Bighorn Tailwater Riffle Pilsner
by @sunny
Rainbows holding in cold green current
A Czech amber pilsner themed on the Bighorn, 5.1%, bready and Saaz-spiced, for a long evening on the bank.
Brewed to order
Bighorn Tailwater Riffle Pilsner is a Czech amber pilsner whose label shows three rainbow trout swimming through swirling green water. The label is coloured sage, deep teal, cream and salmon pink, with bold dark teal lettering.
- ABV
- 5.1%
- IBU
- 35
- Colour
- 14SRM
- OG to FG
- 1.0521.013
- Czech amber pilsner, 5.1% ABV
- Saaz hops, 35 IBU
- Single decoction mash
- Bread crust, caramel, spicy finish
- Three rainbow trout on sage green
In the glass
Bread crust and light caramel, spicy Saaz, a clean bitter snap
- Serve
- 45°F in a tall glass with a firm white head
- Alongside
- Grilled bratwurst, rye bread, smoked trout on crackers
Three rainbow trout swim across the label, pink stripes and black spots set in curling sage and teal water. Behind it the Bighorn runs green over gravel, cottonwoods along the far bank, dry grass leaning over the bluff.
It pours amber with a firm white head. Bread crust and light caramel up front, then Saaz with a peppery, grassy edge, and a bitter snap that dries it out. Open one when the rods are broken down and the light goes gold.
Single decoction is the step that matters here. Pull a third of the thick mash, boil it, and stir it the whole time; that boil gives the toasted crust the Munich and pilsner malt need.
The numbers
5.1%Alcohol by volume
(1.052 − 1.013) × 131.25
35Bitterness, IBU
Bitterness only means anything against the style. This one is a Czech amber pilsner.
14Colour, SRM
The swatch above is this number on the standard reference ramp, not an impression of it.
Gravity1.052 down to 1.013 — 75% apparent attenuation.
Details
Details
- River
- Bighorn River
- Style
- Czech amber pilsner
- ABV
- 5.1%
- Tasting notes
- bread crust, light caramel, toasted malt, spicy Saaz, grassy hops, clean bitter finish
- Colors
- sage green, deep teal, cream, salmon pink, gold, silver
Make it yourself
At a glance
- Style
- Czech amber pilsner
- Gravity, OG → FG
- 1.052 → 1.013
- ABV
- 5.1%Derived from OG and FG
- Bitterness
- 35 IBU
- Colour
- 14SRMdeep amber
- Difficulty
- Practised handa decoction mash and a cold, patient lager rest ask for steady control
- First pint
- 35 daysFrom brew day, including conditioning
- Brew day
- 2 h 25 minKettle on to kitchen clean. The rest is the yeast.
- You supply
- brew kettle, mash tun, decoction pot, fermenter with temperature control, wort chiller, hydrometer, thermometer, sanitiser, packaging gear
- Written for
- 5 gal (18.9 L)
- Efficiency assumed
- 72%Brew-in-a-bag, full-volume. House guidance
Grain bill
5 malts · 11.06 lb for 5 gal
Milled grain, weighed for each batch size. The percentage is each malt's share of the grist and stays the same at every size.
| Malt | % of grist | 12-pack batch · 1.25 gal | Classic · 5 gal | 12×12 batch · 15 gal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bohemian pilsner malt | 72.3% | 2 lb (0.91 kg) | 8 lb (3.63 kg) | 24 lb (10.89 kg) |
| Munich malt | 13.6% | 6 oz (170 g) | 1.5 lb (0.68 kg) | 4.5 lb (2.04 kg) |
| CaraMunich III | 9% | 4 oz (113 g) | 1 lb (0.45 kg) | 3 lb (1.36 kg) |
| CaraRed | 4.5% | 2 oz (57 g) | 8 oz (227 g) | 1.5 lb (0.68 kg) |
| Carafa Special II | 0.6% | 0.3 oz (7 g) | 1 oz (28 g) | 3 oz (85 g) |
| Total grain | 100% | 2.77 lb (1.25 kg) | 11.06 lb (5.02 kg) | 33.19 lb (15.05 kg) |
Hop schedule
3 additions · 90 min boil
Pellet hops, weighed in grams. Boil times count down to the end of the boil, so 60 minutes means the first thing in the kettle.
| Hop | Use | Time | 12-pack batch · 1.25 gal | Classic · 5 gal | 12×12 batch · 15 gal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saaz | Boil | 60 min | 14 g (0.5 oz) | 57 g (2 oz) | 170 g (6 oz) |
| Saaz | Boil | 30 min | 11 g (0.38 oz) | 43 g (1.5 oz) | 128 g (4.5 oz) |
| Saaz | Boil | 5 min | 7.1 g (0.25 oz) | 28 g (1 oz) | 85 g (3 oz) |
Yeast and pitch
Czech Budejovice lager yeast · 1 dry pack for 5 gal
Czech Budejovice lager yeast. Pitch at 48°F.
