Saturday, March 22, 2014

Einfach Wunder - Kölsch style. 10 gal

Keg #1 Kolsch Yeast
Keg #2 Ale Yeast. Identical to Keg #1 except for taste 




The Recipe (10 Gallons)


Kölsch typically uses German pilsner malt. Most Kölsch recipes use Spalt hops, but other German noble hops can be used. The beer uses very soft water and is often lagered for a month after fermentation. Here’s the recipe used.
  • 15 lbs German Pilsner Malt
  • 1.0 lbs German Munich Malt
  • 2.0 oz German Spalt hops 4.3%, 60 minutes
  • 2.0 oz German Spalt hops 4.3%, 30 minutes
  • Keg #1
  • WLP 0029 Kolsch Yeast
  • FG 1.017, ABV 6.5%
  • Aroma of faint rotten eggs
  • Flavour it amazing
  • Keg #2
  • 1028 WYeast London Ale reused from Golden Promise Ale
  • FG 1.013, ABV 7%
  • Little aroma
  • Flavour is young and inferior to keg#1
Mash the grain for 90 minutes at 150°F. This should give you a good fermentable wort. Boil the wort for 90 minutes. At 60 minutes, add the hops.
OG 1.066
Ferment the beer at 60°F (acceptable yeast temperatures range: 56-70F). Once the fermentation is complete, find a cold place to store the beer for a few weeks. Cold Crashing for two day helps brighten this beer. A lagering period will help the beer.
Reinheitsgebot refers to 3 ingredients, not 4.

Keg#1 - May 5 - Lagered with great improvements. Became smoother, finer in taste and clearer. Distinctive Kolsch flavor as expected. This flavor was very pronounced right after kegging. Compared to Faultline Brewery in Sunnyvale (which I tasted today) my beer has slightly more body and more ABV. Very similar beers. 
Keg#1 - May 19, 2014 - Aged to perfection. Big winner! Improvements? Maybe add Carared and mash 1 degree cooler. Do this again. 

Keg #2 -  June 5 - Similar to Keg#1 in all ways except the Kolsch malt is much less pronounced.  This is due to the English Yeast. It created a clean fermentation that fermented faster yet there is significantly less flavor in this beer. You can still detect the "Kolsch" flavor but it's weak.

Keg #2 - June 20 - Over time the Kolsch malty flavours have increased making this a very nice beer. If I lowered the malts to create a 4% beer I would use the Kolsch yeast to deliver more flavour. Keg #2 is very good. Keg #1 is more Kolschy. Next time do Keg#1 with a target of 4%.


POTENTIAL CHANGES 


Definately use the Kolsch yeast. Mashing could be done a degree or two lower if you would like a more Pils like result. 

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