Kolsch recipe Advice

[Eugenio]

Hey all, I'm making a 5G batch and wanted your thoughts:

9 lbs Pilsner malt
4 oz Melanoiden Malt
1 oz Hallertau @ 60 mins
1 oz Spalt @ 5 mins

This gives me 5% abv and 20.3 IBU's, any thoughts on this style? Do I ferment it like any ale?

 

[TasunkaWitko]

It looks good to me - the only thing I might suggest is adding some pale wheat (the same amount as Melanodin, or just a bit less) for head retention etc.

 

[TasunkaWitko]

I forgot to add: You use German ale yeast but ferment more like a lager.

After pitching the yeast and fitting a blow-off tube, place in a mini fridge (adjusted for temperature) or cellar at about 54 degrees. about 3 days later, swap the blow-off tube out for an airlock. 3 weeks after that, transfer to a secondary and refrigerate cold for 3 weeks, then bottle.

Store cold after the beer is carbonated.

 

[Eugenio]

Awesome, thank you! Ill make those change.

I'm really into Kolsch's lately, I'm excited about this one.

 

[saltymirv]

Kolsch is a very subtle style, I think that late hop addition might make it too hoppy. The beer will still be delicious, no doubt, but if you are brewing to style I'd dial it back to a 1/4 oz at the most

 

[TasunkaWitko]

For what it's worth, here's the hop schedule for the recipe that I have (for 5 gallons):

0.5 oz Hallertau @ 60 minutes
0.5 oz Hallertau @ 45 minutes
0.5 oz Hallertau @ 20 minutes
0.5 oz Tettnang @ 2 minutes

I'm not familiar with Spalt, but something similar for your aroma addition might work.

Hope this helps -

Ron

 

[jekeane]

WLP029 or the wyeast equivalent fermented at 60-62. It is rare that you will have a well done kolsch that isn't fermented with a kolsch strain. Out of curiosity I just spilt a batch between wlp029 and wlp838 I figure the 838 will close but not there in terms of style but will still be enjoyable.

 

[BrewSomeMore]

You can ferment it like an ale but you will get a more lager-like beer fermenting between 58-60F with Kolsch yeast. Then lager it for a month for that authentic Kolsch taste.

 

[Redhawk96]

Omega Yeast makes a great Kolsch yeast as well, G03 Deiter. I find it to be comparable to WLP029, but probably a little more flooculant and clears quicker (no data, just an observation). I have had good results with both yeasts in a Kolsch, fermented at 68. I can't get my temp lower than that, so I've never gone lower, but I don't get any off flavor with either yeast at this ferm temp.

I've made what I think is an "American" kolsch using a little honey malt, and Liberty hops for bittering and aroma, it gives it just a tiny bit of sweet, citrus flavor and aroma that I find very interesting.

 

[Mainer]

For what it's worth, here's the hop schedule for the recipe that I have (for 5 gallons):

0.5 oz Hallertau @ 60 minutes
0.5 oz Hallertau @ 45 minutes
0.5 oz Hallertau @ 20 minutes
0.5 oz Tettnang @ 2 minutes

I'm not familiar with Spalt, but something similar for your aroma addition might work.

Hope this helps -

Ron

Spalt is pretty chill. 4-5% AA, noble, earthy. I can't see an ounce being a problem, even late. It's not like you're bombing it with a flameout ounce of Citra.

 

[Mainer]

Kolsch is a very subtle style, I think that late hop addition might make it too hoppy. The beer will still be delicious, no doubt, but if you are brewing to style I'd dial it back to a 1/4 oz at the most

I disagree. Spalt is so mellow .25 oz wouldn't give you much.

 

[Morrey]

Some may disagree, but to me the Kolsch malt character gets top billing over the hop character. Personally, I do mine with a single bittering addition at 60. Just my preference.

WLP029 yeast has never failed me but I am sure there are other good strains that perform equally well.

 

[Mainer]

Some may disagree, but to me the Kolsch malt character gets top billing over the hop character. Personally, I do mine with a single bittering addition at 60. Just my preference.

WLP029 yeast has never failed me but I am sure there are other good strains that perform equally well.

I agree that the malt should be in the fore, but I like a little floral nose to it. I think you can add a late bit of something like Spalt or Tettnang or Mittelfruh without overwhelming the malt. Now if you tried to tell me you were going to hit it with Perle or Huell Melon or god forbid Magnum or something, I'd try to talk you out of it. But the old noble hops? I think the malt can take it.

 

[Morrey]

I agree that the malt should be in the fore, but I like a little floral nose to it. I think you can add a late bit of something like Spalt or Tettnang or Mittelfruh without overwhelming the malt. Now if you tried to tell me you were going to hit it with Perle or Huell Melon or god forbid Magnum or something, I'd try to talk you out of it. But the old noble hops? I think the malt can take it.

LOL...if I said lets whirlpool 3 ounces of GMC (Galaxy/Mosaic/Citra) you could tie me to the whipping post and charge me with treason against the king!

I like any of the Nobel family of hops. Saaz is a game player, Hallertau, Tettnang...all good and it actually is kinda hard to overdo them with their typically low AA%. The last pound of Hallertau I bought was 2.4AA%. That's as LOW as I have seen. Heck, maybe they are cutting the hop pellets with sawdust to make us buy more to hit a particular IBU goal.