Herbal Kolsch (AG)

Well it's starting to warm up (kinda...sorta...) so I'm going to brew a number of lighter ales. I want to start off with a Kolsch bc SWMBO and I like them. She likes Pyramid Curve Ball and it's herbalyness, which I think is just a product of the hops they use.

So here's what I'm thinking:

Grains
8lb 2 row (bc thats what Pyramid uses, I wouldn't mind using Pilsner...)
1lb Wheat Malt

Hops
.25oz Galena 60min
.5oz Hallertauer 30min
.5oz Hallertauer 15min
.5oz Hallertauer 0min

Yeast
WLP029-ferment at ~65*
Lager for a month in secondary as close to 40* as possible

Mash at 148-9* for 60min

If I use pils malt I'd do a 90min boil but would it be worth it if I use 2row?

Anything else I should know/look for? I guess I'm going for a kinda "Americanized" Kolsch but deffinatly want the herbalyness like the Curve Ball

Thanks guys!!:rockin:

Maybe a different yeast should be employeed to gain more herbalyness??

What do you think about any of these for a Kolsch-style beer?
American Ale Blend WLP060
California Ale V WLP051
Cream Ale Yeast Blend WLP080
East Coast Ale WLP008
European Ale WLP011

Wow, this post didn't get any love the 1st time around, did it?

I'm drinking a Pyramid Curve Ball right now, that's how I found this thread. I've never had a Kolsch before, I've been looking for a commercial one to try - but Kolsch are hard to find in Nebraska, go figure.

A: Pale yellow honey color, soft pillowy white head. Very clear.
A: Yeasty, sweet, malty, but very faint. A bit of herbal nose, I suspect this is the Kolsch yeast.
F: Crisp and light. Finishes with a bit of a starchy taste. Clean. Simple. Not overly malty, nor does it have much apparent hop presence. Just... well, frankly a bit transparent.
M: Thin, watery. Tiny carbonation bubbles that just "pop" as you move it around your palate. A bit of lingering pucker, but not enough to really notice unless you're looking for it.

Judging by this, I'm guessing there are no "herbs" in Curve Ball. Your recipe looks like it could indeed be spot-on for a Curve Ball, I would use the Wyeast or the White Labs Kolsch yeast as it should give you the best representation of the herbal characters you're looking for. Otherwise I noticed their website lists Perle hops - that may be the "secret" you're looking for, Perle has often been described as very "earthy" and "herbal" when used for bittering.

I think 65 should be spot-on for fermentation temp, and I think you are right for suspecting the need to mash low, around 148-149.

Cheers! I'm going to go finish this beer now.

I'm planning on making an extract Kolsch-style brew next weekend. I want it crisp, clear, and yellow/gold in color, with some interesting flavors along the lines of the OP's idea. Wish I had seen this post before I bought my ingredients yesterday. But, we ended up going in similar directions anyway. I wanted to use Pilsner malt for steeping and Spalt hops for aroma/flavoring, but my LHBS didn't have them. Here's what I ended up with:

0.5# Victory Malt (steep 30 min)
0.5# Crystal 10L (steep 30 min)
0.5# CaraPils (steep 30 min)

3.3# Muntons extra light LME (added with 15 min left in boil)
2# extra light DME (added with 15 min left in boil)
1# wheat DME (60 min boil)

1 oz Pearle (~5% AA, 60 min boil)
0.5 oz Czech Saaz (~2% AA, 5 min boil)

WLP029 with 24-36hr starter; ferment around 65 degrees for 10-14 days

clarify with:
1 ts Irish Moss in boil (maybe...been reading that it doesn't help extract brews),
1 TS dissolved gelatin in the secondary, and
lagering secondary for at least 2 weeks around 40 degrees before kegging.

I wasn't REALLY talkin' about putting herbs in the kolsch....just going for that flavor/aroma...

Dang...this has to go on the 'to brew' list again!

Thanks Chriso!