| Yeast | 12-pack batch · 1.25 gal | Classic · 5 gal | 12×12 batch · 15 gal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Czech Budejovice lager yeast | 1 dry pack | 1 dry pack | 3 dry packs |
One pack per 5 gal, and one more above 1.060 OG in a batch over 3 gal. Never fewer than one. House guidance
Water
8.76 gal into the mash for 5 gal
Full-volume brew-in-a-bag: all the water goes in at the start and there is no sparge. Volumes are the total to heat, so the kettle has to hold the mash and still leave room to boil: the 12-pack kit sells a 5 gal stockpot and the 12×12 kit a 30 gal kettle for that.
| Water | 12-pack batch · 1.25 gal | Classic · 5 gal | 12×12 batch · 15 gal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Into the mash | 2.37 gal (9 L) | 8.76 gal (33.2 L) | 20.53 gal (77.7 L) |
| Boiled off | 0.75 gal (2.8 L) | 1.88 gal (7.1 L) | 1.88 gal (7.1 L) |
| Held by the grain | 0.22 gal (0.8 L) | 0.89 gal (3.4 L) | 2.66 gal (10.1 L) |
| Left as trub | 0.15 gal (0.6 L) | 1 gal (3.8 L) | 1 gal (3.8 L) |
| Into the fermenter | 1.25 gal (4.7 L) | 5 gal (18.9 L) | 15 gal (56.8 L) |
Boil-off, grain absorption and trub are typical figures for a stovetop pot and a propane kettle, not measurements of your own gear. Brew once, note what you end up with, and adjust. House guidance
Water profile Soft, low-mineral water with very little sulphate lets the Saaz and the malt speak softly.
Mash
148°F · 30 min
The mash turns starch into sugar. Hold the temperature steady and the beer finishes the way the recipe intends.
- Rest148°F for 30 minutes
- Strike waterHeat to 158°F; the grain cools it to the rest temperature. House guidance
- Mash-outRaise to 168°F and hold 10 minutes, then lift and drain the bag. House guidance
- Mash ina cool start keeps the finish crisp
Boil
90 min · 3 hop additions
Hops go in on a countdown from the end of the boil. Early additions give bitterness; late ones give aroma.
- Length90 minutes
- 60 minSaaz
- 30 minSaaz
- 5 minSaaz
- 15 minA kettle fining (whirlfloc or Irish moss) clears the beer if you have one. House guidance
- Boilthe long boil drives off sulphur from the pale malt
- Chill48°F
Also on the recipe's brew-day card:
- Decoctionpull one third of the thick mash, boil 15 min, return to reach 158°F for 20 minthe boil builds the toasted crust
Fermentation
3 steps · first pint in 35 days
The recipe's own schedule, in order. Temperature control matters more than almost anything else on this page.
- 10 days at 50°F
- 2 days at 60°F for a diacetyl rest
- 21 days at 34°F
First pint 35 days from brew day.
Packaging and carbonation
2.5 volumes CO₂ · bottle or keg
Target 2.5 volumes of CO₂.
| Bottling | 12-pack batch · 1.25 gal | Classic · 5 gal | 12×12 batch · 15 gal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corn sugar to prime | 1.01 oz (29 g) | 4.05 oz (115 g) | 12.14 oz (344 g) |
| 12 oz bottles it fills | 12 | 50 | 144 |
Dissolve the sugar in a little boiled water, stir it gently into the beer, then bottle. The amount is worked out for 60°F, the warmest the beer got while it fermented.
Kegging Set the regulator to 11.2 psi at 38°F.
Kegging instead Skip the bottles with 3 × 5 gal ball-lock kegs, 1 × 5 lb CO₂ tank, 1 × dual-gauge regulator, 1 × gas and beer lines with picnic taps: the kegging upgrade for the 15 gal home brewery, $594.
Brewer's notes
4 tips
- Pitch a big, healthy starter; cold lager yeast needs the numbers.From the recipe
- Stir the decoction constantly so the grain never scorches.From the recipe
- Taste for butter before the cold rest; give it another day warm if you find any.From the recipe
- Keep the Carafa to one ounce; it is for colour, not roast.From the recipe
Every kit size
Ingredients only
Ingredient kit · 12-pack batch
$21.57
$1.80 a bottle
Grain milled, hops bagged per addition, yeast, priming sugar and 12 caps, for 1.25 gal.
