Paine’s Lumberyard Pilsner

Long before the Fox River Brewing Company was there, the sawmill for the Paine Lumber Company held that spot on the river near the Oshkosh/Congress Avenue bridge.

Fox River Brewing opened on that parcel in 1995.

Fox River Brewing, circa 1996.

The first beer made there was named Paine’s Lumberyard Pilsner. It was brewed on Saturday, November 18, 1995. It was also the first beer made by a commercial brewery in Oshkosh in 23 years.

The brewers who made that beer were Al Bunde and Rob LoBreglio. Bunde would be the head brewer at Fox River for the next two years. LoBreglio, who had co-founded Great Dane Pub & Brewing Company in Madison, was there as a consultant.

Paine’s Lumberyard Pilsner was a part of Fox River’s core line-up until 2003. It has appeared as a seasonal offering many times since. The recipe has gone through a number of permutations; changing with every Fox River brewer putting their own slant on it.

Here's the original recipe. This first batch of Paine’s Lumberyard Pilsner went on tap at Fox River on Friday, December 15, 1995.


Paine’s Lumberyard Pilsner

Original Gravity: 1.048
Final Gravity: 1.009
ABV: 5.1
IBUs: 20-25
SRM: 5.22

Malt
93% Briess Brewers Malt 2-row
3.5% Briess Caramel Malt - 40L
3.5% Briess Carapils

Mash: 40 minutes at 157
Sparge: 95 minutes with temp rising to 171 during the sparge
Water: Untreated, City of Oshkosh municipal water.

Boil Time: 90 minutes

Hops
Czech Saaz: 90 minute boil for 12 IBUs
Czech Saaz: 10 minute boil for 6 IBUs
Czech Saaz: whirlpool addition for 4 IBUs

Yeast

Wyeast 2278 Czech Pils

Ferment at 50f for 17 days
Lower Temperature to 35 and rest for 7 days
Transfer to serving vessel.

For a deeper dive on the history of Fox River Brewing...
A full history of the brewery can be found here.
And a full history of the brewery’s beer production can be found here.