Bohemian Pilsner Malt - Weyermann

Czech Barley from Bohemia • Nutty and Malty-Sweet • The Pilsner Urquell Lineage

Bohemian Pilsner Malt is Weyermann's Czech-origin base malt, made from Bojos and Malz barley grown in Bohemia and malted in Bamberg. Weyermann keeps it in their Terroir and Heirloom range rather than their standard brew malts, and the reason is the barley: this is the grain behind the Czech pale lager tradition, named on the spec sheet instead of the generic "malting quality barley" a commodity pilsner malt carries.

At 37 PPG and 2 °Lovibond it behaves like any first-rate continental base malt, converting itself easily and usable at up to 100% of the grain bill. Where it differs from a German pilsner malt is flavor: Weyermann describes it as a nutty malt aroma over a malty-sweet base, a shade rounder and more characterful than the clean honey note of their standard Pilsner.

Flavor & Aroma Profile

• Nutty malt aroma
• Malty sweetness with real depth
• Soft cracker and fresh bread
• Clean finish with no harshness
• Pale straw color

Because the character sits in the malt rather than the kiln, it shows most clearly in lightly hopped, malt-led beers. In a Czech pale lager at 90% or more of the grist it defines the beer. In a heavily hopped IPA the distinction from an ordinary pilsner malt would be lost.

Brewing Applications

Bohemian Pilsner Malt is the natural base for Czech and continental lager styles, including:

• Czech Premium Pale Lager
• Czech Pale Lager
• German Pilsner
• Munich Helles
• Vienna Lager and Bock
• Saison and Belgian Pale Ale

Weyermann also lists it for wheat beers, gose and strong ales, where a clean but characterful base is wanted underneath the specialty grain.

Usage Recommendations

Use it at up to 100% of the grain bill. For a Czech pale lager, build the whole grist on it and let a soft water profile and Saaz do the rest. In mixed bills it pairs naturally with Munich, Vienna and CaraBohemian for depth without leaving the continental idiom.

Saccharification takes up to 20 minutes, slightly longer than a standard pilsner malt, so give the mash a full rest rather than cutting it short. A decoction or a step mash suits it and is traditional for the styles it was bred for.

Specifications

• PPG (Points Per Pound Per Gallon): 37
• Color: 2 °Lovibond (3.0 to 5.0 EBC)
• Extract (Fine Grind, Dry Basis): minimum 80%
• Protein: 9 to 12%
• Kolbach Index: 38 to 42%
• Barley: Bojos and Malz, grown in Bohemia
• Flavor Notes: Nutty, malty-sweet, cracker, clean
• Usage Rate: up to 100% of grain bill
• Beer Styles: Czech and German lagers, helles, bock, saison

Whether you're brewing a traditional Czech pale lager, a crisp helles, or anything that wants a base malt with something to say, Bohemian Pilsner Malt brings the nutty, malty-sweet character of Bohemian barley.