via infusion or direct heat, raise the temperature to 126°F (52°C) and rest 5 minutes. Pull about one-third of the mash for a decoction: Raise this portion to 145°F (63°C), rest 5 minutes; raise the temperature to 162°F (72°C), rest 15 minutes; then bring to a boil, and boil for 15 minutes. Reunite the decoction with the main mash and mix, to bring the full mash temperature to about 144°F (62°C). Again, take about one-third of the mash for a second decoction: Raise this portion to 162°F (72°C), rest 15 minutes; then bring to a boil, and boil for 15 minutes. Reunite the decoction with the main mash and mix, to bring the full mash temperature to about 165°F (74°C); rest 10 minutes.

Do a vorlauf step until your runnings are clear, then run off into the kettle and add the first-wort hops. Sparge and top up as necessary to get about 6.5 gallons (25 liters) of wort, depending on your evaporation rate. Boil for 90 minutes, adding hops according to the schedule. After the boil, chill to about 46°F (8°C), aerate well, and pitch plenty of healthy yeast. Ferment at about 50°F (10°C) for 10 days, then drop to 37°F (3°C) and lager for at least 4 weeks.

Here’s how the team at Břevnov does it, step by step:

1. They start by doughing in with a water temperature of 99°F (37°C) at a ratio of two liters per kilo (roughly, 1 quart per pound).
2. After 10 minutes, they approximately double the hot-liquor volume, raising the mash temperature to about 126°F (52°C) and full mash volume to 20 hectoliters (17 barrels).
3. After a five-minute rest, they pump a little more than two-thirds of the mash to the lauter tun to “sleep” while they heat up the remaining one-third or so—some 600 liters—at a rate of about 2°F (1°C) per minute.
4. At 145°F (63°C), this decoction mash gets another five-minute rest, after which they heat it at the same rate up to 162°F (72°C), where it gets a 15-minute rest before an iodine test to check for starch conversion.
5. Then they heat this decoction mash as quickly as possible to the boiling point, and they boil it for 15 minutes.
6. After that boil, they pump the decoction to the lauter tun and mix, raising the temperature of the main mash from about 124°F (51°C) to about 144°F (62°C).
7. For the second decoction, they pump a third or so of the total volume—about 700 liters this time—back to the mash tun, and again they heat it 2°F (1°C) per minute up to 162°F (72°C), and it gets another 15-minute rest.
8. They heat this decoction at full speed to the boiling point, boil it for 15 minutes, then pump it back to the lauter tun and mix, raising the main mash temperature to 165°F (74°C).
9. After 10 minutes, they start lautering, recirculating the sweet wort through the grain bed until it runs clear. Then they run it off for the boil.