First attempt at Kolsch

[nujjer]

My wort is done (Pilsner and Carapils malts). I pitched Wyeast Kolsch yesterday. Recipe says 18C/64F until fermentation complete and then 3 weeks at 12C/54F.
I have 3 Qs;
1. The Wyeast smack-pack didn't swell up after a couple of hours at 21C/70F so I pitched anyway. I'm told it will just be slow to get going, any advice?
2. The Wyeast didn't smell 'yeasty' but I understand that's ok - its a kolsch thing, is that OK?
3. Some other threads around here suggest different temps and longer cold conditioning. I don't have a fermenting fridge but its winter here and will be sub 5C/41F for most of January. What might give me the best results?

[Background: I normally brew ale-style beers and have been doing so for 18 months with good results. My brewhouse is an unheated garage]

 

[dbsmith]

64 F is a great temp. I usually aim for the 60-64 range for my Kolsch styles. It's up to you!

For cold conditioning, I just do it in the bottle, and I usually just try one every week until I think it tastes great.

Your smack pack situation would worry me a little, though I may worry more than is necessary. If I didn't see any sign of fermentation after 48 hours, I would probably pitch again. Others will say to wait longer I'm sure... but for my process I have never had a beer take longer than 36 hours to show definite signs of fermentation--especially a smack pack.

 

[VikeMan]

1. The Wyeast smack-pack didn't swell up after a couple of hours at 21C/70F so I pitched anyway. I'm told it will just be slow to get going, any advice?

It will most likely be okay, because it almost always is. I would advise patience.

2. The Wyeast didn't smell 'yeasty' but I understand that's ok - its a kolsch thing, is that OK?

What did is smell like? And what do you mean by "a kolsch thing?"

3. Some other threads around here suggest different temps and longer cold conditioning. I don't have a fermenting fridge but its winter here and will be sub 5C/41F for most of January. What might give me the best results?

Kolsch is a style that really benefits from some lagering to drop out yeast, proteins, and polyphenols, clearing the beer and helping that "crisp" flavor/feel. I'd recommend the colder the better, short of freezing, assuming you can keep oxygen from sucking back into your fermenter/lagering vessel.

 

[nujjer]

What did is smell like? And what do you mean by "a kolsch thing?"

Kinda 'off' but not offensively so - it wasn't the usual bready/beery yeast smell, a bit more like the smell you get from a failed brew. I haven't used Kolsch before so I wondering that was normal for that strain.

 

[VikeMan]

Kinda 'off' but not offensively so - it wasn't the usual bready/beery yeast smell, a bit more like the smell you get from a failed brew. I haven't used Kolsch before so I wondering that was normal for that strain.

Can you be any more specific than off or failed? Sour? Sulfury? Other?

 

[Jim R]

I have that happen with smack packs and I have also had it happen the other way where it arrives in the mail already swollen up. I just decided to always make a yeast starter and eliminate any concern although they probably would have worked fine. I save more time with faster fermentations than it would ever take me to make a yeast starter.

 

[nujjer]

Can you be any more specific than off or failed? Sour? Sulfury? Other?

Sorry, I'm not being very clear. Sharp/sour, is the best way I could describe it. I didn't taste it but I imagine it would have been yuk on the sides of my tongue.
Remembering smells is quite hard it turns out.
Prompted by your Q I went out the garage, er, brewhouse to check. The airlock was seeing some positive pressure although not bubbling. So I carefully unsnapped just enough of the FV lid to take a sniff, smells like a normal ale - I wonder if I'm worrying too much.

 

[VikeMan]

So I carefully unsnapped just enough of the FV lid to take a sniff, smells like a normal ale - I wonder if I'm worrying too much.

It sounds like there's nothing to worry about.

 

[nujjer]

Too true @VikeMan , I think I need to relax. People tell me I make good beer - I guess I don't want my batting average to suffer

 

[hottpeper13]

That happens to be my house yeast. My i suggest a blow off tube. The only time it isn't needed is in 1.038- 1.044 brews.
I pitch at 58*-60* , hold for ~ 3 days then raise to 64* for ~ 3 days then to 68* and leave it there for the rest of the 21 day primary. Most times the foam cap is stubborn and needs a little swirl to sink. I keg it and put it in a lager chamber at 33* for 4 weeks. This is not a quick turnaround beer but it will be clear and crisp.
The best ferments are when I make a 1.5 L starter , or a 1 L starter with a vitality addition of 1 qt wort after 10 min into the boil. This is an ale fermented at lagerish temps so I pitch lager size starter.

 

[nujjer]

My i suggest a blow off tube. The only time it isn't needed is in 1.038- 1.044 brews.

Thanks @hottpeper13 My OG was 1046, I have just used a standard airlock - I'll keep checking it, if it looks feisty I'll change out.

I pitch at 58*-60* , hold for ~ 3 days then raise to 64* for ~ 3 days then to 68* and leave it there for the rest of the 21 day primary. [...]. I keg it and put it in a lager chamber at 33* for 4 weeks.

I'm going to follow your fermenting temp profile. I don't have a keg or a fridge big enough, so I'll bottle at 21 days and lager like that. I'll have to rely on the cold weather.

The best ferments are when I make a 1.5 L starter , or a 1 L starter with a vitality addition of 1 qt wort after 10 min into the boil. This is an ale fermented at lagerish temps so I pitch lager size starter.

