Pilsen: There's Something In The Water - #TheSession 114


My good mate Al from Fuggled is hosting this 114th Session. The topic is one dear to his heart: Pilsner. Hailing from Scotland but having spent over 10 years in the Czech Republic and growing very fond of the national drink that is Pilsner, it's an apt topic for him.


Here's the announcement. If you want to participate, just write an article and comment with the link on that page.


The Famous Water Tower

Perhaps it was fortuitous but on this Beer Blogging Friday with a topic of Pilsners, I found myself in the best place to do a little research. That's right, I spent the day in Pilsen at the Pilsner Urquell brewery. A few media types were invited to the brewery to see how things work and it was a pretty special experience other than the heavy rain.


These are the old direct fired kettles which now serve as a museum piece for tours. They were used until as recently as 2004 when production moved to a larger and more modern brewery building.


These shiny vessels are the lauter tuns where the strike water is heated to the desired temperature needed for the infamous tripple decoction mash that Pilsner Urquell still use, despite being time consuming and expensive.


They still use beautiful copper mashtuns and kettles in the new brewhouse. Everything is clinically clean and while modern, still ushers a sense of beauty.


Brewers are hard at work monitoring the whole process. Unlike a microbrewery, there's a lot less manpower needed to brew in a brewery the size of Pilsner Urquell.


The bottling line is something to behold. The plant can process up to 120,000 bottles per hour though I think each line does in the region of 60,000 per hour.


Like Germany, Czech breweries re-use bottles so they need to be checked for damage with a special machine which takes thousands of images and processes them instantly. Anything that looks damaged is removed from the line automatically and if it's not clean enough, it gets sent back to the bottle washer. When I was there I saw one bottle with a cap still on, one with half a label stuck on and one was completely smashed but had been moved to a side section. All of this was being taken care of automatically. Before the automation, each line would have had 7 workers manually keeping things going.


While the brewery building is itself fascinating, the main attraction of a visit to the brewery is when you are taken down to the cellars to see how the beer was once aged. A certain part of the beer is still aged and fermented down there, mostly to ensure that the modern beer tastes exactly the same as the traditionally matured version.


The cellars are astounding and it was raining almost as heavily underground as it was outside. In fact, they flooded a few years ago due to heavy rainfall. Apparently no beer was lost as the barrels had just been emptied so that was good luck.


It feels like you are in a network of caves, they even have stalagmites forming on the ceilings and it's very cold down there.
  

No visit to the cellars would be complete without drinking the maturing Pilsner Urquell direct from the wooden barrel. Unfiltered, unpasteurised, just real beer and what a beer it is. I've had it many times at the Beer Bloggers Conference as you will see in this image where I'm tapping one of the barrels at the Dublin conference in 2014. One of the defining features of beer made in Pilsen is the super soft water they have there. There are very few minerals in it and it's perfect for a pale lager.


I didn't catch his name so we'll just call him the cellar-man. He kindly poured our beers for us to enjoy before we went to the onsite restaurant for lunch. This is probably the closest to the original pale lager first brewed here in Pilsen by Pilsner Urquell that one can get. That one beer literally changed the beer world for ever with over 70% of all beer consumed in the world being a pale lager. I would personally say that most are a poor imitation of the original. Except where it comes in a green bottle because it just tastes the same as any other lager in a green bottle. Skunked! Never drink any beer, Pilsner Urquell included, from a green bottle. They do brown bottles now for the US market and of course the cans should be pretty safe. For me, on draught, especially from a tankovna is the best way to enjoy it. We have one in Dublin actually at The Bridge, but I haven't had a chance to to try it yet. I must rectify that.


The food at the restaurant was pretty amazing and of course the Pilsner was flowing. If you like beef, make sure you get the steak tartare. It's traditional in the Czech Republic and they do it amazingly well at the Na Spilce restaurant. I had the pork knee which was epic in stature. The restaurant itself is massive and is located in former maturation cellars. Thankfully, they are not as damp and cold as the main cellars.

