Professor Frink

Recipes 

So I'm jonesing to do a Kolsch for the summer, but I don't have a temperature controlled fermentation system - I usually just use a large bucket with ice water and a fan. If I ferment it at 68 degrees or so, then rack to a corny and drop it to 40 degrees for a few weeks in the kegerator, would this be sufficient for a clean-tasting Kolsch?

__________________
Primary: Cherrywood Smoked Porter
60 Minute IPA
Secondary:
On tap:Amber Ale
Milk Stout

Lagering:

http://www.lazydogbrewery.com

Dr_Deathweed

Recipes 

I sure hope so because thats what I am doing now

__________________
"Never ascribe to malice that which can be adequately explained by incompetence." - Napoleon Bonaparte
“An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools.” - Ernest Hemingway

Fermentation Cabinet●Adding Faucets to a Tower●DIY Hopback●Portable Kegerator

Professor Frink

Recipes 

What yeast did you use? I'm doing a wheat next with Wyeast 1007 German Ale, I figured I might use that for the Kolsch too.

__________________
Primary: Cherrywood Smoked Porter
60 Minute IPA
Secondary:
On tap:Amber Ale
Milk Stout

Lagering:

http://www.lazydogbrewery.com

Dr_Deathweed

Recipes 

I am using White Labs WLP029 German Ale/ Kölsch Yeast. I have it in a cooler with a couple heavy blankets thrown over the top that I drop ice bottles into a couple times a day. I have been fermenting it pretty cool and slow at ~65, but its hard to control temp with ice bottles when the house temperature fluctuates by ~25 degrees a day.

__________________
"Never ascribe to malice that which can be adequately explained by incompetence." - Napoleon Bonaparte
“An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools.” - Ernest Hemingway

Fermentation Cabinet●Adding Faucets to a Tower●DIY Hopback●Portable Kegerator

Liquidicem

Recipes 

I started mine over a month ago when it was still cold here. My basement is about 60F. It fermented slow and steady for about 3 weeks. The carboy stayed at about 62F. It is now sitting in the secondary directly on the concrete floor in the coldest corner of the basement at about 56F. I plan to leave it there for 1-2 months total before bottling.

__________________
Squirrel House Brewing

ohiobrewtus

Recipes 

Yup, that should be just fine.

__________________

SuperiorBrew

Recipes 

I did one on February 1st with a little honey and Wyeast 1010 American Wheat It's been in my lagerator for 7 weeks now at 34º just waiting for a spot to open in the kegerator.

__________________
Rich

Bitter Creek Homebrew Supply

brewt00l

Recipes 

I go similar...ferment in the low 60s then lager in the fridge at 34. I've found that the wyeast kolsch yeast get estery/winey when it's fermented in the mid-upper 60s.

maltMonkey

Recipes 

I have a Kolsch lagering right now that I made with 1007. It looks and smells good, but it is SUPER cloudy. I'm thinking it might take a month or two in the fridge just to drop all the yeast out of suspension.

If you listen to the Jamil show he says that if you don't use a true Kolsch yeast then it's not a Kolsch, but I like to buy yeasts that I can reuse for other beers--I'm not too concerned in this case with making the most true-to-style beer.

brewt00l

Recipes 

..course, you could always reuse the kolsch yeast on other beers. I just did a Dead Guy style brew with harvested kolsch yeast.