Kolsch feedback please (extract + specialty grain)

[dillypo]

I am trying to make a Saint Arnold's Fancy Lawnmower clone. I am aware that Austin Home Brew has a kit but I'm trying to support my LHBS and the Austin Kit doesn't tell me exactly whats in it anyway (maybe it does if I buy it? Can anyone answer that?).

This might not be an exact clone, but hopefully a good Kolsch anyway. I'm asking for feedback to make it a better Kolsch first and secondly closer to Fancy Lawnmower.

Onto the recipe!

5lbs Briess Pils Light DME
8oz Briess Bavarian Wheat DME
4oz Crisp Crystal Malt 60L (for coloring - hopefully doesn't go against the style).

5 gallon 60 minute boil (starting with something closer to 5.5 gallons to counter boil off)

3/4oz Hallertauer @ 60m
1/2oz Hallertauer @ 30m
1/2oz Hallertauer @ 15m
1oz Hallertauer @ 1m

WLP029 for yeast.

Hopville says that'll get me to:
1.049 OG, 1.012 FG with 4.9% ABV
30IBU
5 SRM

which is pretty much on the nose for the style I think.

I've got a temp controlled chest freezer so I'm planning on fermenting at 62F with a nice starter to get it going. I'll rack to secondary when fermentation is done, drop the temp into the 50's for a week or two and then cold crash before kegging to clear it up as much as possible.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Tips?

 

[BigB]

Looks like a great recipe, but I would cut back on the late addition hops to keep it more authentic to a traditional Kolsch. Not that a light noble hop aroma is out of style, nor is a hop flavor necessarily out of style, its just that most authentic versions do not have much in the way of hop aroma or flavor. Yes, there are a couple minor exceptions, but those are certainly not the norm. Also, why are you concerned about coloring? Kolsch is a very pale colored beer. I personally would cut the crystal out all together. Finally, yes, 30 ibu's is within BJCP guidelines, but that is the high end of the scale (20-30). Most authentic kolschs are closer to the lower end of the range.

 

[bknifefight]

I agree with BigB on a few points:
-Cut the Crystal
-Cut the late hop additions
Other than that, it looks very similar to a kolsch I used to brew which has done very well in competitions.

 

[dillypo]

Thanks guys, I'm not brewing this for another week and a half. I'll follow your suggestions. I take it by "late" hop additions you mean the 15m and 1m?

Also the reason I added the crystal was because hopville said it was 'too light' before that at 3SRM where the style is 4-5.

So a revised recipe would look something like:
5lbs Briess Pils Light DME
8oz Briess Bavarian Wheat DME

5 gallon 60 minute boil (starting with something closer to 5.5 gallons to counter boil off)

3/4oz Hallertauer @ 60m
1/2oz Hallertauer @ 30m

WLP029 for yeast.

 

[paraordnance]

30 IBUs will be too much for this yeast. I personally think your beer will be too bitter and not balanced @ 30 IBUs since you don't have a lot of Crystal or Honey malt to balance the bitterness. White Labs says WLP-029 "accentuates hop flavors" and it has been so from my personal experience. I would scale it down to 20-22 max

 

[BigB]

Thanks guys, I'm not brewing this for another week and a half. I'll follow your suggestions. I take it by "late" hop additions you mean the 15m and 1m?

Also the reason I added the crystal was because hopville said it was 'too light' before that at 3SRM where the style is 4-5.

So a revised recipe would look something like:
5lbs Briess Pils Light DME
8oz Briess Bavarian Wheat DME

5 gallon 60 minute boil (starting with something closer to 5.5 gallons to counter boil off)

3/4oz Hallertauer @ 60m
1/2oz Hallertauer @ 30m

WLP029 for yeast.

That looks like a great Kolsch recipe and your process is spot on. For the heck of it, I threw that into Beersmith because the 30 ibus for that amount of hops seemed high. Do you know the AA of the hops your supplier has. I used 4.8 which is on the higher end of what I normally can get... at 4.8, I only come up with 19 IBU's . So make sure you adjust accordingly for whatever AA hops you get... but I would shoot for 21-25 IBU's.

 

[dillypo]

That looks like a great Kolsch recipe and your process is spot on. For the heck of it, I threw that into Beersmith because the 30 ibus for that amount of hops seemed high. Do you know the AA of the hops your supplier has. I used 4.8 which is on the higher end of what I normally can get... at 4.8, I only come up with 19 IBU's . So make sure you adjust accordingly for whatever AA hops you get... but I would shoot for 21-25 IBU's.

That's a great point. I don't know off the top of my head, but when I do go buy it I'll check and rebalance the hops based on what the package says.

I'm just waiting for the fermentation chamber to become available before I start this one!

Thanks again for the feedback everyone. I will aim for the low 20's instead.