I had lunch with head brewmaster Vaclav Berka and Robert Lobovsky today whom I'll be seeing again in a couple of weeks in Amsterdam at EBBC16. We also saw the graduation of 3 new PU Tapsters after spending a week learning how to pour the 3 different types of Pilsner pour and whatever else tapsters are expected to know. They have a video here explaining the different pours. 

Unfortunately, I had to leave early to get back to Prague airport. I was put in a taxi at 3 and driven to the airport as my flight was at 6. I would like to thank the Pilsner Urquell team for a wonderful 2 days. I would have loved to stay the whole weekend and explore how Prague has changed since I was last there but I had to get home as tomorrow is the Beoir AGM in Belfast.

Na zdraví.





COMMENTS

Name

1 week taste test,2,12 acres,2,1698,1,18c soup,1,2010,1,2011,1,2012 black ale,1,2019,1,21st amendment,1,3 floyds,2,3 kings,2,3 monts,1,30th anniversary,1,312 urban wheat,1,4 pines,1,400 pound monkey,1,4th of July,1,5 barrel,1,5 day ipa,1,500 posts,1,57 the headline,1,5am saint,1,60 minute IPA,1,77 lager,1,8 degrees,6,80/,1,9 white deer,2,90 minute IPA,1,90 shilling,1,a winters ale,1,abstrakt,1,Acorn Brewery,1,adnams,4,Aecht Schlenkerla,2,Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier weizen,1,against the grain,2,Agent Provocateur,1,alaska,1,alba scots pine,1,alcohol,1,aldi,2,aldipa,1,ale,1,alice porter,1,all day ipa,1,all ireland craft beer festival,1,allagash,1,alltech,5,alpha dawg,1,Alpha Dog,1,alphabet,1,alpine glacier,1,Altfrankisches Klosterbier,1,amber-ella,1,Ambräusianum,1,American,1,american craft beer week,1,amsterdam,1,anarchist alchemy,1,anchor beer,3,anchor bock,1,anchorage,1,And now for something completely different,8,Anderson Valley,2,antwerp,1,apex,1,Apple Wheat,1,arabier,1,Arcobräu,1,Arrogant Bastard,1,Arthurstown,1,asheville,1,Athens,1,atlanta airport,1,atom,1,Auckland,1,augustiner,2,Augustinerbräu münchen,1,australia,6,Aventinus,1,avery,1,avery brown dredge,1,avoid italy,1,awards,3,Ayinger,2,Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock,1,ayr,1,aztec stout,1,Backdrifts,1,bad attitude,1,bad king john,1,badger,3,Ballyferriter,1,Baltika 6 Porter,1,Baltika 8,1,Bán an aol,1,Bán Oráiste,1,banks bitter,1,bar,1,barbar bok,1,barcelona,2,barclay perkins,3,Barefoot bohemian pilsner,1,barley cargo,1,barleywine,1,barney's brew,1,barnsey,1,barrelhead,1,basement bar,1,basque,1,basqueland brewing project,2,batemans,3,bath ales,1,bay brewery,1,bbc11,3,beara irish brew,1,beavertown,2,becks blue,1,beer bar,3,beer bloggers conference,2,beer bloggers conference 2011,7,beer bloggers conference 2012,1,beer bloggers conference 2013. ebbc13,1,beer books,1,beer festival,16,beer kit,5,beer labels,1,beer mats,1,beer myths,1,beer na beer,1,beer review,20,beer review.,1,beer tourism,1,beerman,1,beertime,1,BeeWyched Honey'd