[davidgzach]

So it looks like a consensus is building...

I'll try by adding 1# of Munich to my 10gal batch (I guess this would replace 1# of the Pils malt?) 

I'll also boil the 2 decoctions for 25-30 mins, instead of 10-15 mins. 

I'm already doing a 90 min boil, so I'll leave that rather than bump to 120 min. Don't want to change to many things all at once.

Sound like a plan?

I like this plan.  I like just boiling the dococtions longer as well. 

[thomasbarnes]

Not to be contrary, but why do you want to darken it up?

It's tough to get a light golden beer using a typical HB set-up and pale gold color is acceptable for the style per the BJCP guidelines. I always consider a homebrewer's ability to get a light gold beer to be a mark of skill. Not every Bo Pils has to look like crusty old Czechvar.

But, if you do want it a shade darker, I'll jump on the bandwagon and say decoction or a tiny bit of CaraMunich and/or 40-60 *L crystal.

[redzim]

Not to be contrary, but why do you want to darken it up?

It's tough to get a light golden beer using a typical HB set-up and pale gold color is acceptable for the style per the BJCP guidelines. I always consider a homebrewer's ability to get a light gold beer to be a mark of skill. Not every Bo Pils has to look like crusty old Czechvar.

But, if you do want it a shade darker, I'll jump on the bandwagon and say decoction or a tiny bit of CaraMunich and/or 40-60 *L crystal.

Well Bo Pils is my favorite style and thus it's a bit of a holy grail for me to try to replicate Pilsner Urquell, as I gather it is for a number of other homebrewers. And when comparing my brew with the original, of course the first mismatch is in color... so why not try to match that along with matching aroma, flavor, etc etc? I know it's only cosmetics but.... why not?

I'm about to start mashing it in about half an hour... 17# Best Malz Pils, 1# Best Munich, 1# CaraPils for 10 gals, Hochkurz double decoction. (Last batch was 18# Pils and 1# CaraPils) Wish me luck!

[Thirsty_Monk]

Good luck and let us know how it turned out.

[anthony]

Granted I do not do decoctions or brew pilsners, but in my Kölsches, I use a small amount of Melanoidin or Aromatic malt to push it into the 3-4 SRM range and very subtly increase the malt character. I suspect the same could be done with a BoPils.

I would be very leery of combining significant amounts of any character/crystal malt and still doing the decoction. Melanoidin, in particular, can be easy to over-do and when combined with a double decoction can lead to more of a beefy flavor than a beery flavor

[hopfenundmalz]

Good luck on your PIls, Red.

[redzim]

Well the yeast is pitched and fingers are crossed. Everything went smoothly, it was only my 5th decoction mash but I feel like it was probably went the best of them all, I think I understand what I'm doing now and it's starting to feel "normal" to decoct...  next time I do a quick 60 min infusion mash it's going to seem weird!  Of course I won't know for sure until about Aprils Fools Day or thereabouts, then the beer will be "tested"...

OH!  Color is definitely improved with addition of Munich, I'll have to see how it compares in the glass down the road... I don't think I'd want to add any more Munich than I did, though...

-red

[thomasbarnes]

Well Bo Pils is my favorite style and thus it's a bit of a holy grail for me to try to replicate Pilsner Urquell, as I gather it is for a number of other homebrewers.

Fair enough.

I believe that PU is made using a decoction mash. That might account for the darker color. They probably also add a tiny bit of colorant to get color consistency from batch to batch.

If your beer is a bit too dark for the style, don't despair. The Czechs brew hoppy amber beers as well. The BJCP style guidelines are only the tip of the iceberg as far as Czech beer styles go.

If you have a tolerance for a certain amount of bureaucratic B.S., these are the EU specifications for the various Czech beer styles:

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2008:016:0014:0022:EN:PDF

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2009:073:0045:0049:EN:PDF

[Thirsty_Monk]

Those pdf files are great reference.