Planning to make a Pils and a Kolsch. Can we just brew up a typical Pils, and then just use appropriate yeasts for each brew, splitting the 11 gallons of wort between two ferment vessels? One German Pils, and one Kolsch?
How can we brew up a recipe that will work for either style?
Not possible?
Munich Hofbrau Original is right at 22-24 IBU’s. And it is a fine Pils!
Original says Helles to me. Drank like a Helles last time in Munich.
Exactly! A beer with a good hop character. You can smell the hop aroma as soon as you pour the beer.
Helles just meaning a traditional pale lager, less bitter than a Czech Pils. 22 vs. 40 IBU’s.
I think you could use the same mash, but boil the two batches separate using more hops in the Pils to ~40 IBU vs ~25 for the Kölsch. Then, of course, use appropriate yeast for each.
Ok…let me rephrase the question:
Grain bill for a Helles and a Kolsch. Can it be the same? Shooting for 20 to 24 IBU’s.
Jeez this sounds familiar! I just did EXACTLY THE SAME THING! See my other post from 2 minutes ago. 
I used K-97 vs. S-189. Will soon sample a bottle of each to compare and contrast. So far I’m thinking S-189 is much cleaner and generally more “boring”?? But we’ll soon see.
Here is my take on your question using my recipes based on BJCP guidelines. My Czech Pils is Pilsner malt with 5% caramel @ 10L. Step mash 122* & 152* IBU= 37.9 WLP802
Helles: Pilsner only with a single infusion @ 148* 22 IBU WLP830
Kolsch: Pilsner,with 8% wheat. Mash @ 148 IBU 24 WLP029
Not terribly different but I wish I had all 3 on tap to compare!!
It’s amazing how close they are in grain bill but with individual hops and yeast they are remarkably different.
What if you were to take a gallon of the wort and boil that separately with additional hops, cool and add that to the non Kolsch beer to make the beers more distinct. Sure, it wouldn’t be an exact science but it would surely give you two beers that are more different than just using different yeast…at least to go with more of a Pils. But yeah I can see the Kolsch and Helles coming from the same mash…something like 95% Pilsner Malt and 5% Carahell as a start would lend you a grain bill to suite both a Kolsch and Helles.
That’s my thinking, but using Vienna malt with the Pils malt.
This will be done as a total X-beeriment…just like all of our brews!
Great question and I especially am considering BrewBama’s response for my next brew 0f 10 gallons (finished beer) split into 2 kettles. Thanks to all!
Edit: Wow - have been doing some research and see that one really might split one boiled hopped wort to two fermenters and just by adding different yeasts come up with a fino kolsh and helles. It expands one’s horizons!
This is what Bel Air Brewing (Our brew club) will do next week. One mash, one boil, two different beers.
Well…can’t speak for the Kolsch, but the Helles is on track to be a winner!
Took a very small sample today. It’s only been fermenting since Feb. 29, so it has a ways to go. But the overall flavor profile was spot on, even for this early stage.
My taste buds tell me that this will be better than any commercial beer on tap in our bar!
Excellent. Is there something special about “Bavarian” versus “Munich” Helles here? Just wondering if you modified something to achieve a slightly different profile of some sort.
Cheers!
Not really, as Bavaria is where Munich is located. The natives there consider themselves Bavarian’s first, and German’s second.
The BJCP guidlines specify Munich Helles. Those are large industrial breweries with strict process control.
Helles in other parts of Germany can exhibit more bitterness and aroma. The breweries are often small family run business. The equipment is often old, and the process may be traditional (how Opa did it). The beers are more rustic, maybe some rough edges. I enjoy both types.
Hi, Jeff:
That’s what I was getting at…for example Weihenstephaner Original or Augustine Lagerbier Hell per BJCP and the unicorn I chase…my favorite style category of all beers. I was thinking maybe a countryside beer might have snuck into Myron’s example that was worth knowing about.
Cheers!
Based on my sample taste test, this is going to be a middle-of-the-road Helles, with IBU’s right at 21-22. Perfect!
We have Hofbrau Munich Original, Pilsner Urquell, and Stella on tap in our bar. And I like my new Helles better, or that’s my first impression.
I don’t think anything snuck in on us!