Ale,1,belfast beer festival,2,belfast black,1,belgian,4,Belgica,1,Belgium,4,bell ringer,1,Bell's brewery,2,bells,2,belzebuth,1,beoir,3,berch,1,berg,1,Bergkirchweih,1,berwery,1,best beer cities,1,beverage house,1,Bière de Garde,2,Bière pouset,1,bierhaus,1,big beers,1,big river,1,bigfoot,1,bigfoot ale,1,bir and fud,1,Birra Moretti,1,Birrificio l'olmaia,1,bitch please,1,bitter,4,bitterbock,1,Bitterness,1,bj's,1,BK,1,black cab,1,black diamond,3,black donkey,1,black forest,1,black jack porter,1,black lager,1,Black Malts and Body Salts,1,black rock,1,black tuesday,1,black's,3,blackberry wit,1,Blanche De Chambly,1,blockchain,1,blogger,1,blonde beggar II,1,blonde frog ale,1,blowhard,1,blue frog,2,blue frog dipa,1,Blue Heron pale ale,1,bluebird bitter,1,boann distillery,1,bock,1,bombardier,1,bonator,1,boom,1,Boont Amber,1,bottle conditioned,1,boulder,1,boundary brewing,1,bourbon,1,Bourbon County,1,Bourgogne Des Flandres,1,boyne brewhouse,2,brabant,2,bracia,1,brainblasta,1,brains,1,brakspear,1,Bravoure,1,bread,1,breckenridge,1,Breconshire,2,brehon brewhouse,1,Brettanomyces,1,brew,56,Brew and roll,1,brew dock,2,brew york,1,brewberry,1,brewcon,1,brewday,6,Brewday Disaster,1,brewdog,21,brewdog bar,1,breweries,2,Brewers on the bay,1,brewers reserve,1,brewery tour,14,brewery update,1,brewery visit,2,breweyed,1,brewfist,1,Brewhouse Brisbane,1,brewing and distilling convention,1,brewpub,13,bridgeport,2,brisbane,1,bristol beer factory,2,British open,1,Brittany,1,brno,1,brooklyn,4,Brooklyn Brown ale,1,brooklyn Oktoberfest,1,Brooklyn Pennant Ale,1,brothers beer,1,broughton,2,broughtons,1,Brouwerij ’t IJ,1,browar,1,browar profesia,1,browar prost,1,browar stu mostow,1,brown ale,1,brown paper bag project,1,brown-eyepa,1,bru,1,bruges,1,Brugse Zot,2,Brunehaut,1,brupaks,1,brussels,2,bsa,1,bucks fizz,1,budvar,1,bull and castle,7,bullying,3,burren brewing,1,Busty Amber,1,Butt head,1,Cains Double Bock,1,cairngorm,1,california,1,camden town,2,can,1,can vs bottle,1,cantillon,6,canvas,1,Caracole,1,carboy,4,cardiff,2,carlow brewing company,5,carlsberg,1,cascade pale ale,1,cask,5,cask ales competition,1,cask beer,1,cats,1,catso,1,celebration ale,1,celebration stout,2,Celiac,1,centennial ipa,1,centurions ghost,1,ceres,1,cerveza,1,ch'ti,1,chalky's bark,1,Chameleon,1,champion beer,1,Chania,1,charity,1,Charlie,1,chcolate orange stout,1,cheese,2,cherbourg,1,chester,1,chicago,1,chico,1,chieftain,1,chimay,1,chiswick bitter,1,chocolate marble,1,chocolate stout,8,Choklat,1,chophouse,1,chrismas porter,1,christmas beer,1,cider,7,cider review,1,cidre,1,cigar city,3,citra brett,1,citra IPA,1,clanconnel,1,classic export,1,classy red,1,cloaked stranger,4,clonakilty,1,cloudwater,4,clough more,1,co-op,1,cock o the walk,1,code black,1,coffe club,1,collectibles,1,Colorado,2,combinations,2,Comeragh challenger,1,comet on fire,1,competition,6,conference,1,Conqueror,1,Coopers