Hopping a Kolsch

Beer Recipes
1

Doing a Kolsch this weekend and wanted your thoughts about hopping.
Here’s what i came up with for 12 gallons:
  Amount    Name                              Form    Alpha  IBU  Boil Time

1.00 oz.    Hallertau                        Pellet  4.30  8.7  First WH
  1.00 oz.    Hallertau                        Pellet  4.30  8.8  60 min.
  1.00 oz.    Hallertau                        Pellet  4.30  4.5  30 min.
  0.50 oz.    Spalt                            Pellet  4.30  1.5  20 min.
  0.50 oz.    Spalt                            Pellet  4.30  0.7  1 min.
Should be about 24 IBUs. Last time i brewed i used all Hersbruker. What are your thoughts?

2

Looks good to me. You are using my two favorite german hops! What could be wrong?

3

Hopping is totally up to you, obviously.  Personally, I only do 60 and 10 minute additions, and the 10-minute for flavor is small.  I don’t see any advantage to 30 or 1 minute additions for this style, nor even FWH.  Just wastes of hops IMHO.

4

I go with just a FWH and 60 minute.

However, the first time I brewed my kolsch and entered it in a contest it was all FWH and they said it wasn’t hoppy enough. second time I brewed and submitted I split the IBU’s 2:1 between FWH and 60 minute. now the notes so far are too hoppy.

5

I would think a good FWH charge would be sufficient.  I’ve only had Reissdorf and Gaffel, they are pretty clean with low to medium hop flavor.

6

I think this will be a damn nice beer. My favorite kölsch is actually Harpoon Summer (probably because I know it’s super fresh when I get it), and it has a touch more hop presence than the Reissdorf I’ve tried (possibly just because of the freshness). As long as it isn’t so hoppy that it would pass for a Pils, then you should be fine.

7

i think i would also simplify the hop schedule. not so sure about the 1 minute and i would probably combine the fwh, 20 and 30 minutes to one of the three

8

I just kegged a Kolsch last week.  This time I used Crystal instead of Hallertau, and I went with 24 IBU total as well:

FWH Crystal 5 IBU
60 Min Crystal 14 IBU
10 Min Tettnang 5 IBU

9

+1 on the Harpoon Summer. Great beer.

10

My 2 cents:  I bitter with Perle and have a 20 minute and 5 minute addition with Strisselspalt when I brew a Kolsch.

11

I made a Kolsch this weekend as well.  I checked “Designing Great Beers” and Ray says “for the most authentic results” not to hop any later than the last 30 minutes.  Of course, we should all brew to our taste.  This time I tried one FWH addition for a 90 minute boil.  I guess we will see.  I would still not perform any aroma additions in a Kolsch.

Dave

12

I think a small aroma addition can work great.  I have found FWH gives me plenty of hop flavor for this style, and as delicate as it the style is it doesn’t take much to give excellent results.