Best grain bill for a authentic Kolsch

[Christoff]

best grain for authentic kolsch???

umm....German kolsch malt? hard to find but it's what you want if you want authentic. I personally mix it 50/50 with pilsner since by sack of kolsch will not last forever and getting more will be difficult.

yeast...kolsch yeast? it's available. It's what I use. K-97 would be an acceptable substitute. But it's not a kolsch strain

I'd definitely like my starting point to be authentic and grow my recipe from there. But I also want it to be repeatable. I still crave food and drinks I have had in foreign countries. No need to add to the growing list lol. I enjoy (most) of the Kolsch's I have had in the US but looking at online recipes, it seems like they may have large quantities of vienna, munich, etc. so it's entirely possible it's those recipes I am enjoying, and not the predominantly pilsner grain bills its supposed to be

 

[z-bob]

I think mostly pilsner with up to (but probably less than) 20% Munich is authentic but I don't know where I got that info, I might have just imagined it, LOL. You should be able to make a good Kolsch using any light malt, like plain vanilla 2-row or half Vienna and half pilsner, etc. With an all-pilsner recipe, maybe do a decoction. Use good malt whatever the mix, and appropriate hops and yeast and you'll come out with something tasty. Then iterate making small changes until you get what you're looking for. As has been mentioned there are specific Kolsch malts, but I don't know if there's anything special about them or if it's just a gimmick. I assume they are real but you can blend your own.

A miss can still be an enjoyable beer and it's a chance to learn. (if you get it right the first time, what's the fun in that?) But I totally understand that you wanna get close.

Just don't do what I do and keep doing research but never get around to brewing it.

 

[Christoff]

Just found weyermann barke on great fermentations' website

 

[Jag75]

I use weyermann pale malt , light Munich and carapils. K-97 . I've tried Ireks pilsner which is good .

 

[rallenhall]

I've used the Schill malt a couple of time in other beers, but it's too dark to serve as a base for a kolsch. At somewhere around 4L it's a bit dark for even Vienna malt. It would probably be a good secondary addition to a kolsch recipe.

 

[PCABrewing]

I'm guessing they are partially responsible for my inconsistent efficiencies.

Always a gamble when you rely on someone else to crush the grain. Have you looked at low cost mills? Even a cheap one will give you more control and it doesn't take me any longer than 30 minutes to process 18-20 lbs.
I usually do it the night before and store in a bucket with lid till mash-in the next morning.

 

[Christoff]

Always a gamble when you rely on someone else to crush the grain. Have you looked at low cost mills? Even a cheap one will give you more control and it doesn't take me any longer than 30 minutes to process 18-20 lbs.
I usually do it the night before and store in a bucket with lid till mash-in the next morning.

It's next on my list. I have been trying to find the best middle of the road mill, prefurably with one that has a decent hand crank. I like things to work away from electricity too. The grid is bad here. I'm taking suggestions if you have any.

NB's crush sometimes is so bad it doesn't even look crushed. Needless to say I have stopped ordering grain from them

 

[PCABrewing]

It's next on my list. I have been trying to find the best middle of the road mill, prefurably with one that has a decent hand crank. I like things to work away from electricity too. The grid is bad here. I'm taking suggestions if you have any.

NB's crush sometimes is so bad it doesn't even look crushed. Needless to say I have stopped ordering grain from them

I won't give a recommendation to avoid being immediately wrong.
There are others here that have a more intimate knowledge of the current hardware market, I'll let them provide that guidance.
I bought a two roller that comes mounted to a piece of particle board that fits over a 5 gal. bucket.
It has a hopper that allegedly holds 7lb.
It has a removable crank/handle so it can be manual or drill operated.
It didn't break $150 I'm pretty sure of that and it works well for me and has lasted ~8yrs so far.

I will recommend that you pickup a set of feeler gauges and record your various gap settings for different grains/crush.
That will save time for subsequent batches.
You can get one at any auto parts store that sells tools and probably Walmart and Menards. They're cheap.

 

[Dog House Brew]

No-defunct GigaYeast-021 was my fav. Nice light white wine esters. I have to go back to WY2565 now. K97 and Lalemand Koln were uninspiring. To me.

