Brewer's Best Kölsch Kit...how does it compare to legit Kölsch?

I've been looking for an extract recipe for a good Kölsch. Brewer's Best offers one and I grabbed it at the LHBS, but I'm wondering if I'm going to be disappointed in how it turns out compared to echtes Kölsch. I spent a semester of college in Köln and at that time, I had tried every Kölsch in the city. I have my favorites, but I'd be happy with anything that results in a Früh, Reissdorf, Päffgen, etc type Kölsch.

I'm just concerned the kit is just going to be an attempt at something close - it has the non-hopped Pilsen light LME, but 2 lbs of Briess Bavarian Wheat DME (65/35% Wheat/Barley). The hops are 2oz Willamette for bittering and 1oz for aroma. 12 oz of Carapils Malt specialty grains and a dry Danstar Nottingham brewing yeast.

I hear a lot about not using wheat in these beers and a specific Kölsch yeast. So, should I return the kit and get something else or just eff it and brew the dang thing and then decide?

I like a touch or wheat in my Kolschs. I brewed one with about 5-10% wheat and it drank quite well next to a Reissdorf. I think you need a specific Kolsch yeast to get the right esther character. You might get a reasonable effect fermenting Notty cold (about 60), bit I'd splurge for the wyeast kolsch strain. To me, making a good Kolsch is mainly about controlling the ferment.

Well, I decided to make a different recipe and brew the Brewer's Best kit side by side and see how they turn out to compare.

My non-kit batch recipe:
7 lbs DME Light Pilsen
1/2 lbs Munich Malt
2 oz Spalt Hops (I will probably only use 1 - 1.5 ounces)
White Labs WLP029 Kölsch/Ale Yeast

I'm going to steep the Munich Malt for 30 minutes between 155-160* F and then boil, add DME, and the hops at two different points in the boil.

How does that sound?

What about 6.5 lbs of Light Pilsen DME and 0.5 lbs of Bavarian Wheat DME?

Here's what I'm going with:

6.5 lbs Pilsen Light DME
0.5 lbs Bavarian Wheat DME
1.5 oz Spalt bittering hops (60 minutes)
0.5 lbs Munich Malt
White Labs WLP029 Kölsch Yeast

Steep Munich Malt for 30 minutes, boil, add all 7 lbs DME. Add hops at 30 minute mark. I'm going to add a tsp of Irish Moss at the 75 minute mark and then terminate the boil at 90 minutes. I think I'm going to ferment for 7 days at 68-70* and then move it to the garage for the next 7 days where it should be below 50 for the next 7 days. I'll probably secondary it in a carboy and continue to let it sit in the garage or wherever I can keep it colder than the house if I still don't have a fridge/freezer in the garage by then. I'm open to suggestions on how to ferment colder than 65 without a fridge.

Is that enough hops? If so, should I leave it as is, or do 1 ounce for 60 minutes and add the half ounce for aroma toward the end of the boil? I have 2 ounces of Spalt if I should go that high. I think I'm just going to boil the 1.5 ounces of Spalt for 60 minutes as a bittering hop and that's it.

The fermentation bucket is outside chilling down to temp to pitch the yeast. I have a sample in the fridge to get it to 60 for the hydro test. There is an a**load of "stuff" suspended in the wort. It's settling quickly, but it's something different from the others I've done so far.

Just checked the OG - 1.063. Should I add more water to it to get the gravity down to the 1.04X it should be to start? If so, how much?

Found a calculator online and it's indicating I would need to go to 7.75 gallons to get the OG down to the 1.04X range. Should I just roll with it and go with the 5 gallons I have now and see how it turns out?

I checked another calculator and based on the ingredients I used, it's saying a 1.064 OG is what I should come up with, so I'm confident I didn't screw up the reading.

they call that a kolsch? i'd be embarrassed if that was my recipe

lumpher said:

they call that a kolsch? i'd be embarrassed if that was my recipe

Click to expand...

Are you talking about the Brewer's Best kit or the AG-converted-to-extract or both?

the "brewers best"

lumpher said:

the "brewers best"

Click to expand...

Once I got it home and opened it and started checking out what was actually in it, I started thinking, "This doesn't look like a Kölsch at all..."

I don't think the conversion looks that great either now that I have the specs on it.

Playing around with beercalculus.hopville.com, I think the recipe should have been something more like this:

4.25 lbs Pilsen Light DME
0.50 lbs Bavarian Wheat DME
0.50 lbs Munich Malt or Carapils
4 oz Spalt Select 2.00% 60 mins
White Labs Kölsch/Ale Yeast WLP029

The computer says 1.044 OG, 1.011 FG, 21.5 IBU, 4.4% ABV. I think that's more along the lines of a "true" Kölsch.


