Authentic Kolsch kit or recipe?

I love Kolsch, but I was living in Cologne when I started this affair, so I am usually very disappointed with the brewery ones I have tried here. Some taste great, but very few actually reminded me of the "Echt Ding"

I have never had a homebrew Kolsch, so they may be spot on for all I know, seeing as Wyeast has a specific Kolsch yeast.

Has anybody sampled the original Kolsch in Cologne and found a kit or recipe that approaches authenticity?

I have never made a Kolsch, but a friend of mine did. His recipe:

9 lb 2-row malt
1lb wheat malt
4 oz. 20-L crystal
2 oz. CaraPils
Mash at 156F

0.25 oz. Perle (60 min)
0.25 oz Saaz (60 min)
0.5 oz Tettnanger (30 min)
0.5 oz Hallertau (5 mins)
0.5 oz. Hallertau (dry hop)
Wyeast Kolsch

I had some, it was pretty tasty but I have never had a true Kolsch.

Are there any true Kolschs that are sold widely in the US? I'd love to pick up a 6er.

The German restaurant near me in twon has a couple of imported Kolschs. The one I tried was really dry with a very sweet aftertaste (it reminded me of mead). I honestly like the one I brewed better. I have the recipe posted on here somewhere, but it was basically 8.5 lbs of german pilsner malt, a splash of vienna and a pound of wheat. I'll see if I can find it...

beerific - they sell Reissdorf here, but I have yet to find a bottle that has not already gone bad and tastes like paste.

jeffg - if you are one of those lucky bastards who can get Fruh Kolsch or Gaffel Kolsch on tap I will be ever so jealous. I know Gaffel now has distribution in NYC and Florida ...

Goose Island's summer ale is a kolsch. Although I've never had a "true" kolsch, I find it to be a damn good beer. If you can find it, please try and let me know your thoughts.

Shiner Beers also makes a Kolsch style beer it is pretty good.

The Big Horn Brewery here in Boise won a silver medal for theirs at the GABF. They have it on tap standard now. It is very good, however, I don't know how it compares to the 'real' thing.

I am conditioning a kit from AHB made with Whitle labs Kolsch yeast, it is a Reissdorf clone. Looks and smells good.......time will tell. The only craft brew I have tried is Flying Dog's tire biter, never the real mc coy.

coyotlgw said:

beerific - they sell Reissdorf here, but I have yet to find a bottle that has not already gone bad and tastes like paste.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip. I actually got one today. Bottle cost me $5 at a bar, but it was not old and served in a Reissdorf traditional Kolsch glass.

It was good, motivation for my brew coming up in a week or so. . .anyone have a clone recipe (I know AHS sells the kit) for this.

Thanks!!

Here is one from Beer Captured:
OG: 1.048 - 1.051
FGL 1.010 - 1.012
SRM: 4
IBU: 24

#7.5 - Pilsner
#1 - German Wheat
12Oz - Munich

1.5 Tetnanger @ 3.9%AA 60 min
1/2 Oz Spalt 15 Min
1/4 Oz Spalt 5 Min
1/4 Oz Saaz 5 Min

Wyast 2565 Kolsch or 1007 German Ale
I did this recipe last year and liked it. I think Munich malt makes it a bit darker then the style requires. This year I did same recipe with Vienna. It's lagering now.

Here is the one I did last year. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=10187

Pretty similar to above but hoppier. I thought it was great and hope to make it again soon.

jeffg said:

Here is the one I did last year. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=10187

Pretty similar to above but hoppier. I thought it was great and hope to make it again soon.

Click to expand...

Yeah I saw yours. I think I am going to base mine off yours, basically. I bought 1 oz of saaz, spalt, and tettnang each. So I will have to change the hop schedule some. . .but I am going to try a late boil extract addition too.