I’m still rejuvenating slurry of 021. No doubt it is my favorite all the way.

 

[z-bob]

It's next on my list. I have been trying to find the best middle of the road mill, prefurably with one that has a decent hand crank. I like things to work away from electricity too. The grid is bad here. I'm taking suggestions if you have any.

NB's crush sometimes is so bad it doesn't even look crushed. Needless to say I have stopped ordering grain from them

If you're doing BIAB, a Corona does a good job and you don't have to worry about the rollers wearing out. It does create a lot of flour, that's why I said BIAB. Not sure if the flour would cause stuck sparges for traditional lautering.

 

[balrog]

I’m still rejuvenating slurry of 021. No doubt it is my favorite all the way.

I have one last bit left, but it got tucked behind things and I've not rejuvinated/re-startered/refreshed it in over 14 months now.

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

Me and NB are rather on the outs lol I have found weyermann in a couple places, but not Barke so far. If NB would actually crush their grains, I may be more inclined to give them another shot. I'm guessing they are partially responsible for my inconsistent efficiencies.

I know you're getting alot of good suggestions from the folks here for a Kolsch but your post has had me searching for my old standby even though it appears to be gone.

Another site I spotted that lists "Cologne (Kolsch)" grain is Adventures in Homebrewing. They are located in Michigan and I have ordered from them in the past with good results. They also stock a few of the Weyermann Barke grains.

 

[z-bob]

I have one last bit left, but it got tucked behind things and I've not rejuvinated/re-startered/refreshed it in over 14 months now.

Someone on Amazon still lists it for sale; only 5 left. (no idea how old it is) It might be worth a gamble.

 

[Christoff]

If you're doing BIAB, a Corona does a good job and you don't have to worry about the rollers wearing out. It does create a lot of flour, that's why I said BIAB. Not sure if the flour would cause stuck sparges for traditional lautering.

I have a spike solo that I typically use but it’s too cold in my shop from November through February. So I bought the BIAB so I could do small batches and play with ingredients to better familiarize myself. I am guessing too much flour would cause some stuck lautering. I actually haven’t found it to be fantastic anyways. But then again, maybe this is the issue across the board. Maybe my LHBS is causing that issue too. They said the crush is at Spike’s specs though. I don’t have much of a reference point for what the appropriate crush / flour creation looks like (being relatively new to this).

 

[Dog House Brew]

I have one last bit left, but it got tucked behind things and I've not rejuvinated/re-startered/refreshed it in over 14 months now.

It will still take off

 

[Christoff]

I know you're getting alot of good suggestions from the folks here for a Kolsch but your post has had me searching for my old standby even though it appears to be gone.

Another site I spotted that lists "Cologne (Kolsch)" grain is Adventures in Homebrewing. They are located in Michigan and I have ordered from them in the past with good results. They also stock a few of the Weyermann Barke grains.

great thank you!

 

[z-bob]

I've been reading about Kolsch-style beers and most of the articles say pilsner malt plus a little (10%-ish) wheat malt.

 

[Dog House Brew]

I've been reading about Kolsch-style beers and most of the articles say pilsner malt plus a little (10%-ish) wheat malt.

That is all I use anymore. I tried all of it with Vienna, and others. Plain Jane with a touch of wheat. (8%) 20ibu and it is FW, no other additions. I mash @ 49 for 90, 20ibu FW only. I generally use Crystal, but will be using something new the next batch. I brew Kolsch, by gallons, more than anything else. 25 gallons at a time…… secretly.

 

[Christoff]

That is all I use anymore. I tried all of it with Vienna, and others. Plain Jane with a touch of wheat. (8%) 20ibu and it is FW, no other additions. I mash @ 49 for 90, 20ibu FW only. I generally use Crystal, but will be using something new the next batch. I brew Kolsch, by gallons, more than anything else. 25 gallons at a time…… secretly.

Is the brewing secret? or the drinking? lol

 

[Dog House Brew]

Is the brewing secret? or the drinking? lol

Have to have a little for myself. Friends come out of the woodwork when it is on. I’m glad only a few like IPA.

