Kolsch Rescue Needed

[blugrazz]

Pulled a kolsch partial mash recipe off the internet somewhere not here. Was my first partial mash, second lager overall but first lager since learning to make starters. So, I was really keyed in on making the starter and setting up the partial mash.

Here is the rescue part. Take a look at the recipe and see if you can see the problem otherwise I have guessed at I think needs to be rescued below.

5 lbs muntons dme
2.5 lbs pilsener malt (2row)
.5 lbs light wheat malt
.5 lbs carahell malt

.5 oz tettnanger aa 4.8% 60 min
.5 oz hallertau hersbrucker aa 4.8% 60 min
.5 oz tettnanger aa 4.8% 25 min
.5 oz hallertau hersbrucker aa 4.8% 25 min
.5 oz saaz aa 3.4% 10 min

1 tsp irish moss at 15mins
wyeast kolsch - 2565 (used White Labs Kolsch)
og 1.049
Partial mash boil around 155 degrees for 20-45 minutes

After the fact, I plugged this into Brewtarget and it violated just about every Kolsch characteristic. The culprit being there should have probably been only 3# of DME and not the 5# listed. Currently, its in its 3rd day of fermentation at 52-55 degrees and roughly 75% complete. I'm about to do a D-rest and then lager for a couple weeks.

It definitely has the "hot" taste to it probably too much for a kolsch to handle. Anything I can do to smooth it out? I brewed this for my wife after delivering our second kid and her not being able to enjoy the fruits of my labor thus far. She like lighter beers but this one might be too much to handle.

I guess there could be worse problems.

 

[ArcaneXor]

Koelsch is an ale, not a lager. I am surprised you are getting any fermentation at those low temperatures.

Don't bother tasting actively fermenting beer. Let the yeast do its thing, then taste it in a couple of weeks. It will be more hoppy than a Koelsch because of all those late hop additions to the recipe, and maybe a bit sweeter from the Carahell.

 

[hoppymonkey]

Koelsch is an ale, not a lager. I am surprised you are getting any fermentation at those low temperatures.

Don't bother tasting actively fermenting beer. Let the yeast do its thing, then taste it in a couple of weeks. It will be more hoppy than a Koelsch because of all those late hop additions to the recipe, and maybe a bit sweeter from the Carahell.

+1. You should be fermenting in the low 60s. Other than that you'll probably end up with a decent beer with time, Just not what you were planning on. I'd bring it up to the low 60s and leave it there for a 2-3 weeks before any lagering.

 

[JLem]

The kolsch yeast can handle the cooler temps - I don't see any need to worry there. Overall I think this will turn out fine. I wouldn't judge any hot flavors at this point - still much too young. Once it's done, lager it for a few weeks, bottle, then judge. I think it will be fine.

 

[blugrazz]

Koelsch is an ale, not a lager. I am surprised you are getting any fermentation at those low temperatures.

Don't bother tasting actively fermenting beer. Let the yeast do its thing, then taste it in a couple of weeks. It will be more hoppy than a Koelsch because of all those late hop additions to the recipe, and maybe a bit sweeter from the Carahell.

Well, I guess I should chalk that one up as another oversight. I have had no problems with the fermentation so let it be known that WL Kolsch yeast can handle the cooler temps. Thanks all.

 

[JLem]

Well, I guess I should chalk that one up as another oversight. I have had no problems with the fermentation so let it be known that WL Kolsch yeast can handle the cooler temps. Thanks all.

While technically true that Kolsch is an ale and not a strict lager - it is really considered a hybrid of the two. In this case, it is an ale that is fermented cooler and is lagered for a period post fermentation. A pseudo-lager? The yeast used for this style have been selected to work at cooler ale temps. Many brewers, homebrewers included, ferment this in the upper 50s-lower60s. Don't forget too that the beer temp will be higher than the ambient temp.