Kolsch + 10 gal all grain. 2015-03-14

Making a Kolsch ale today. This beer typically only has Kolsch malt in it however I am mashing at a very low temperature so I plan to add a little bit of Carapils and 20 Levi-bond malt to increase the flavor profile.

Malts

20 lbs Kolsch

8 oz of 20L

8 oz of Carpils

Mash

149F for 70 mins

Sparge

170F to make 13 gallons

Boil

70 min strong boil

All hops are from my back yard

Cascade 2 oz 60 mins

Cascade, Zeus 6 oz 15 mins

Cold crash

First time using couter flow cooler. Cleaned with 15 mins of boiling brewers cleaner then rised with hot water then sanitizer with tap water. 

Cooled to 100F with 13 gallons of tap water. Next time try to use 15 gallons of tap water to get wort to 90F. 

Stats and Comments

OG 1.55 (13.5 brix) take the morning after pitching yeast. 

- Hop flavour really comes through on day 2
- Fermentation is at about 76F today. This will make it a bit fruitier.

- March 22, 2015 - FG 6.2 Brix, 1.024

- April 5 - great beer however do to high fermentation temperature the beer is fruitier, dark ( light caramel) and, cloudy. 

- April 10 - amazing Kolsch. Fruitiness has settled down and the flavour and mouth feel is too knotch. Still hazy but this will clear up with lagering....if it lasts. 

My sculpture! Burner is bolted to the table for safety.

Last of my 2014 backyard Hop harvest.

Due to the warm wort this fermentation took off within hours.