Aging a Kolsch

[Brad0Walker]

I'm brewing my first Kolsch (WLP 029) this weekend and had a few Questions. I'm going to ferment around 62-64 degrees. I read the earlier thread about sulfur smell/flavor in a kolsch and had some questions about aging. I'm not set up to keg yet, so I will be bottle carbonating. Should I.....

1. Age the Kolsch in fermenter @ fermentation temps

2. Age kolsch in fermenter @ lager temps

3. Bottle after 3 weeks in primary, age in bottle @ 65 degrees

4. Bottle after 3 weeks in primary, let carbonate for a week @ 65, then crash and age @ 35-40 degrees, lager temps.

How long would you normally age for?

If I lager in fermenter, I'm worried about enough yeast being left to carbonate in bottle.

Thanks,

 

[klaggy]

Consider lowering your ferment temp To 60 degrees wlp029 will do good in the upper 50's as well...... Be sure to pitch the right amount or risk it not finishing. As far as you schedule it kind depends on your capabilities frankly. Primary for 3 weeks at 60 then d- rest it for a couple a days at 65 or so. For me I had to condition and bottle and keep at 65-70 "roomtemp" then off to lager at 38-40 for about 4 weeks



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[klaggy]

So your option 4



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[klaggy]

I didn't get sulfur smell at all



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[Catawampus]

Hey there. I make keep Kolsch around always, and WLP029 is my house yeast. I begin my ferment at 58 F and let warm up to around 65 F toward the end of fermentation. I have no Diacetyl, attenuation, etc. I lager for 2 weeks to a month on the yeast at 32 F. The beer is very clear when finished. I then bottle, and store normally.

 

[Catawampus]

And, I also never really get sulfur.

 

[Brad0Walker]

Do you kolsch experts normally do a 90 min boil? Im using 2 row instead of pils. Im not sure if it would be worth it or not.

 

[Catawampus]

If using 2 row, then a 60 minute boil is fine. If using Pils, 90 mins will help you with the DMS.

I must say, though, that you will lose a considerable bit of the Kolsch-iness by not using Pils. That's where you get the soft, sweet, delicate, grainy character of a Kolsch.

 

[SpeedYellow]

In my experience, Kolsch doesn't need and doesn't benefit from aging. It's not a lager, so perhaps that shouldn't be surprising. Good to drink from day one! I used the Wyeast Kolsch yeast.


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[crazyirishman34]

If you are looking at what the Germans do when they make a Kolsch it is pretty easy. Ferment at 55 with a rise to 62ish. Rack off yeast lager for 2 weeks then filter. If you don't want to filter fining with gelatin work just fine to get a nice brite beer. Just an FYI low kilned 2-ROW will need a 90 min boil as you will still have the DMS precursors that need to be boiled off.

 

[SpeedYellow]

Huge +1 to all the above. ^^^


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[agentindemand]

Fermented WLP029 at 57-60 for 4 days them free rise to about 66 for 2 weeks. Hydro sample taste like banana juice. Any one else have this with 029? Will it mellow out with age?

 

[crazyirishman34]

Never had that issue have had sulfur flavors after primary that disapate after about 2 weeks at 30f

 

[j1n]

i just kegged a Kolsch today (WLP029). I havent noticed any sulfur in mine. I fermented for 2 weeks @ 62 and cold crashed for a couple days. I filtered and kegged it this morning.

 

[Beernik]

I haven't brewed a kolsch but I like to use kolsch yeast for some ales.

I like to start fermentation at 55F and let it rise a degree each day during fermentation. Then I like to cold crash it for 3 weeks as a mini-lager, bottle it and let it carb for 3 weeks, and then mini-lager it another 3 weeks.

The reason for the two long, cold storages is to give the yeast plenty of time to settle. Kolsch yeasts are notoriously low flocculating yeasts. If you don't filter, you can get cloudy, dusty tasting beer if you drink it young.