# RecipeDB - BullsHead Kolsch



## Tony

BullsHead Kolsch  Ale - Kölsch  All Grain               6 Votes        Brewer's Notes This beer was a big win. My dad is my most honest critic. He is into fine wine and beer and when he tried this is face kinda scrunched up in pleasure and he said......... "Damn that's an awsome beer...... thats just......... awsome beer!"Mashed in @ 52 for 10 min, infuse with boiling water to 64 for 45 min, then again to 71 for 15 min, mash out at this. Yeast was Wyeast 2575PC Kolsch II fermented at 17 deg c then CC'd for 2 weeks. Filtered from primary at 4 deg and carbed over 2 days..... AWSOME!!!   Malt & Fermentables    % KG Fermentable      9.5 kg Weyermann Pilsner    0.5 kg Weyermann Pale Wheat       Hops    Time Grams Variety Form AA      120 g Tettnang (Pellet, 4.5AA%, 40mins)         54L Batch Size    Brew Details   Original Gravity 1.046 (calc)   Final Gravity 1.015 (calc)   Bitterness 23.1 IBU   Efficiency 78%   Alcohol 4.01%   Colour 6 EBC   Batch Size 54L     Fermentation   Primary 10 days   Conditioning 4 days


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## beerbrewer76543

I see your hop addition was at 40mins... Did you get much flavour / aroma coming through?

I love a nice crisp Kolsch! Prost! :beer:


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## donburke

RecipeDB said:


> This is the discussion topic for the recipe: BullsHead Kolsch




drinking a similar beer as we speak, same grains + 5% munich, same yeast, similar mash schedule, fermented cooler @ 14c

... and like your father, i concur that this is one fine beer !


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## Tony

L_Bomb said:


> I see your hop addition was at 40mins... Did you get much flavour / aroma coming through?



Yes heaps.

All my bittering additions these days in most beers are with low alpha hops at 40 to 45 min. 

I need half the late hops (if i use them) and get a great ballanced hoppiness thats more stable (lasts longer) as aposed to a grassy hop hit that fades over a few weeks with lots of late hops.

give it a try!

I just made a Pilsner with almost 200g of SAAZ in a 40 min boil and 1/2g per liter at 10 min. You should have smelt it into the fermenter..... WOW.

This also works great in a german pils with hallertau...... Becks eat your heart out!

cheers


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## dmac80

Hey Tony,
The recipe looks good. To brew a Kolsch was one of the reasons i went AG, i thinks it's probably time.
Looks like the local stocks 2565 Kolsch so i'll be using that instead. I'll report back on how it goes.
Cheers


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## dmac80

Bullshead kolsch. 
tastes the same as hunter kolsch to me. I'm stoked. My best beer yet


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## Tony

awsome mate...... its a good drop hey.

We need to get you filtering next


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## Nick JD

Tony said:


> awsome mate...... its a good drop hey.
> 
> We need to get you filtering next



Wie Klsch!


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## beerbrewer76543

Tony said:


> Yes heaps.
> 
> All my bittering additions these days in most beers are with low alpha hops at 40 to 45 min.
> 
> I need half the late hops (if i use them) and get a great ballanced hoppiness thats more stable (lasts longer) as aposed to a grassy hop hit that fades over a few weeks with lots of late hops.
> 
> give it a try!
> 
> I just made a Pilsner with almost 200g of SAAZ in a 40 min boil and 1/2g per liter at 10 min. You should have smelt it into the fermenter..... WOW.
> 
> This also works great in a german pils with hallertau...... Becks eat your heart out!
> 
> cheers



Hey Tony, thanks for the info. Just to clarify, are you chilling or no-chilling? I currently no-chill in my kettle (19L stockpot) so if I were to use this technique I'd have to adjust for no-chill method by 15-30 minutes (???)


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## Tony

mmmm no chilling.......

I no chill now and then but generally save it for bigger, maltier, low hopped beers as i find it very dificult to get a result im happy with in light hoppy beers, especially lagers and delicate ales like Kolsch. Im not saying it stuffs these beers, it's just that I get a far superiour result in the glass by snap chilling it, in flavour, clarity and especially aroma.

