From what I can tell from BJCP guidelins, a Kolsch shold be most if not all is Pilsner or Pale with up to 20% wheat being acceptable. I would like to keep it simple but would also like to use a bit of wheat. Would 90% Pilsner, 10% wheat be ok for this style?
I’ve medaled with that blend before.
It sure would. Mine was 94% pils and 6% wheat. The important part is using the best quality pilsner available to you. And a big starter with good fermentation at around 60F. One of my favorite beers to make.
I’ve also taken first with this recipe and recently had the chance to brew it “professionally” at a local brewery.
Weyermann Pilsner 94%
Weyermann Pale Wheat 6%
.5oz magnum 60
.75oz hallertau 20
german ale
mash at 149F and I fermented mine at 56F
OG: 1.045
TG: 1.008
Thanks guys. I am thinking about putting a twist on it by using american hops for flavor and aroma. For yeast, I was planning on Wyeast Kolsch but haven’t really considered using the German Ale. I will investigate a bit as I am hoping to find something pretty flocculant.
I just did a split batch using WY2565 and WLP029, I found the WLP029 to be much more flocculant at the end of fermentation.
IME The Wyeast strain needs some lagering time. That will give you plenty of time to clear the beer up.
If you’re making a kolsch and not using a kolsch yeast… aren’t you just making a cream ale?
That’s kind of what I was thinking.
Wyeast German ale appears to have very similar characteristics according to their website. I don’t see why this couldn’t be used to make a Kolsch especially with a month of lagering. That being said I would probably just go with the Kolsch yeast.
That grain bill is fine.
I use 75/25 Pilsner/Kolsch malt with 029.
I have never seen Kolsch malt until now. Would Vienna be a reasonable substitute especially in smaller quantities?
yeah, what is Kolsch malt?
I found this on Northern Brewer:
4.5° L. From a maltster co-op based in Osthofen, near Köln, this malt is used by some of the brewpubs in that city to make their trademark ale. Kölsch malt has a light, sweet and extremely “German” flavor and aroma with a little bit of biscuit character. We’ve had good results using a multi-temp step mash with Kölsch malt, but a single infusion — although not traditional — works as well. Style nerds please take note: the maltster rates the color of this malt at 9 EBC. If you use 100% Kölsch malt for the grist of a Kölsch, you will be within spec according to Eric Warner’s Kölsch (7-14 EBC, or 3.5-7 SRM — p. 51), but definitely on the dark end of the BJCP guidelines. If you are brewing for a competition, you may want to incorporate some pils or wheat malt into the grain bill to dilute the color.
You can go as simple as all pils. If you want it to taste like a kolch, use a kolsch yeast (the German ale is an Alt yeast, doesn’t have the kolsch tastes). Don’t use American “C” hops unless you want it to taste like a blonde or pale ale. “Noble type” hops like Mt. hood or crystal or sterling, etc. will be fine (though mittlefrue is best).
Got ya. Yeah I guess if I was to use American hops then it just becomes a blonde ale even with the Kolsch yeast. I don’t really stick to many guidelines so I see the issue…
I use 95% Pils and 5% Vienna, hop with Hallertau for about 30 IBU. Ferment with the Wyeast 2575 Kolsch II yeast at about 58F. I lager for about a month. Tastes great.
The Wyeast 1007 German ale and 2565 Kolsch yeasts are very different. 1007 is very clean. 2565 has a slight fruity, winey character to it that I think of as typical for Kolsch.
I use the WLP029 which is White labs kolsch offering, they do call it a german ale yeast though.
My grain bill is mostly pils with munich for character. Hallertauer at FWH and 60 minutes. for middle of the style IBUS
Thanks for the yeast info. I get confused when the yeast sites say that you can use certain yeasts for a particular style when that is not the case. For Kolsch, Wyeast recommends 2565, 1007, or 1010
I haven’t used all the Kolsch yeasts but the Wyeast Kolsch (not Kolsch II although that’s in the fridge) does take a long to time to floc out and I did a re-pitch recently that never cleared despite Irish Moss and gelatin. Not sure if it was another issue or I just selected for less floculant yeast but it tasted fine but after 3 months I just drank it cloudy. I don’t believe you can run a Kolsch through as quick as other styles and need some lagering time to clear.
The wlp029 is a bit more challenging to make clear but with some finings and cold conditioning you can get it pretty close to crystal clear (see my avatar, left). That said, the grist bill is so pale and sans buffers so you really need to watch your pH. Calcium chloride additions and a food grade acid may help improve your clarity drastically depending on your water.