Video of me brewing a Kolsch...

I'm brewing a Kolsch!

Comments, questions, concerns, criticism welcome and preferred!

Nice work. I'm only 1 AG batch in so no critiques from me.

I dig the intuitive use of the drills. No doubt something i'll incorporate to my brew day very soon.

Thanks for sharing.

Nice video.

Nice video. It is always good to see how someone else does things.

Nice vid!

Thanks for the wheat tip! I'm about to brew up a wheat beer this weekend and I'll make sure I run it off slowly, especially since I dont have rice hulls.

Thanks again!!

1) Recirculate (vorlauf) more before sending to the boil kettle. You'll eventually get clear runnings and less break.

2) Put the tip of the hose BELOW the level of the liquid when sending to the kettle. This avoids 2 things: a) Loss of heat b) Hot side aeration (depends who you ask on that).

3) A LOT of open air activity... Open funnel, open bucket, open fermenter... Try to reduce that to avoid any potential for bacteria.

M_C

cool vid! Love the drills

did you aerate the wort at all?

Thanks for the responses!

Misplaced_Canuck said:

1) Recirculate (vorlauf) more before sending to the boil kettle. You'll eventually get clear runnings and less break.

2) Put the tip of the hose BELOW the level of the liquid when sending to the kettle. This avoids 2 things: a) Loss of heat b) Hot side aeration (depends who you ask on that).

3) A LOT of open air activity... Open funnel, open bucket, open fermenter... Try to reduce that to avoid any potential for bacteria.

M_C

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Canuck, while I appreciate any and all input, I feel I must respond with:

1) I've made 4 years of wheat beers, and beers in general. Clarity has never been an issue, unless I plan on it. The Kölsch is currently in secondary and is just about crystal clear as of today (cold crashing is a wonderful thing!)

2) 100,000 BTUs doesn't care about a few degrees loss. Also, experience, and not just mine has shown that A) hot side aeration is only a problem if you are intentionally trying to create it. Most average methods are sufficient enough to avoid it. B) has never been an issue in my beers.

3) Those open air environments you speak of are filled or sprayed with Star San solution. Bugs also, have never been an issue unless intentional.

I'm not trying to give you a hard time, don't worry.

Now... Because you'd never had a problem doesn't mean you won't in the future!

I stick to my guns on vorlauf'ing. Recirculate more until you get clear runnings. I use my pump for that. Here's a picture of my UNfiltered Kolsch at 7 days in the keg:



Not perfect but very decent. Especially as the 3rd beer after a 8 year hiatus!

Open air areas do NOT equal contact surfaces. Especially in a garage. Open air areas are much more likely to get contaminated than contact surfaces.

I put my cooled wort in a covered fermenter, than I heat up the erlenmeyer neck and I pour cautiously into the fermenters.

Sure, you've never had a bad batch in 4 years. I've never had a bad batch in 20 years.

M_C

RighteousFire said:

Thanks for the responses!

Loss of heat in the kettle PRIOR to heat will result in Beta-amylase reducing the wort to MORE fermentable sugar. I start heating up the moment I have about 2-3 gallons in the kettle (for a 12-gallon batch). On a beer that's mashed lower, the results are minimalized. In a higher temp beer, the results are enhanced. Keep that in mind.




Canuck, while I appreciate any and all input, I feel I must respond with:

1) I've made 4 years of wheat beers, and beers in general. Clarity has never been an issue, unless I plan on it. The Kölsch is currently in secondary and is just about crystal clear as of today (cold crashing is a wonderful thing!)

2) 100,000 BTUs doesn't care about a few degrees loss. Also, experience, and not just mine has shown that A) hot side aeration is only a problem if you are intentionally trying to create it. Most average methods are sufficient enough to avoid it. B) has never been an issue in my beers.

3) Those open air environments you speak of are filled or sprayed with Star San solution. Bugs also, have never been an issue unless intentional.

Click to expand...

great video....thanx for sharing

somehow I knew that any criticism would be quickly dealt with.

I like the vid though!

What were you using to filter all the gunk out on the way to the fermenter? (when pouring it)

Misplaced_Canuck said:

I'm not trying to give you a hard time, don't worry.

M_C

Click to expand...

It's all good. To each their own. If someone doesn't like my way, they might read yours and it works for them. I just want everyone to enjoy beer.

I understand what you mean about contaminants being in the air, but I can't sanitize the air, so I just keep everything as sanitary as possible, and practical. Everybody does things different and as long as the beer is good, that's all that matters. Right?

I usually runoff around a gallon to recirculate, which seems to work pretty well.

As for the wort still converting, I understand what you mean, but Beta-Amylase will remain active up to 160F, and on a Kölsch, I would be looking for more fermentability. I won't bore anyone with a bunch of science talk in this thread, but we could definitely have that convo somewhere else.

I've been doing a lot of research lately on mash temps and enzymes and I think my next video will be a multistep mash, possibly up to 4 steps: 104 - 122 - 145 - 157 then a possible decoction for mash out.

Opivy said:

What were you using to filter all the gunk out on the way to the fermenter? (when pouring it)

Click to expand...

I was using a steel colander but I am now using a large nylon straining bag sanitized then fit over the bucket. Lift out the bag, squeeze out extra wort, then I pour from the bucket to the carboy.