 

[jdauria]

Buddy of mine is a head brewer at local brewery and he just put out a Kolsch that is fantastic and like drinking the real thing over in Germany, except it's just a tad deep gold instead of light gold...he used Weyermann Isaria and Cologne Malt (or sometimes seen as Kolsch malt)...that's it. He gave me the percentages but asked that I not share. Let's just say it's around 2/3 of the first malt and 1/3 of the other, that gets you close enough.

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

Cologne Malt (or sometimes seen as Kolsch malt)

Could your buddy expand on the type of Kolsch malt he used? That would be helpful for at least two of us that have been posting.

Thank You!!

 

[jdauria]

Could your buddy expand on the type of Kolsch malt he used? That would be helpful for at least two of us that have been posting.

Thank You!!

Pretty sure is was Weyermann's. Weyermann® Brewing Malt (Type Cologne) | BSG | Bulk Brewing & Beer Supply Company

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

Pretty sure is was Weyermann's. Weyermann® Brewing Malt (Type Cologne) | BSG | Bulk Brewing & Beer Supply Company

Thanks for checking and posting the info! That's seems to be the one that lots of folks are using and have used in some older posts I have read. It appears the old Schill Kolsch grain I used has gone by the wayside. I'm going to try another batch with the Weyermann real soon.

Thanks again!!

 

[jdauria]

Thanks for checking and posting the info! That's seems to be the one that lots of folks are using and have used in some older posts I have read. It appears the old Schill Kolsch grain I used has gone by the wayside. I'm going to try another batch with the Weyermann real soon.

Thanks again!!

You're welcome! Happy Brewing!

 

[Christoff]

Well, here’s the final products. 2-Row on left, Pilsner base on right. Slight colour difference in the two row but almost not noticeable. As expected, I like the two-row better. Off the top of my head, my process was nearly identical for both. Obviously all hops, yeast etc were exactly the same. The hops are more apparent in the Pilsner based kolsch. Is that to be expected? The Pilsner doesn’t hold head as good as the two row. The two row is cleaner, more one note where as the Pilsner has a layer or two. The yeast is also more noticeable in the Pilsner. I’m assuming these differences are because the Pilsner malt is light? Strangely enough, I didn’t really like either of them until I carbonated them. I didn’t think co2 would make that big of a difference.

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

Thanks for posting your results and tasting. Color wise is about where I'd expect it to be. As far as CO2 changing the flavor it would change it some. Over time, as they age, you'll notice changes in the flavor too. I've found that beers with maltier type grains take on some better flavors as they sit/age but it might be hard not to be sampling them.

Good Job!

 

[Christoff]

Thanks for posting your results and tasting. Color wise is about where I'd expect it to be. As far as CO2 changing the flavor it would change it some. Over time, as they age, you'll notice changes in the flavor too. I've found that beers with maltier type grains take on some better flavors as they sit/age but it might be hard not to be sampling them.

Good Job!

Thanks for the response. Ha! Yes this is the problem with small batch brewing. I always try to keep a couple bottles but it gets hard when you get thirsty!

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

I brew ten gallon batches so I can afford to let a lot of it "age". One thing I've been trying to do is a batch of beer I can split. My last brew was a blonde doppebock; half of it I left as is and the other half is mixed with bourbon and tart cherries. The cherry version I'm trying to let sit longer but it's hard not to sample it, I'll have it gone before no time just sampling it!

 

[Christoff]

I brew ten gallon batches so I can afford to let a lot of it "age". One thing I've been trying to do is a batch of beer I can split. My last brew was a blonde doppebock; half of it I left as is and the other half is mixed with bourbon and tart cherries. The cherry version I'm trying to let sit longer but it's hard not to sample it, I'll have it gone before no time just sampling it!

Ha. I like to have so many different types of beer on hand I’d have a pickled liver if I brewed that much beer each time

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

Ha. I like to have so many different types of beer on hand I’d have a pickled liver if I brewed that much beer each time

I used to be that way too but after brewing beer since 1985 I've zoned in on a dozen or so recipes I brew most of the time. I have three beer taps so I occasionally put something new/different on tap. I had five beer taps before covid so I had lots of variety and lots of folks over for sampling and food. Now with three taps I try to sick to two "house" brews and the third can have something different if I want.

