Kolsch Recipes

[alexbrand]

Most things I have read suggest that wheat is not common in a Kolsch. [...]
I have achieved really good results by using really soft water, 100% Weyermann Pils malt and a 60 minute hallertau addition to about 20-25ibu.
I wouldn't use spalt as I find the flavour can be quite strong and may be a little much in a Kolsch but that is really subjective.

Because of this thread I got a little bit deeper into the lecture on the web. So I can say:

- Wheat malt up to 20% is very common in Klsch. Not all the breweries do so but many.
- Malt used for Klsch is roasted at at max. temp of 70C :icon_chickcheers:

- The hardness of water in cologne varies from middle hard to hard, depends on wich side of the river Rhine you take the sample. On the left side (Gaffel, Frh, Dom) the water is more hard than on the right side (Snner, Gilden). So I think the water should not be too soft.

- The hops used for Klsch is grown at the lower rhine area (around Cologne and Dsseldorf) and in the Hallertau. Therefore it could be useful to throw some Hallertauer into the kettle. But I have no special information about the hops.

Cheers,

Alex

 

[Screwtop]

Thanks everyone for your tips, I've re-jigged the recipe a bit:
Now thinking: (25L batch)

4.5kg Pilsener Malt, mash 75 mins at 63 deg. (80% eff)
75 min boil
18 IBU Spalt (75 mins)
7g Spalt (20 mins)
Wyeast 1007 @ 14 deg.

Aiming for approx OG 1.045 FG 1.010 20 IBU

Will ferment lower at 14 deg, yes I have a fermenting fridge. And thanks Alex for the advice on pitching temps.... I probably would have pitched at 20! Will pitch at ferment temps.

Probably won't brew before the weekend, so may wait to see some of those mashpaddle entries that won medals... and re-jig the recipe again!

Cheers, BenH.

Looks the goods, I've had difficulty managing attenuation as the fermentation takes off and heats up, the fridge keeps running to try to drop the temp and reaches a point where the yeast gives up and drops out. Pitch at the lower end of the temp range for the yeast and then raise the temp a couple of degrees at high krausen to prevent this.

Should make good "pferd pissen" :lol:

 

[alexbrand]

Should make good "pferd pissen" :lol:

I think so. There is not so much to do in a wrong way. Because of my origin I have to say, that Klsch is Klsch and not beer. But it could be very tasty.

And please do not forget to serve it in thin high cylindric glasses of not more than 0.2 L... The so called "Stange":




Alex

 

[Aaron]

This may help with water profile:

http://www.unm.edu/~draper/beer/waterpro.html

 

[tdh]

My 2 bobs worth -

mash at 64-65*C
1007 works better for me, nicer flavour
100% German Pils malt
Bitter at half the OG using German noble hop
FWH no more than ~ 25% of the bittering hop
Don't ferment too cool ~18*C is good
Do a diacetyl rest
Lager for a month at 0-4*C

tdh

 

[jayse]

I would think everyone would be waiting for their mash paddle results (and other comp results) before putting up there recipe here Its a pretty straight forward recipe and almost every single brewers recipe looks the same for the most part.

I wonder how many american comps get versions with 5 different malts and american hops :wacko: :lol:

 

[Kai]

Most things I have read suggest that wheat is not common in a Kolsch. That said I have no direct knowledge so am not willing to bet my life on it. I have achieved really good results by using really soft water, 100% Weyermann Pils malt and a 60 minute hallertau addition to about 20-25ibu. I have not tasted a lot of Kolsch but I have tasted some "real" Kolsch and I think you need to use the 2565 yeast, or the white labs equivalent I assume, to really capture that "Kolsch flavour".

What Aaron is too polite to say is that his Koelsch was almost bang-on to a good, fresh bottle of Reissdorf. However, with a beer as delicate as this I think you need to pay extremely careful attention to your process as much if not more so than the recipe.

 

[blackbock]

My old Klsch recipe-

makes ca. 23 liter batch. I am not afraid to use the wheat!

