To brew a fantastic Czech Pilsner, start with water that has a low overall mineral content. Use an excellent under-modified pilsner malt, preferably one that’s continental. Add a dash of dextrin malt or even some caramalt . For hops we’ll use, Czech Saaz. Finally, add a Czech or Munich Lager yeast and away it goes. What is a Czech Pilsner?
If brewing a Czech Pilsner with a lower ABV (4-ish), use the Augustiner yeast strain. It’s a reliable strain that ferments clean and will leave enough unfermented sugar (body) behind for a “session” beer. One drawback is that the Augustiner strain is a bit slow. Be patient and it will faithfully chew through and leave you with a great beer.
If you want to brew German pilsner, you can use either the extract or the all-grain method. Both methods are straightforward to understand, and you can choose one based on the type of brewing you’re familiar with.
Some Biscuit malt or Victory malt, as Martin included in his recipe adds some unfermentable sugars to retain even more body. Finally, a quarter-pound of acidulated malt is added for pH correction or control. Saaz hops are more traditional for a Czech Pale Lager.