Kolsch Recipes

[BenH]

Hi All,

I'm looking to brew a kolsch in the next week or so, and looking for recipes.

Currently thinking: (25L batch)

5.5kg Pilsener Malt, mash 75 mins at 64 deg. (80% eff)
75 min boil
30IBU Spalt (75 mins)
7g Spalt (20 mins)
Wyeast 1007 @ 16 deg.

Aiming for approx OG 1.056 32 IBU

Feedback welcome - or post your mashpaddle kolsch recipe!

Cheers, BenH.

 

[Screwtop]

Hi All,

I'm looking to brew a kolsch in the next week or so, and looking for recipes.

Currently thinking: (25L batch)

5.5kg Pilsener Malt, mash 75 mins at 64 deg. (80% eff)
75 min boil
30IBU Spalt (75 mins)
7g Spalt (20 mins)
Wyeast 1007 @ 16 deg.

Aiming for approx OG 1.056 32 IBU

Feedback welcome - or post your mashpaddle kolsch recipe!

Cheers, BenH.

Pilsener Malt and up to 10% wheat, mash at 63 for 75 min. Thats the easy bit.

Determine your OG from the attenuation percentage of your choice of yeast, you want it to finish dry and low 1.007 - 1.011. Should be hopped to a Balance Value of 1.11

 

[Randall the Enamel Animal]

5% wheat works pretty well. Like Screwtop said, attenuate it out nice and dry. US05 isn't bad as it's bone dry and neutral. Fruit it up with hops instead. BU might be a bit high... a bit of CaraPils may help balance it out a bit.

 

[wee stu]

Feedback welcome - or post your mashpaddle kolsch recipe!

Cheers, BenH.

Don't think I am giving too much away in saying that, the top dozen in the Mash Paddle this year were medal winners , many no doubt from recognised AHB posters. So, there are a few good recipes out there

 

[chris.taylor.98]

Never really tried a Kolsch with the 1007 yeast before.

I usually go with the 2565. This one can attenuate all the way down to 80% if you really push it.

 

[wee stu]

Never really tried a Kolsch with the 1007 yeast before.

I usually go with the 2565. This one can attenuate all the way down to 80% if you really push it.

Given the poor flocculation reputation of 1007 (well deserved in my experience) I'd have to agree. Only brewed alts with 1007, but have always had clarity problems <_<

 

[razz]

G'day Stu. I used 2565 and mashed at 63-64 degrees for 90 minutes. Kept the hops reasonably low with a ratio of 0.55. I think I did additions at 60 and 30 minutes. 10 percent wheat malt with the rest pils malt. A very tasty drop indeed!

 

[Fents]

Heres my kolsch recipe im doinf for the Vic XMas case swap :

Recipe: Kris Kringle Koelsch'
Brewer: Fenton
Asst Brewer:
Style: Koelsch
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (35.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 34.00 L
Boil Size: 46.57 L
Estimated OG: 1.052 SG
Estimated Color: 6.7 EBC
Estimated IBU: 23.1 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 70.0 %
Boil Time: 70 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
8.00 kg Pilsner (Weyermann) (3.3 EBC) Grain 100.0 %
34.97 gm Pearle [6.40%] (60 min) Hops 16.9 IBU
22.98 gm Hallertauer Mittelfrueh [4.10%] (30 min) Hops 5.5 IBU
5.00 gm Hallertauer Mittelfrueh [4.10%] (15 min) Hops 0.8 IBU
5.00 gm Hallertauer Mittelfrueh [4.10%] (0 min) Hops -
0.70 tbsp Moss Tab (Boil 10.0 min) Misc
1 Pkgs Kolsch Yeast (Wyeast Labs #2565) [Starter 6Yeast-Ale


I thought long and hard about adding 5 or 10% wheat but from what i'd read apparently most kolsch's wernt made with it so i decided not to. IBU is 23.1 and style says 20-30ibu and most of my beers are really hoppy but this one i decided to settle down. tasting brillant out of primary, about to rack it.

 

[Stuster]

Given the poor flocculation reputation of 1007 (well deserved in my experience) I'd have to agree. Only brewed alts with 1007, but have always had clarity problems <_<

I have nothing to say about brewing a kolsch, but I must defend the honour of this yeast. It does clear for me, though it does take 2-3 weeks after bottling. But it does drop bright. I admit it's not like most British yeasts which clear so amazingly quickly, but it's possible to make a clear beer with it without filtering.

Anyway, after all that, it might work for a kolsch, pretty good attenuation normally, but it won't give the winey quality that a kolsch can (should?) have.

 

[alexbrand]

5.5kg Pilsener Malt, mash 75 mins at 64 deg. (80% eff)
75 min boil
30IBU Spalt (75 mins)
7g Spalt (20 mins)
Wyeast 1007 @ 16 deg.

Aiming for approx OG 1.056 32 IBU

Sounds nice. I would boil with 15 g Spalt for 5 Minutes instead of 7g for 20 mins. Spalt is such a nice hop, don't distroy its flavour by boiling so long. And think about addig 10-20 % wheat malt. Also consider a second (first) rest at 50C for half an hour. OG should be IMHO a little bit less @ 1.047-1.049.