Extra Strong Vintage Ale,1,copper coast,1,copperhead,1,cork,1,cotton ball,1,craft beer,1,craft brews,1,crafty brewing company,1,craic beer community,1,Crete,1,crew,1,cribyn,1,crows,1,cúl dorcha,1,cumbria,3,curly hole,1,customer service,1,cutthroat porter,1,Cuvée d'oscar,1,Cuvee des Trolls,1,cyclone,1,czech,3,Czech inn,1,cztery sciany,1,D’uvaBeer,1,dales pale ale,1,daly's,1,dante's gastropub,1,dark arts,2,dark energy,1,dark lord,1,dark mild,1,Dark Stranger,1,darkstar,2,dave,1,Dawkins Brwery,1,de dochtor,1,De Dolle,2,De Kuppe,1,de molen,2,dead centre,2,dead pony club,1,delirium,1,delirium cafe,1,demographics,1,Den Bosch,1,dentist,1,denver,2,denver pale ale,1,derry,1,designated diver,1,deux amis,1,devil's backbone,1,diablo,1,diageo,2,Dicey Reilly,1,dingle,1,dipa 3,1,DIPA V9,1,dirty bastard,1,dirty dicks,1,Discovery IPA Series,1,diy,1,dobber,1,Dog Schwartz,1,dogfish head,3,Dogfish head Indian brown ale,1,doggie style,1,dogma,1,Don De Dieu,1,donegal,3,dopey dick,1,doppelbock,1,dot brew,1,double dog,1,double stout,2,double swan,1,down n outz,1,downstream,1,Dr Rudi,1,Dreamsicle Wheat,1,druids brew,1,drunk,1,dubbel,1,Dubbel Jeopardy,3,dubbel whammy,2,dublin,2,Dublin City Brewing,1,Dublin Live Bloggers Crawl,1,Dukes of Burgundy,1,Dulle Teve,1,Dungarvan brewery,4,dw,1,e,1,early bird,1,east india pale ale,1,east river lager,1,easterfest,4,easterfest special,1,Eau Bénite,1,ebbc,1,ebbc12,6,ebbc13,9,ebbc14,2,ebbc15,2,ebbc16,1,edinburgh,2,eggenberg,1,eight degrees,2,ekstra,1,elbow lane,1,elgoods,1,emelisse,1,Emerald Pale Ale,1,english bitter,1,equity for punks,1,erlangen,1,esb,1,eskdale,1,eureka,1,Event,1,evil twin,1,excellent beer,38,exodus porter,1,exp431,1,Explorator,1,explorer,1,Fässla,1,fat tuesday,1,featured,1,festival,1,Finesse,1,firestone walker,1,FlavorActiV,1,florence,2,floris,2,flossmoore,1,flying dog,6,food,1,football pub,1,fort collins,2,founders,3,france,1,Franciscan Well,16,fraoch,1,Fraoch 20th anniversary ale,1,Fred And Ken's Bock,1,french beer,2,frog and rosbif,1,frog pubs,1,Frothingham Best,1,Fruh Kolsch,1,fuck art,1,fullers,15,Fullers Old Winter Ale,1,funkwerks,1,fyne ales,3,Galway,2,galway bay brewery,6,Galway Hooker,4,galway hooker pils,1,garage project,1,garde dog,1,gardeners tipple,1,gem,1,George Gale and Co,1,georgia brown,1,georgia salpa,1,ghent,1,ghost ship,1,glasgow,1,Glenmore hotel,1,gluten free,1,Glutton For Punishment,1,Goats Butt,1,gold reserve,1,golden hare,1,Golden Pheasant,1,golden pints,4,Golden Valley,1,goldings,1,golf,1,gonzo,1,Good beer,1,good friday,2,good juju,1,goose island,6,goose island Demolition,1,Goose Island is Mild Winter,1,Goose Island Oatmeal Stout,1,Gordon Biersch,1,Gouden Carolus,1,grafters,2,grain mill,1,grainne walsh,1,grand cru,3,great divide,5,Great Newsome,1,great white,1,greece,2,greene king,2,gretel,1,grimbergen,1,grisette,1,Grisette