Includes Bohemian pilsner malt · Munich malt · CaraMunich III · CaraRed · and 9 more
Every item in this kit · 13 items
Ingredients
- Bohemian pilsner malt$4.58
- Munich malt$0.97
- CaraMunich III$0.72
- CaraRed$0.36
- Carafa Special II$0.05
- Saaz (60 min)$2
- Saaz (30 min)$1.50
- Saaz (5 min)$1.50
- Czech Budejovice lager yeast$6.49
- Milling and kitting$3
Packaging
- Corn sugar for priming$0.40
- Crown capsIncluded
Guide
- Printed brew guideIncluded
Ingredient kit · 12×12 batch
$172.35
$1.20 a bottle
Grain milled, hops bagged per addition, yeast, priming sugar and 144 caps, for 15 gal.
Includes Bohemian pilsner malt · Munich malt · CaraMunich III · CaraRed · and 9 more
Every item in this kit · 13 items
Ingredients
- Bohemian pilsner malt$54.96
- Munich malt$11.66
- CaraMunich III$8.67
- CaraRed$4.34
- Carafa Special II$0.54
- Saaz (60 min)$23.94
- Saaz (30 min)$17.96
- Saaz (5 min)$11.97
- Czech Budejovice lager yeast$19.47
- Milling and kitting$8
Packaging
- Corn sugar for priming$4.84
- Crown caps$6
Guide
- Printed brew guideIncluded
Complete home brewery
Complete home brewery · 12-pack batch
$215.39
$17.95 a bottle
Bought separately $236.93 · you save $21.54
All the equipment, then the ingredient kit, for 1.25 gal. Works on a kitchen stove.
Includes 5 gal stainless stockpot · Fine-mesh brew bag · 1.5 gal glass fermenter with drilled bung · 3-piece airlock · and 23 more
Every item in this kit · 27 items
Equipment
- 5 gal stainless stockpot$49.99
- Fine-mesh brew bag$9.99
- 1.5 gal glass fermenter with drilled bung$17.99
- 3-piece airlock$2.49
- No-rinse sanitizer, 4 oz$12.99
- Hydrometer and test jar$15.99
- Digital probe thermometer$14.99
- Mini auto-siphon with tubing$13.99
- Spring-tip bottle filler$5.99
- 12 oz amber bottles$16.99
- Wing capper$19.99
- Brewery wash, 1 lb$9.99
- 0.1 g kitchen scale$14.99
- Long stainless spoon$8.99
Ingredients
- Bohemian pilsner malt$4.58
- Munich malt$0.97
- CaraMunich III$0.72
- CaraRed$0.36
- Carafa Special II$0.05
- Saaz (60 min)$2
- Saaz (30 min)$1.50
- Saaz (5 min)$1.50
- Czech Budejovice lager yeast$6.49
- Milling and kitting$3
Packaging
- Corn sugar for priming$0.40
- Crown capsIncluded
Guide
- Printed brew guideIncluded
Complete home brewery · 12×12 batch
$1,268.35
$8.81 a bottle
Bought separately $1,390.13 · you save $121.78
All the equipment, then the ingredient kit, for 15 gal. You supply a propane tank and water.
Includes 30 gal stainless kettle with ball valve and thermometer · 72 · 30 gal brew bag · 50 ft copper immersion chiller · and 26 more
Every item in this kit · 30 items
Equipment
- 30 gal stainless kettle with ball valve and thermometer$399
- 72,000 BTU propane burner and stand$99
- 30 gal brew bag$44.99
- 50 ft copper immersion chiller$129
- 7.9 gal fermenting buckets with lids and airlocks$89.97
- No-rinse sanitizer, 32 oz$32.99
- Brewery wash, 4 lb$34.99
- Hydrometer and test jar$15.99
- Refractometer$29.99
- Digital thermometer$24.99
- ½" auto-siphon with tubing$24.99
- Bottling buckets with spigots$55.98
- Bottle filler$5.99
- 12 oz amber bottles (6 cases)$119.94
- Bench capper$59.99
- Mash paddle$24.99
- Digital scale$24.99
Ingredients
- Bohemian pilsner malt$54.96
- Munich malt$11.66
- CaraMunich III$8.67
- CaraRed$4.34
- Carafa Special II$0.54
- Saaz (60 min)$23.94
- Saaz (30 min)$17.96
- Saaz (5 min)$11.97
- Czech Budejovice lager yeast$19.47
- Milling and kitting$8
Packaging
- Corn sugar for priming$4.84
- Crown caps$6
Guide
- Printed brew guideIncluded
The creator
Remixes
No remixes yet — make your own version.
Where this came from
river beer · made
1 save
8 — from 1 save, at the Derby's published weights, since . Views are not counted.
- bighorn river
- czech pilsner
- amber lager
- saaz
- decoction
- rainbow trout
- trout
- fly fishing
- tailwater
- homebrew recipe
- montana
- lager