Now i won a NSW state championship and AABC gold with a no chilled beer but it was a 2.5 year old 8% old ale with about 20% crystal malt in it. Ive never done it but i should...... make a 50 liter batch of something light and hoppy, no chill half and chill the rest, and side by side them!

back to the question........ if no chill is your only choice, id leave the recipe be and just do it! I find i only get a bitterness increase with lots of late post 20 min hops where the AA's keep extracting after i turn off the burner in the hot wort. Most of the character in a Kolsch will be from the yeast.... its not a hoppy or malty beer. It should be ballanced to a bee's dick with nothing standing out, but lots going on in harmony to create a slap in the face great beer.

:icon_offtopic: here but its my thread so stuff it.

If you are no chilling in the kettle, have you considered using a hop sock or similar to remove the hopswhen you turn off the heat to stop the bitterness going up?


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## beerbrewer76543

Yeah I bought a couple of hop bags this week... What do you reckon about late hops though, just leave in there for 5 minutes or so before removing?

PS yeah Kolsh really is about subtlety. Cowaramup Brewery do a good kolsch with just a hint extra hop resin or something that is really nice

edit: for this recipe I'd add hops at 45 in the bag and remove at flameout, hoping the long rest at high temp while no chilling doesn't drive off aroma... or do a mini boil before pitching, say boil 3L of wort and do a TINY aroma addition say 5g...???


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## Tony

na just add all your hops in a 40 min boil. You dont want any hop aroma but some character will remain... thats the bees dick amount i was talking about. 

Dont go stuffing around with seperate boils ect..... its just going to end badly. keep it simple!

a lot of low alpah hops in a 40 min boil will lend a good character to the beer that compliments the style....... i use this method for most of my Euro lagers too. works well

cheers


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## beerbrewer76543

ok cheers :beer:


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## Superoo

Tony, 
this may be a dumb question mate, but are you saying you are only doing a 40 minute boil, or just add hops at 40 in a 60 minute boil ?

sorry again of its a dumb question, but I've just never heard of a boil under 60 mins

and I want to make this asap.

cheers,
Happy easter everyone.


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## dj1984

it probably would be a 90 min boil using pils malt


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## Tony

90 minute boil, add hops with 40 min to go.

cheers


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## Bada Bing Brewery

Superb beer. I chucked in some acid malt, the rest was per the recipe. If any new AG brewer wants to try out different styles, follow the Bullshead beers in the database.
Not one has disappointed.
Thanks Tony
Cheers
BBB


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## BigDaddy

Tony said:


> mmmm no chilling.......
> 
> If you are no chilling in the kettle, have you considered using a hop sock or similar to remove the hopswhen you turn off the heat to stop the bitterness going up?



Sometimes the answer is right in front of your eyes!  - I just had an epiphany reading the above: 

Tony, i brewed your Witbier and didnt use a hop sock and wondered why it was so bitter after no chilling....still tastes bloody good. This is compared to previous beers that I have no chilled but used the hop socks which finished bittered to a predictable level. 

Looks like it will be hop socks for me from now on. I love this alchemy :beer:


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## punkin

Would really like to try this recipe, i'm looking for a pale, easy drinking beer i can brew with the ingredients i have on hand.

Is there a substitue hops i can use from the following?

POR
Cenntenial
Northern Brewer
Amarillo (i suspect this one maybe?)


I did read that the flavour is derived from the yeast, but i'd initially be using us-05 as that's what i have available. If it goes down well i'd see about mail ordering some Kolsch yeast.


I really like the simple grain bill and the easy drinking paleness.
Worth doing, or keep looking?


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## beerdrinkingbob

I can't see an issue using the same malt bill to make something that resembles a very drinkable/ quaffa pale.

As you pointed out though, if you want to make a Kolsch you need to use the yeast, it has a very distinct flavour.

Hoping to try this one too in a couple of months.


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## Tony

i just made this again but used NZ hop flowers this time. It got filtered last night and i was drinking it flat from the filter...... YUM

I looked at the fermenter full of that wonderful yeast and tipped a no chilled cube of Maibock onto it.

Mmmmmmm Imperial Kolsch


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## BeerSwiller

Could this brew be done with a US-05 Yeast, although neutral, its what i have on hand.. got all the rest to go.. Wouldnt mind giving it a shot tomorrow?


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## punkin

Beerswiller said:


> Could this brew be done with a US-05 Yeast, although neutral, its what i have on hand.. got all the rest to go.. Wouldnt mind giving it a shot tomorrow?




Hard to believe you didn't see the question answered 4 posts before yours.

i've done it twice now with us-05, pitched onto the lees of the amarillo beer this morning with a centennial hopped one.

i'll keep trying it with every new hop i get if it's a good drinkable beer like i think it will be.