I do love beer but there just isn't a lot of them I want to brew and have on tap.

 

[Christoff]

I used to be that way too but after brewing beer since 1985 I've zoned in on a dozen or so recipes I brew most of the time. I have three beer taps so I occasionally put something new/different on tap. I had five beer taps before covid so I had lots of variety and lots of folks over for sampling and food. Now with three taps I try to sick to two "house" brews and the third can have something different if I want.

I do love beer but there just isn't a lot of them I want to brew and have on tap.

I even bought beer like this. I always have a few ciders, multiple types of wine, and numerous beers on hand. I can't drink the same thing for too long without tiring of it. The problem then is when I hit on a recipe, it's gone so quickly. I am expanding my keezer now to accomodate five taps. I figured three would have been ok, but nope.

 

[JaxBrewerSahti]

6lbs Pilsner
4lbs Vienna

 

[Brooothru]

Here's what I've got planned for April:

4# Weyermann Kolsch (35%)
4# Barke Pilsner (35%)
2# Best Malz Heidelberg Pils (17%)
1# Weyermann Barke Munich (9%)
4 oz. Carafoam (2%)
4 oz. acidulated (2%)

1 oz. Perle (FWH)
2 oz. Spalter ( :15 mins)
1 oz. Perle ( :20 min steep @ 70C)

Imperial G03 "Dieter" (PJ Fruh)

I've been trying to dial-in a great (not 'good') Kolsch for years. Hoping this one might finally be the one. Roughly 87% pilsner, 9% Munich, 4% "other" for foam and pH. Perle and Spalter because, well I like them, and it seems to me that a lot of northern German brewers use them, though perhaps more in Dusseldorf than Koln. That, plus I use so much Tettnanger and Hallertau in my southern Germany beers that I want some variety.

Targets are 5% ABV, 28 IBUs, SRM 4.0. Wish me luck.

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

Can't wait to hear how your recipe turns out. Looks good - good luck with your brew!

 

[jdauria]

Following up on my previous post (#61)...here is the color on my version with just Cologne Malt and Isaria, like my buddy brewed at his brewery. As I said, it's more of a deep gold color, but sure is pretty. It's been cold crashing for two weeks, still hazy post ferm, so need to hit it with gelatin. I added a little acidulated to hit pH target and used Tradition hops.

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

Following up on my previous post (#61)...here is the color on my version with just Cologne Malt and Isaria, like my buddy brewed at his brewery. As I said, it's more of a deep gold color, but sure is pretty. It's been cold crashing for two weeks, still hazy post ferm, so need to hit it with gelatin. I added a little acidulated to hit pH target and used Tradition hops.

View attachment 816406

That looks delicious, very nice color too!!

 

[Brooothru]

Following up on my previous post (#61)...here is the color on my version with just Cologne Malt and Isaria, like my buddy brewed at his brewery. As I said, it's more of a deep gold color, but sure is pretty. It's been cold crashing for two weeks, still hazy post ferm, so need to hit it with gelatin. I added a little acidulated to hit pH target and used Tradition hops.

View attachment 816406

Awesome is an understatement! If it only tastes half as good as it looks, it would still be one of the best beers I'd had in quite some time. What'd you say your address was again?

 

[bloombrews]

I just got a BIG upset, on the real water Profile of Koln Germany. I thought it was very soft and used distilled water in the past for the Mash and half of the sparge.... BUT in the most recent issue of Craft Beer and Brewing magazine, Spring 2023 issue, page 60 - "Defend Kolsch", the article says, contrary to popular belief, the water is hard at around 150-225 bicarbonate ppm
Now I have to rethink my Kolsch I'm making today......

 

[wepeeler]

I just got a BIG upset, on the real water Profile of Koln Germany. I thought it was very soft and used distilled water in the past for the Mash and half of the sparge.... BUT in the most recent issue of Craft Beer and Brewing magazine, Spring 2023 issue, page 60 - "Defend Kolsch", the article says, contrary to popular belief, the water is hard at around 150-225 bicarbonate ppm
Now I have to rethink my Kolsch I'm making today......

I saw that too. Going to have to exBEERiment soon myself!