3.7 kg Pilsener Malt
1 kg Wheat malt
70 g hops (6 %AA)
Klsch yeast

Mash in @ 40 C.
15 Min @ 55 C.)
40 min @ 64 C.
20 min @ 72 C.
20 min @ 78 C.

6 weeks cool conditioning.

 

[Screwtop]

However, with a beer as delicate as this I think you need to pay extremely careful attention to your process as much if not more so than the recipe.

Now ain't that the truth

 

[chris.taylor.98]

A few points regarding Kolsch and the 2656 yeast:

i) You should ferment it cooler and longer to get to ensure there are less esters and other undesirable flavours. This yeast produce a lot of esters even at the cooler temperatures ( wouldn't go above 14C personally ).

ii) This yeast has very low flocculation characteristics, and is a PITA for bottlers like my self. If you want to get that brilliant finish that everybody raves about, you really need to filter this one.


I also agree with the comments about noble hops and less of them, in fact I only do a bittering addition when I brew it. This one really is a yeast driven beer in regards to the flavour.

Cheers

Chris

 

[tangent]

what's the recommended temps for 2656? Still chug away at 12C?

 

[chris.taylor.98]

what's the recommended temps for 2656? Still chug away at 12C?

13-16 C according to the wyeast site, but I would guess it could handle down to 11-12.

Only danger if you go to low is that it might stall and/or produce more undesirable flavours if you are stressing it out too much, but I haven't encountered any of these problems with it to date.

I usually ferment it at 13C for about 2 weeks.

 

[Fents]

just racked my kolsch last night (2565) and noticed it is cloudy as hell! dont have a filter so hoping 3-4 weeks @ 2deg does the trick, otherwise all the vix xmas case swappers will be drinking a cloudy kolsch!

 

[milpod]

I would think everyone would be waiting for their mash paddle results (and other comp results) before putting up there recipe here Its a pretty straight forward recipe and almost every single brewers recipe looks the same for the most part.

I wonder how many american comps get versions with 5 different malts and american hops :wacko: :lol:

So true,change recipes to usa style and pretend to brew to style

 

[mika]

The style guidelines suggest that most authentic versions are filtered with the yound unfiltered versions being called 'weisse'. Which to my mind would tend to back up the comments about the Kolsch yeast being a poor flocculator. Then given the 'delicate' nature of this beer, would that preclude cold conditioning ? I don't currently filter and don't wish to start. But if the yeast is poor at floccing out, how else do you get it clear ?

 

[Screwtop]

The style guidelines suggest that most authentic versions are filtered with the yound unfiltered versions being called 'weisse'. Which to my mind would tend to back up the comments about the Kolsch yeast being a poor flocculator. Then given the 'delicate' nature of this beer, would that preclude cold conditioning ? I don't currently filter and don't wish to start. But if the yeast is poor at floccing out, how else do you get it clear ?

Gelatin

 

[Aaron]

The style guidelines suggest that most authentic versions are filtered with the yound unfiltered versions being called 'weisse'. Which to my mind would tend to back up the comments about the Kolsch yeast being a poor flocculator. Then given the 'delicate' nature of this beer, would that preclude cold conditioning ? I don't currently filter and don't wish to start. But if the yeast is poor at floccing out, how else do you get it clear ?

I have used a silica based fining agent on mine with good results. If you can give it a good long lagering that will do the trick too. Try to be as gentle with it as possible as it doesn't take much of a bump to push it all into solution again. I guess filtering would be ideal but I bottle condition so I need some yeast left in there.

 

[alexbrand]

:icon_cheers: Off topic but may be interessting:


Some years ago a brewery belonging to the "Klsch convention" wanted to sell an unfiltered Klsch and they also wanted to call it Klsch. The other breweries refused because the convention says a Klsch HAS to be filtered.
The brewery ("Hchelner Brauhaus") went to court. They won. It was labeled as "ungefiltertes Klsch" ("unfilterd Klsch").

Cheers,

Alex