Do you make the starter from dry yeast - or does "house yeast" mean you harvest from previous brews?

 

[hottpeper13]

I do overbuild starters and save 250 ml from each one. I also repitch about 3 times. Currently have an October Kolsch and a Kolbock on tap.
Before I kegged I would put the bottles in a 70* area for 3 weeks then in the fridge. The last one was always the best.

 

[nujjer]

Update and question - so far so good. 3 days at 17C/62F. 3 days at 18C/64F. 1 week so far at 20C/68F. Fermentation was brisk and has now stopped. Will leave for another week in the primary and then bottle for 4 week lagering.

Question - For Kolsch do I prime bottles as per normal ale. I usually add 5g/0.2oz of caster sugar per bottle. Or I sometimes use carbonation drops.

 

[VikeMan]

Question - For Kolsch do I prime bottles as per normal ale. I usually add 5g/0.2oz of caster sugar per bottle. Or I sometimes use carbonation drops.

If you want the same carbonation level as with your "normal" ales yes, then yes. Lots of people carbonate all of their beers the same. But why not carbonate to style? For Kolsch, I'd say that's about 2.4 volumes on the low end, up to 2.7 volumes if you like it a little livelier. Any of the ABV calculators will tell you how much sugar to use for your desired CO2 level. This one, for instance:
https://www.brewersfriend.com/beer-priming-calculator/

 

[nujjer]

Thanks @VikeMan that's a great level-up on my brewing journey.

Correction: I use 2.5g/0.1oz in my Anglo-American Pale Ales which definitely wont be lively enough for Kolsch.

 

[Vale71]

For bottled Kölsch I'd target your usual ale carbonation levels.
Traditional Kölsch is served by gravity and is somewhat less carbonated but you shouldn't worry about trying to replicate that in your bottled version, after all you're not in Köln, right?

 

[nujjer]

after all you're not in Köln, right?

...about 400 miles in a straight line ... (same latitude as it happens).

 

[nujjer]

after all you're not in Köln, right?

...about 400 miles in a straight line ... (same latitude as it happens).

 

[NewJersey]

Don't smack the pack.
It's unnecessary and silly.

 

[bwible]

1. The Wyeast smack-pack didn't swell up after a couple of hours at 21C/70F so I pitched anyway.

I have yet to ever see one these packs swell up after only a couple hours. When you use a smack pack you have to plan to smack the pack before brew day.

They changed the date coding on them now, so its harder to tell, but the old rule of thumb used to be to look at the date it was packaged on and allow one day for every month old the pack is, up to a maximum of about a week. If its fully swelled a couple days before brew day its not a big deal. If its going to be more than a couple days go ahead and put it into a starter.

That said, I have found old Wyeast packs that fell to the bottom of the fridge behind stuff that were a year or 2 years old and for fun smacked them to see what would happen. The oldest one still swelled up in about 12 days.

 

[nujjer]

Next Q: I cold crashed and left for 8 days or so. The fermenter cleared enough for me to bottle. I have added sugar for carbonation. I would normally leave at 20'C/68'F for a week or so for carbonation to occur - do I need to do this with Kolsch before I then lager for a few weeks? Or shall I leave in the brewhouse at 5'C/40'F for the whole lagering time, and skip the warming for carbonation?

 

[VikeMan]

Next Q: I cold crashed and left for 8 days or so. The fermenter cleared enough for me to bottle. I have added sugar for carbonation. I would normally leave at 20'C/68'F for a week or so for carbonation to occur - do I need to do this with Kolsch before I then lager for a few weeks? Or shall I leave in the brewhouse at 5'C/40'F for the whole lagering time, and skip the warming for carbonation?

You need to warm it up to carbonate. If it carbonates at all at 40F it will be painfully slow.

 

[deuc224]

It will most likely be okay, because it almost always is. I would advise patience.



What did is smell like? And what do you mean by "a kolsch thing?"



Kolsch is a style that really benefits from some lagering to drop out yeast, proteins, and polyphenols, clearing the beer and helping that "crisp" flavor/feel. I'd recommend the colder the better, short of freezing, assuming you can keep oxygen from sucking back into your fermenter/lagering vessel.

Vikeman, quick question, could this be done in a keg? Like once fermentation is done, could i keg it and put it on carbonation in my keezer, just not tapped? How long minimum?

 

[VikeMan]

Vikeman, quick question, could this be done in a keg? Like once fermentation is done, could i keg it and put it on carbonation in my keezer, just not tapped? How long minimum?

Yes, you can certainly do it that way. A lot of people do. There is really no set minimum time and YMMV. Maybe try 3-4 weeks and then sample it and see. But remember that the first pull or two is going to be cloudy because you're drawing off the stuff that settled, unless you're using a floating dip tube or shortened beer dip tube.

 

[deuc224]

Yes, you can certainly do it that way. A lot of people do. There is really no set minimum time and YMMV. Maybe try 3-4 weeks and then sample it and see. But remember that the first pull or two is going to be cloudy because you're drawing off the stuff that settled, unless you're using a floating dip tube or shortened beer dip tube.

Ah ok got it, I noticed that one a smash beer i did, first pint was cloudy as hell. Now im thinking should i get a floating dip tube on a few of the kegs. Thanks Vikeman!

 

[nujjer]

What a beer!
My neighbour and chief taster says it's the best lager style beer he has tasted. Thanks to all on this thread for guiding me though. Kudos in particular to @VikeMan for frequent tips.