Dortmunder Kolsch

I put this in the keezer at 6 weeks, and am drinking it now.

Wow. This is one of my finest beers so far. The flavors are all evenly balanced with a smooth progression. The initial maltiness blends into the light fruity esters, followed by the light lingering hop bitterness.

I based this recipe off of the BCS Dortmunder.

3# Domestic Munich 10L
5.8# Domestic Pils

Mashed at 1.9 qts/# at 155F

0.55 oz Magnum 13.4% at 70 min
0.5 oz Hallertau 4.3% at 5 min
0.5 oz Hallertau 4.3% at 0 min

Added 7g each of Gypsum and Chalk to the boil, since my water is very soft.

I used a fresh jar of top cropped 2565 Kolsch yeast.
Fermented for two weeks at ambient basement temps (low 60s).
4 weeks kegged at 34F to help the Kolsch flocculate.

What temp did you mash at and for how long? Any sort of finings for clarity? How clear is this beer?

I mashed at 155F for 60 minutes.

I didn't use any finings.
The Kolsch is quite hazy, maybe even cloudy, even after lagering for a month. The big beer for this batch, a Maibock, is crystal clear, so I attribute it to the yeast.

sounds really nice. thanks for sharing it.

gxm said:

I mashed at 155F for 60 minutes.

I didn't use any finings.
The Kolsch is quite hazy, maybe even cloudy, even after lagering for a month. The big beer for this batch, a Maibock, is crystal clear, so I attribute it to the yeast.

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I used that exact same yeast on my Kölsch and it is very, very clear. But I did use irish moss in the boil, lagered for 6 weeks and used gelatin for the last week. It was still pretty clear without the gelatin though. The high mash temp is interesting - typically a Kölsch is mashed at a very low temp 145-149º - I love trying different Kölschs though - wish I had a pint of yours right now!

macabra11 said:

I used that exact same yeast on my Kölsch and it is very, very clear. But I did use irish moss in the boil, lagered for 6 weeks and used gelatin for the last week. It was still pretty clear without the gelatin though. The high mash temp is interesting - typically a Kölsch is mashed at a very low temp 145-149º - I love trying different Kölschs though - wish I had a pint of yours right now!

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Thats interesting macabra11. I haven't used any fining agents so far, and just picked up some irish moss the other day. I've heard the commercial Kölschs are filtered, and I really can't be bothered to do that.

The high mash temp is due to the pairing with the Maibock. I call this a Kölsch due to the yeast, and the malt, hops and mash are more typical of a Dortmunder. I had a pint of Double Mountain's Kölsch the other day, and it is also hazy. Not as malty or hoppy as mine, it is a good summer beer.

Portland isn't so far from Boise, stop by for a pint

Double Mountain is in Hood River right? Regardless, a Kölsch SHOULD be brilliantly clear and clean. You are right about commercial version being filtered, but you can get great clarity with finings, cold temps, and time. If you have any import beer stores near you, I suggest trying a real Kölsch imported from Köln/Cölonge, Germany. Sünner Kölsch is a good standard to try if you can find it. You'll find that American versions are very over-hopped (which I don't have a problem with ). Have you tried the Henry Weinhards Kölsch? It is my favorite summer beer (once again, over-hopped for a Kölsch, but still really yummy).

kolsch has proved to be a tricky one for me to get super clear. i used irish moss on my second one and lagered it for about 2 weeks. it's been in a keg now for about 4 weeks and is finally looking pretty clear... of course the last pint will be crystal clear! i think i will try gelatin in the secondary next time. this recipe looks really similar to the last one i made, except i used vienna instead of munich. i love kolsch!

This beer has remained hazy, and has a fabulous flavor.
My next goal is to have more control over the final appearance of the beer, but drinking this in the dimly lit evening, i wouldn't change a thing,