the saaz hop

[RickyLopez]

from my undersanding, this is a pretty mild hop...but i hear so much about how good it is... i would like to make a beer to showcase the hop..

i got on beersmith, and designed something along the lines of:

8lbs german pilsner
.5 munich
.25 carapils

and

.5oz saaz @ 60min, 30min, 15min and 5 min...

i only end up with 13.5 IBU's, and I have "Bohemian Pilsner" set as the style.
i realize its not a super bitter hop, but will this be enough to notice a saaz contribution to the beer????

can someone please suggest a nice recipe that would showcase this hop? i really want to taste it "alone", and get to know it....

 

[neosapien]

i make an amber that's about 45% munich 45% vienna 10% crystal and 2oz of US saaz that is simple and tasty. They're a really nice earthy kind of spice. Not at all in your face. A very easily balanced hop.

 

[genes]

Your almost SMaSH recipe should showcase the hop just fine.

 

[RickyLopez]

so 2 oz of saaz is def enough to get a goos character?

 

[wailingguitar]

Your IBUs are way low for a Bo Pilsner... you want at least 30 IBU, so throw some more in at the start of the boil. I would also add at least 1/2 oz at flame out...

 

[sweetcell]

i would do 1 oz @ 60, 0.5 at 10 and 0.5 at 1. skip the 30.

 

[RickyLopez]

my intention is not to make a "bohemian pils" or any beer style...i just want a sort of background in which my saaz will showcase most effectivley... any grain suggestions would help too....

and yeast!

 

[wailingguitar]

still, at 13.5 IBU that beer will be pretty sweet.... go for min 20 IBU for balance

 

[944play]

Bitter with about 3 oz. You'll get a lot of flavor and aroma from that amount even at :60. Noble hops have such smooth bittering you can get away with more than you think. Finish with another oz or two around :15.

I like Wy2308, but use whatever clean strain works in your brewery.

 

[Grippe]

Fresh Zatec hopfields are some of the sweetest sights one can see - the region near Krusovice is pivo nirvana.

 

[neosapien]

Grippe,

"I have nothing wise to say - but I always offer cold homebrew from my refrigerator to friends and guests."

Might not be wise thing to say, but very wise to do. I applaud your style.

 

[Grippe]

Sorry - had a bit much homebrew tonight! Saaz hops (Zatec in Czech) grown near a small town that has a brewery since 1317 is one of my fondest memories. I will forever be smitten with the meomories of the sweetest smelling hop bines and a blonde Czech girl who stole my heart.

 

[gr8shandini]

I think you have a pretty good handle on it already, so I'm not sure you really need us. You can 86 the Munich and carapils if you want to keep the grain bill simple, but you don't have much in there to begin with and it shouldn't get in the way of the Saaz. If you really want the hops to shine, I'd aim for 20-25 IBU and bias that toward late additions, but it seems that you'll have a pretty tasty brew as is.

 

[houndsbreath]

I just cracked open my first shot at a Saaz ale. The hops are well balanced, hitting spicy and herbal notes. There's a sweetness & fruitiness (probably the yeast) to it that I really like.
Recipe:
11 lbs two row
1 lb Vienna
4 oz carapils
0.75 oz Brewers Gold at 60 min
2 oz Saaz at 20 min
1 oz Saaz at 5 min
WLP 001 Cali Ale
Mashed at 155 for 1 hr.
Fermented at 65 for 4 weeks.

It's not a SMASH but its a simple recipe and reminds me of a british IPA.

 

[944play]

I'm really curious how the OP's Pilsner turned out. I just received a pound of 2.4% whole Czech Saaz, so I'm planning on taking my own advice later this week, hopefully:

10lbs Briess Pils (now my favorite malt), double decoction 131-155-168ºF
3oz Saaz @60
2oz Saaz @10
Wyeast 2308 @50ºF
~1.050, 33IBU

I liked this basic formula so much with Spalt Select that I've brewed it seven times. Hopefully the notoriously high farnesene content of Saazers will bring even more of what I dig so much.

 

[TyTanium]

I also really enjoy dry hopping with Saaz. Really nice.

Take an American wheat like Oberon or something and dry hop with Saaz. Pairs awesomely with Cascade. Boerderij_Kabouter's Titania is my favorite recipe for this.

 

[scutiger]

I made a nice brew similar to this and added 1.5 oz @ 60, 1.5 oz @ 15, and 1.0 oz @ flame out. Turned out great and the saaz really came through nicely

 

[JRems]

Most of the recipes in this thread have pilsner, you should be doing a 90 min boil so why not a 1oz FWH? That should give some ibus and a bit a flavor.