Now that I know what I brewed is going to be quite a bit higher on the ABV, I'm wondering if I should dry hop it in the secondary to offset the sweetness, adjust, and take another shot at a Kölsch on the next batch. Or, I just leave everything as is and see what happens and still go for round two on this beer.

I tried wheat in my first version, I did not like the results. This is my 3rd version, next version is to double the late addition hops because I get good maltiness but virtually no hop flavor which makes the beer too plain for me. Otherwise I like!!


8lbs Pilsner 2 row (6lbs of LME or 4.75lbs of DME)
1.75lbs Munich (steep for extract)
.75oz Perle (60min)
1.0oz Saaz (10min)
1.25oz Perle (5min)
1.0oz Saaz (5min)

Whirlfloc
Yeast nutrient
WLP0029 (2000ml Starter)

KevinW said:

I tried wheat in my first version, I did not like the results. This is my 3rd version, next version is to double the late addition hops because I get good maltiness but virtually no hop flavor which makes the beer too plain for me. Otherwise I like!!


8lbs Pilsner 2 row (6lbs of LME or 4.75lbs of DME)
1.75lbs Munich (steep for extract)
.75oz Perle (60min)
1.0oz Saaz (10min)
1.25oz Perle (5min)
1.0oz Saaz (5min)

Whirlfloc
Yeast nutrient
WLP0029 (2000ml Starter)

Click to expand...

I read somewhere that Carapils works well with this beer for head retention. Using that beer calculator put me very close to your recipe, just slightly different ingredients, but overall, the same amount of DME, ounces of hops, etc. You used a little more steeping grains.

do you do all-grain? I don't think you can get it legit tasting with american extract, but I'm told you can get solid pilsner extract that tastes like the real thing... but I'll believe it when i taste it .

this is my favorite kolsch recipe:

9# pilsner - must be german
1# carapils - german 'carafoam' preferred but not essential

- Boil 90 minutes, but hops for only 60 minutes. Decoction mash is optional but not necessary IMO.

1.3 - 1.5oz any noble hop for bittering, I had spalt on hand.

plenty of kolsch yeast, fermented 62-65 degrees like any other ale.

beware lots of late hop additions, they wil lmake your german brew taste like micro-brew clones/attempts. Very simple recipe, mistakes stick out like a sore thumb, took me 3 tries to get it right. good luck!

markg388 said:

do you do all-grain? I don't think you can get it legit tasting with american extract, but I'm told you can get solid pilsner extract that tastes like the real thing... but I'll believe it when i taste it .

this is my favorite kolsch recipe:

9# pilsner - must be german
1# carapils - german 'carafoam' preferred but not essential

- Boil 90 minutes, but hops for only 60 minutes. Decoction mash is optional but not necessary IMO.

1.3 - 1.5oz any noble hop for bittering, I had spalt on hand.

plenty of kolsch yeast, fermented 62-65 degrees like any other ale.

beware lots of late hop additions, they wil lmake your german brew taste like micro-brew clones/attempts. Very simple recipe, mistakes stick out like a sore thumb, took me 3 tries to get it right. good luck!

Click to expand...

This attempt was only my third batch. I haven't even thought about attempting all grain yet. I brewed three 5 gallon batches in the first 10 days that I had my kit, so I haven't tasted a finished product yet. I figured I'd get through a few batches of extract brews and drink some before I went to all grain. Considering I need to think about bottling my hefeweizen soon (been in the primary for 9 days) and I don't have any bottles yet, I have some other things to do before I start my next batch. I'd also like to make sure my technique/procedures are working out and making decent beer before I end up with a beer distributor's worth of bad beer.

I know it's a simple as reading, but I don't have a clue how to mash yet. And that's more gear to buy, again, before I even taste my first batch. Maybe I'll just put the Kölsch on hold for a bit until I'm ready to AG.

jtkratzer said:

I read somewhere that Carapils works well with this beer for head retention. Using that beer calculator put me very close to your recipe, just slightly different ingredients, but overall, the same amount of DME, ounces of hops, etc. You used a little more steeping grains.

Click to expand...

Hah, forgot, yes the munich malt must be mashed so steeping is not an option. Carapils/Dextrine is fine, lighter in color too. I wanted a little more sweetness to my beer and the munich added some color but Beersmith estimated the SRM at 5. With just the malts I used I have good head retention.

The only reason I am pushing the late addition hops (5 min) is for some flavor. Right now I really cannot taste any hops at all so it is like drinking malt-o-meal in a glass. This may carry the beer a little out of style but I am fine with it. I do not plan on putting this one into any competitions.

Two things that can make a big difference is using a yeast starter and also "lagering" the beer after fermentation. I kept mine at 38° for 3 weeks but should have kept it for about 3 more but I needed the fridge!