Never really tried a Kolsch with the 1007 yeast before.

I usually go with the 2565.

I used the 1007 several times, works great. But you're right, fermentation @ 16 deg is good, not warmer. 14 deg would even be better. Do you have fridge for fermenting? Don't pitch at temps higher than 18, otherwise your wort is fermented before it's cooled down. :super:

Only brewed alts with 1007

Oh, there is not really a difference ALT <---> KLSCH. It's more a battle between Alt and Klsch- supporters...
I grew up in the "Altbierland" close to Cologne, belive me :icon_vomit:


Alex

EDIT: rest temp., fermentation temp. and OG

 

[Screwtop]

Sounds nice. I would boil with 15 g Spalt for 5 Minutes instead of 7g for 20 mins. Spalt is such a nice hop, don't distroy its flavour by boiling so long. And think about addig 10-20 % wheat malt. Also consider a second (first) rest at 50C for half an hour. OG should be IMHO a little bit less @ 1.047-1.049.
I used the 1007 several times, works great. But you're right, fermentation @ 16 deg is good, not warmer. 14 deg would even be better. Do you have fridge for fermenting? Don't pitch at temps higher than 18, otherwise your wort is fermented before it's cooled down. :super:
Oh, there is not really a difference ALT <---> KLSCH. It's more a battle between Alt and Klsch- supporters...
I grew up in the "Altbierland" close to Cologne, belive me :icon_vomit:
Alex

EDIT: rest temp., fermentation temp. and OG

I agree on the Spalt Alex, love this hop. Gives a distinct flavour/aroma to a Klsch. Have you ever used W2565 yeast.

 

[alexbrand]

I agree on the Spalt Alex, love this hop. Gives a distinct flavour/aroma to a Klsch. Have you ever used W2565 yeast.

I've never used the 2565, I've done my Alt and my Klsch with 1007. If you use the 1007 at lower temps, the taste is closer to usual Klsch. For my Alt I ferment around 18-20 deg.

Alex

EDIT: spelling

 

[mfdes]

I was under the impression Kolsch had no hop flavour or aroma, and the BU:GU ratio was 0.5-0.6.

That said I just finished a Nelson Sauvin Ale which is a variation on my basic Kolsch recipe: 95% Pilsner malt, 5% wheat malt for the grain bill, mashed at 65 degrees and fermented with WLP029 Kolsch yeast at 16 degrees, slowly rising to 18 + 2 days at 20 after the fermentation subsided to clear off all yeast byproducts. However my hop bill is totally un-kolsch-like: nelson sauvin to 25 IBU with the main addition at 30, and small (10g) ones at 15 and 0 minutes, then dry-hopped with 10g NS. The taste is fantastic, amazingly clean on the yeast front, with noticeable NS flavour but not cloying. Going easy on the amounts of NS seems to have done the trick.

MFS.

 

[Fents]

From what i read genearlly kolsch's dont have falvour or aroma hop. some have a slight touch tho, plus this is homebrewing no rules barred so i threw 5g of HM in mine cause i like to smell and taste hops.

 

[alexbrand]

I was under the impression Kolsch had no hop flavour or aroma [..]

From what i read genearlly kolsch's dont have falvour or aroma hop.

Those I know and like have hop flavour. Not like in beers from the pils family, but they do have a recongnizable "hoppy" taste. Examples are "Frh", "Gaffel", "Gilden", "Sion" and "Pffgen". Try to get your hands on it.


Cheers,

Alex

EDIT: The inhabitants of Dsseldorf think the way Klsch is produced is shown in the graphic below...

 

[tangent]

before the ahem "awards" come out...

what did you think of your Kolsch beers?
is it a style you'd brew regularly?
thoughts on the 2565 Kolsch yeast?
add the 4% wheat?

 

[blackbock]

add the 4% wheat?

I think the wheat is pretty standard. I would say a Klsch recipe without it would be the exception. But it doesn't appear to be compulsory by any means, and if used, the amounts can vary quite considerably. There are good arguments for putting it in, and also a couple for leaving it out.

 

[BenH]

Thanks everyone for your tips, I've re-jigged the recipe a bit:

Currently thinking: (25L batch)

5.5kg Pilsener Malt, mash 75 mins at 64 deg. (80% eff)
75 min boil
30IBU Spalt (75 mins)
7g Spalt (20 mins)
Wyeast 1007 @ 16 deg.

Aiming for approx OG 1.056 32 IBU

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.

 

[Aaron]

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".

It's a great style when done right.

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.

 

[roger mellie]

I had a couple of Kolsch's when I was in Germany once (actually drank a shedload of the stuff as you do) - I remember it being Winey and Floral - the striking memory was how bright it was in the glass - yellow tints - fantastic.

I have tried to replicate this - used WLP029 and the Noble hops - in the end I resigned myself to not being able to replicate it.

But - I did decide that the Saphir hop goes particularly well.

And come summer I will try again.

RM