Kolsch Recipe

General Homebrew Discussion
1

Had a few requests from other posts. I like this variation of my recipe the best, and I get many requests to brew this for friends and family.

Enjoy.

Ken’s Kolsch 1.1

Kölsch (6 C)

Type: All Grain
Batch Size: 5.50 gal
Boil Size: 8.12 gal
Boil Time: 90 min
End of Boil Vol: 6.24 gal
Final Bottling Vol: 5.25 gal
Fermentation: Koelsch (Kolsch), single Stage

Date: 01 Apr 2014
Brewer: ken
Asst Brewer:
Equipment: Kens SS Pot and Igloo Tun (10 Gal/37.8 L) - All Grain
Efficiency: 75.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 81.8 %
Taste Rating: 30.0

Taste Notes:

Ingredients

8 lbs Kolsch Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (3.8 SRM) Grain 1 84.2 %
1 lbs Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM) Grain 2 10.5 %
8.0 oz Wheat Malt (2.4 SRM) Grain 3 5.3 %
0.60 oz Magnum [14.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 4 30.2 IBUs
1.0 pkg German Ale/Kolsch (White Labs #WLP029) [35.49 ml] Yeast 5 -

Gravity, Alcohol Content and Color

Est Original Gravity: 1.048 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.011 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 4.9 %
Bitterness: 30.2 IBUs
Est Color: 5.0 SRM

Measured Original Gravity: 1.048 SG
Measured Final Gravity: 1.009 SG
Actual Alcohol by Vol: 5.1 %
Calories: 157.9 kcal/12oz

Mash Profile

Mash Name: Ken’s Single Infusion, Medium Body
Sparge Water: 4.98 gal
Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F

Total Grain Weight: 9 lbs 8.0 oz
Grain Temperature: 72.0 F
Tun Temperature: 100.0 F
Mash PH: 5.30

Mash Steps

Mash In Add 18.10 qt of water at 162.5 F . steep 152.0 F 75 min

Sparge: Batch sparge with 2 steps (Drain mash tun , 4.98gal) of 168.0 F water
Mash Notes: Simple single infusion mash for use with most modern well modified grains (about 95% of the time).

Notes
Mash 4.5Gal (1.8qts/lb) @ 152-153F for 75 minutes. Target PH 5.2-5.3
Batch Sparge with 5gal @168F water

Starter:

1400 ml starter 1.035 sg, 5oz dme, yeast 2/17/14 wlp029. est 275bb cells pitched

Fermentation and Lager schedule:

Pitch starter into 58F wort - Day 1
Hold at 58F for 72 hours - Day 1-3
Rise and Hold at 64F for 48 hours - Day 4-5
Rise and Hold at 66F for 24 hours - Day 6
Finish at room temp 68-70F - Day 7-10
Take gravity reading, if stable for 3 days rack to keg. Day 10-14
Lager at 34F for 2-3 weeks in keg.

2

Looks good! I personally prefer a little hallertauer hop flavor addition to mine. But yours looks great!

3

agreed- i have used that also. variations here and there , depending what mood im in that day! ;D

4

Put it in the recipe wiki!  Much easier to find it in the future.

5

Love too…help me out - dont know what that means

6

Looks reasonably similar to my first attempt except for the amarillo hops in mine:
72% Pilsner
18% vienna
10% wheat
9 g magnum 60 min
14 g Amarillo 20 min, 5 min, dry hop
WLP029
OG 1.048
FG 1.007
ABV 5.4%
IBUs 26
SRM 3.9

This has been one of my better recent beers. I realize that I probably have a bit too much vienna (needed it a bit darker) and wheat so I may correct that in upcoming batches. It probably doesn’t really matter considering I already ‘Americanized’ it…

7

http://wiki.homebrewersassociation.org/

Not related to putting it on the wookie.

8

that sounds like asking for trouble, putting it on a wookie!

9

not as dangerous as putting it in a wookie…i’d imagine ;D

10

One thing I was playing around with when I was brewing a lot of Kolsch  was all first wort hop versions and I found I really like all FWH with crystal. I’ll probably be brewing some again here very soon.

11

Never tried crystal- what’s would you say you notice vs. Hallertau?

12

It’s very European tasting, similar to Mittlefruh to my tastes. Last few years it has tasted a little more citrussy.

13

Last few years I have been getting crystal with crazy low alpha acids. 2-2.5%

14

Crystal does have that noble thing going on, but since Cascade was one of the grandparents in the breeding, it does have a citrus floral thing going on. I like it, and made a lager with a lot of it yesterday.

15

ok you guys are peaking my interest and curiosity. im doing two 5.5 gal kolsch batches in a few weeks and think i will try the crystal FWH. 2 ounces gets be roughly 30ibu - how much are you using? whats your hops schedule?

16

I am brewing a kolsch this weekend with saphir. 1 oz. at FWH, 1/2 oz. at 90min, and then another 1/2 oz at about 10min or so.