A reference point, but as explained, without the yeast not a kolsch.


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## Tony

yep... without a kolsch yeast it will just be a pale ale.

here is the first glass from the latest keg of mine


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## jusman

I made this beer a couple of days ago with an active 1.5Lt starter of WYeast 2565, as 2575 was not available at CB. The wort was about 15C and the starter close to 17C when I pitched it. After about 24 hours with my fridge set at 17C, the yeast took off and the wort temp increased to close to 20C. Has anyone who has used this yeast experienced the same very active start to fermentation?


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## mje1980

The koelsh i have cc'ing now did the same thing!, massive head, and some ended up escaping. THis was in a temp control fridge too. 20c is high for a koelsh, but just cc it a bit longer and it will still be nice. 




Tony, what are your fg's for your koelsh's? With a step mash, the last 2 i've done have gone to 1.007, and 1.008 respectively. Im a koelsh fan!


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## Tony

Im just setting up to make this now 

Yeah..... 1.008 to 1.010 usually..... depends on the yeast i guess.

I run mine up around 18 with the yeast im using but im on my last vial of the PC yeast


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## mje1980

I've only ever used 2565, how does the PC yeast compare??

I did an imperial mild with 2565, not the best, but i think that's more than likely because it has around 18% crystal haha.


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## Tony

i used the 2565 many many years ago and cant really recal. I think i stuffed it up cause i wasnt happy with the beer and never made Kolsch much up untill last year when i thought i would have a crack at. 

Worked it out i have now..... yeeeeessssss  (in my best yoda voice)

I will be using it next time and will post results

cheers


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## Thefatdoghead

Absolutely sensational drop Tony!! I'll be making 2 kegs worth next time. Thanks for the recipe mate.


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## Tony

great stuff!

Mine is on the boil now......... will be the same recipe only i was too lazy to dig out my bag of wheat malt so its 100% pils.

cant wait to have it on tap beside a pale hoppy APA


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## mje1980

mje1980 said:


> I've only ever used 2565, how does the PC yeast compare??
> 
> I did an imperial mild with 2565, not the best, but i think that's more than likely because it has around 18% crystal haha.




Ok, this made me try one of the imperial milds again. 6 weeks in the bottle now, and its tasting much better!!. 

Update us mate!


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## Tony

18% crystal?

Damn!

mine ended up soooooo clear in the kettle once cooled i could see the break in the bottom of 50 liters in an old 18 gallon keg kettle.

Its going mad in the fridge at 18 deg right now and will be a cracker i recon.

cant wait.

cheers


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## Camo1234

Hi Tony, I'm going to give this one a go but just need some tips on a mash schedule as I BIAB in an urn so access to boiling water additions is not so easy.


"Mashed in @ 52 for 10 min, infuse with boiling water to 64 for 45 min, then again to 71 for 15 min, mash out at this"


Do you think that the following would work:


- Full Volume Water Mash in at 52 for 10mins
- Raise Temp whilst pumping the mash to 64c and let sit for 45mins
- Raise Temp whilst pumping the mash to 71c and then let sit for 15 mins
- Raise temp to 74c then mash out


I'm still trying to get my head around stepped mashes with BIAB so not sure if raising the temp over 10-15 mins as opposed to just adding the boiling water will achieve the same result as your mash schedule?



Cheers mate.... Camo


ps... The Bullshead Oktoberfest that I nursed for close to 3 months whilst fermenting and lagering only lasted 2 weeks in the keg! I need to increase the capacity of my brewery if I'm going to do more lagers!


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## Tony

Hey camo

If i ramp my temps i find i get a different result due to the enzyme exposure to a wider range of temps in the mash. It wont be bad, just different.

you could probably drop the protein rest to make it easier seing as your BIAB because if you ramp up from that low rest its going to spend way too long at protein rest temps.

If you want to do the protein rest, id say mash in with less water and infuse with boiling water up to full volume after 10 min to get the 64 deg rest, then ramp it up through the mash temps.

If you do this, try resting at 64 for 30 min and then begin the ramp to 71, rest for 10 min then ramp up to mash out.

cheers


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## Lager Bloke

Cheers Tony,
The first time I've done a single hop addition-loving the taste.Using White Labs German Ale/Kolsch yeast which has been a good yeast so far.Only kegged 2 nights ago(still carbing up)but will make this a regular brew for me,Rob.


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## Tony

This is one of the best beers I ever made.
I miss it


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