Wyeast Kolsch 2565 questions

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JSGT09

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This is my first batch of Kolsch and have been doing a lot of searching about the proper fermentation temperatures and times but am still confused.

I kicked it off at 65 degrees, but then lowered it to 60 degrees based on some research here. I'm thinking about lowing it again to about 56 degrees for the majority of fermentation, again, based on previous posts. Still don't know how long to let it ferment...2 weeks? 3 weeks?

My plans are to then slowly lower the temps to 40 degrees over many days after the main fermentation. Again, how long do I "lager" this beer?

Does it benefit better from sitting longer on the yeast cake at the higher temps, or lagering at lower temps?

What crazy hybrid yeast this is! Looking forward to it though.
 
60 is fine for fermentation temps, but that strain works well at 55 too. IMO a great kolsch comes from lagering near freezing for about 1 month. You can do the lagering in the keg or bottle. Leave the beer on the cake for 2-2 1/2 weeks before you do anything.
 
This beer can take a while to clean/clear up from my experience. I've fermented it from 58 degrees up to 70 degrees though with varying results though I've not yet had a beer that was quite what I was looking for.

Anyways, 2656 will carry krausen forever, it is a top cropping yeast and is very easy to harvest from the top of an ale pale. A quick swirl of the wort post-fermentation will get the yeast to fall from the surface. As such, it is a low flocculating yeast and benefits from cold crashing and conditioning to clear it up. Temperatures over ~65 will result in explosive fermentations making blow-off tubes mandatory. Closer to 55 deg will result in long, steady fermentations, I'm thinking the one cold fermentation that I did took about two weeks. Do a diacetyl rest for cold fermentations with low pitch rates (no starter).
 
This beer can take a while to clean/clear up from my experience. I've fermented it from 58 degrees up to 70 degrees though with varying results though I've not yet had a beer that was quite what I was looking for.

Anyways, 2656 will carry krausen forever, it is a top cropping yeast and is very easy to harvest from the top of an ale pale. A quick swirl of the wort post-fermentation will get the yeast to fall from the surface. As such, it is a low flocculating yeast and benefits from cold crashing and conditioning to clear it up. Temperatures over ~65 will result in explosive fermentations making blow-off tubes mandatory. Closer to 55 deg will result in long, steady fermentations, I'm thinking the one cold fermentation that I did took about two weeks. Do a diacetyl rest for cold fermentations with low pitch rates (no starter).

^this pretty much sums it up for 2565. Good yeast
 
Thanks for the info guys. I just pitched this yeast (with a starter) late Sunday and it only sat at 65 degrees for maybe 12 hours before I knocked it down to 60 degrees. I think I will adjust it to 56 degrees or so tonight and leave it for a few weeks before I adjust it to lager temps. Since I used a starter, do I need to worry about a DR before going to lager temps?

Then I think I'll leave it at 40 degrees or cooler for 2 more weeks, then keg.
 
Taste a gravity sample after ~2 weeks of fermentation or prior to dropping temps, you'll know if it is in there right away with this yeast from my experience. Starting strong should limit the diacetyl formation.
 
When I use that yeast, I ferment it around ~55, letting it warm to 60 by the end of active fermentation (defacto d-rest). It takes several weeks for the yeast to finish up and drop from the top of the beer. At that point I rack to a keg and 'lager' at ~40 for a few weeks or so. What I've noticed is that while the yeast is up in suspension, the beer will have a lot of 'bite' to it, but after a few weeks cold, it clears up and is very nice. Good yeast, makes good, clean beer.
 
I've done 3 Kolsch's with that yeast now (and an Alt in progress). At 56 ferm temps it was pretty clean, almost lager like. At 60 I thought it brought out the Kolsch yeast character much more (a light wine like fruity character). At 58 I got a hint of that, but it blended better with the beer. 58 will be my preferred temp moving forward. I ferment for 1-1.5 weeks at 58, then 62 for 3 days to finish up. I pitch decanted 3 L starters to make sure there is plenty of yeast for the job.

After the 2 weeks or so are up, I chill to 40 in primary and add gelatin or Isinglass. After 3-4 days I rack to secondary or keg for 3 weeks at 40. Pretty darn clear at that point. And tasty. Drink it within 2 months.
 
I kicked it off at 65 degrees, but then lowered it to 60 degrees based on some research here. I'm thinking about lowing it again to about 56 degrees

Yeast don't like having the temperature dropped when they're growing and fermenting, they told me. If you wanted to ferment at 56 a better fermentation schedule that the yeast would prefer would start at 56 and hold that for 2-3 days, then let it free rise up 3-5 degrees. By keeping the yeast cooler for the first 2-3 days you're supressing ester, and diacetyl, and fusel alcohol formation for a cleaner ferment.

I've used 2565 a few times, it's my current favorite yeast for pales and ambers. I start it at 58-59 and after 2-3 days I let it free rise to 62-63 then hold it. I start the crash cool at around day 10-12, I drop it to 30, after 3 days at 30 I filter coarse and start carbing, 4 days later I'm enjoying a beer.
 
Start on the low end and let it rise. After main ferm is done you will benefit from the higher temps. Personally I like the fruity presence of a Kolsch yeast. Seems like most people are wanting a lager from it, clean...My neighbor is a very "to style" type of guy and he dinged me for my last Kolsch not being fruity enough, said to ferment in the 60's next time.

My IIPA on Kolsch was ferm'd starting around 62 and free-rose to room temp. Was fantastic
 
60 is fine for fermentation temps, but that strain works well at 55 too. Imo a great kolsch comes from lagering near freezing for about 1 month. You can do the lagering in the keg or bottle. Leave the beer on the cake for 2-2 1/2 weeks before you do anything.

++1
 
This is a very old thread man!

But yes, I have done it. Right around 54. It worked great for me at that temperature. But I vastly overpitched (probably even more than needed for a lager) and warmed it up toward the end of fermentation to get it to finish out. I have also used 1007 down to 52 and it seemed to work even better than 2565.
 
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