Traminer,1,Grottenbier,1,growler,3,grozet,1,gruit,1,Guayabera,1,gueuze,2,guinness,4,Guinness Nitrosurge,1,Guinness Open Gate,1,Guinness Surger,1,gulden draak,1,Gyvas Tamsusis,1,h41,1,Hagstravaganza,1,hal900,1,halloween,1,hansel,1,happy friday,1,hardknot brewery,5,harrington's,1,harvest ale,1,harvistoun,3,hashigo zake,1,health,1,heather ale,1,hefe ryzen,1,heineken,1,Heinoweiser,1,hellfire club,1,helvick gold,1,Hemp Hop Rye,1,hercules,3,hero,1,herold,1,hibernicus,1,Hildegarde,1,hilden,4,hillstown,1,hipster,1,history,1,hitachino nest,2,hobgoblin,2,Hoegaarden Citron,1,Hofbräuhaus,1,hogsback,1,home bar,3,homebrew,72,hook norton,3,hooky bitter,1,hooky gold,1,hop adventure,5,hop bomb,1,hop garden gold,1,hop house 13,1,Hop Ottin',1,hop rocker,1,hopback,1,hope,1,Hopfen Weisse,2,Hopfenweisse,1,hophead,2,Hoppety Hop,2,hopping hare,1,Hops,2,hops kill,1,hopsecutioner,1,hopsfume,1,hoptimum,1,Hoptimus Prime,1,Hopus,2,horal,1,hot press,1,Hotel Welcome,1,Hotteterre,2,How do they make us buy their beer?,1,howling gale,1,hsb,1,hullabloo,1,hurricane,1,hurricane jack,1,I hardcore you,1,IBU,1,icbcf,2,ice bucket challenge,1,iceland,1,idaho 7,1,ihp2012,2,ihp2014,1,ihp2015,1,iipa,1,Illawarra Brewing Company,1,imperial brown,1,imperial stout,2,
ltr
item
The Tale Of The Ale: Pilsen: There's Something In The Water - #TheSession 114
Pilsen: There's Something In The Water - #TheSession 114
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7DAed_IYg5Pto3RKbxV0Mg7ItzIXbirfoOTiE3ozzCDmRVswXFrD_e2p3KottW3QUarDyuYSe0zkND7Zy9PT_ASIHnKIUIh75zQOkH_ixC7WR7LS7dem3dAZ79i5iB41y79-I4tfq82YO/s640/IMG_5199-01.jpeg
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7DAed_IYg5Pto3RKbxV0Mg7ItzIXbirfoOTiE3ozzCDmRVswXFrD_e2p3KottW3QUarDyuYSe0zkND7Zy9PT_ASIHnKIUIh75zQOkH_ixC7WR7LS7dem3dAZ79i5iB41y79-I4tfq82YO/s72-c/IMG_5199-01.jpeg
The Tale Of The Ale
https://www.taleofale.com/2016/08/pilsen-theres-something-in-water.html
https://www.taleofale.com/
https://www.taleofale.com/
https://www.taleofale.com/2016/08/pilsen-theres-something-in-water.html
true
9188731842335528276
UTF-8
Loaded All Posts Not found any posts VIEW ALL Readmore Reply Cancel reply Delete By Home PAGES POSTS View All RECOMMENDED FOR YOU LABEL ARCHIVE SEARCH ALL POSTS Not found any post match with your request Back Home Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat January February March April May June July August September October November December Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec just now 1 minute ago $$1$$ minutes ago 1 hour ago $$1$$ hours ago Yesterday $$1$$ days ago $$1$$ weeks ago more than 5 weeks ago Followers Follow THIS PREMIUM CONTENT IS LOCKED STEP 1: Share. STEP 2: Click the link you shared to unlock Copy All Code Select All Code All codes were copied to your clipboard Can not copy the codes / texts, please press [CTRL]+[C] (or CMD+C with Mac) to copy