Alaskan Summer Ale Kolsch - please critique

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gonzo brewer

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My Labor day challenge is to clone the beer my wife likes.
Based on the Alaskan Website - here is my crack at it.

5 gallon
OG 1.048
IBU 18

4 lb 2 row Pale (Rahr)
2.5 lb Wheat
1.5 lb Munich
1.0 lb Vienna

1.25 oz Hallertauer @ 60min

Mash at 152º ??? Batch Sparge
WLP029 yeast
Ferment @ 62º
Lager @ 50º ???

Please help as this is my first Kolsch or light hybrid. I also want to make this spot on Alaskan Summer Ale and do a side by side for my wife.
Should I use a 75/25 mixture of RO water and city water?? My city water Bicarbonates are 160.
 
I just came across your recipe for a clone of Alaskan Summer Ale and was wondering how it turned out? When I looked at their website, they did not give much information about what was in it, aside from "a generous blend of European and Pacific Northwest hop varieties and premium two-row and specialty malts". Your recipe only used 1 type of hops. I would love to try to match the Alaskan Summer Ale, so any insight would be great. Thanks.
 
It turned out great. A Kolsch with body that BMC drinkers can Quaff. I have made it twice and will keep it in rotation to keep the wife happy. I'll give you both recipes tonight when I get home - can't remember the exact hops.
 
First recipe

5 gallon 75 min boil
1.049 SG 1.011 FG 5.0% ABV
20 IBU

6.0 lb pilsner
1.5 lb Munich 10L
1.0 lb Vienna
1.0 lb White Wheat
3 oz rice hulls
1.3 oz Hallertauer Mittlefrit @ 60 min.
WLP-029 Kolsch yeast with 1 liter starter 48 hrs
Mash @150º for 75 min.
ferment @ 68º for 2 weeks, secondary @ 45º-50º for 2 weeks

The second time I bumped pilsner to 7.0 lb, wheat to 1.5 lb and munich down to 1.0 lb. Used Tettnang @ 75 min and Hallertau Hersbrucker @ 25 min. This ended up being 5.3% ABV

Both were excellent. Next time I will drop the pilsner to 6.0 lb and up the wheat to 2 lb - shoot for 5% Keep hops at 20 IBU

Good luck
 
made this friday the 3rd of april 09, had to use us-05 yeast. will let you know if it is good way to go.
 
back with the results on substituting with us 05....tastes fantastic, clean, fresh, hint of sweetness or fruit.great recipe by gonzo, thank you, will try it with kolsch yeast next time.
 
Glad you liked it.
My last batch used 2 lb white wheat. I think it is better yet. Lagering this kolsch away in secondary at below 50º for 3 weeks really helps this one. I imagine it would be good with 05 yeast, but it has to be crisper with the kolsch yeast.
I'll be making another 10 gal next week. I plan to try belgian pilsner instead of german pilsner because I just picked up a sack of it.

My wife says leave it the same, but I can't help tinker.
 
My wife says leave it the same, but I can't help tinker.

I have the same issue with my Porter Recipe.
The wife loves it as is.

But I still have that urge to make it better...give it that special edge.

So. I brew two batches. Hers and mine. it works out. :mug:
 
First recipe

5 gallon 75 min boil
1.049 SG 1.011 FG 5.0% ABV
20 IBU

6.0 lb pilsner
1.5 lb Munich 10L
1.0 lb Vienna
1.0 lb White Wheat
3 oz rice hulls
1.3 oz Hallertauer Mittlefrit @ 60 min.
WLP-029 Kolsch yeast with 1 liter starter 48 hrs
Mash @150º for 75 min.
ferment @ 68º for 2 weeks, secondary @ 45º-50º for 2 weeks

The second time I bumped pilsner to 7.0 lb, wheat to 1.5 lb and munich down to 1.0 lb. Used Tettnang @ 75 min and Hallertau Hersbrucker @ 25 min. This ended up being 5.3% ABV

Both were excellent. Next time I will drop the pilsner to 6.0 lb and up the wheat to 2 lb - shoot for 5% Keep hops at 20 IBU

Good luck

Would it be possible for anyone to convert this recipe into Extract or Extract with Steeping Grains? If not, can someone point me in the right direction to convert it?

I'd like to try to make this in honor of my trip to the brewery a few years ago.

Thanks
 
I brewed a Kolsch earlier this summer with 6lb pilsner and 4lb white wheat. Never thought of using Munich or Vienna in it. Next time I'm going to do a 5/5 split on pils/wh wht, and possibly add some vienna and/or munich. At some point I'm planning on doing a 100% white wheat as well (-:
 
Glad you liked it.
My last batch used 2 lb white wheat. I think it is better yet. Lagering this kolsch away in secondary at below 50º for 3 weeks really helps this one. I imagine it would be good with 05 yeast, but it has to be crisper with the kolsch yeast.
I'll be making another 10 gal next week. I plan to try belgian pilsner instead of german pilsner because I just picked up a sack of it.

My wife says leave it the same, but I can't help tinker.


So out of those three variations, which one did you like most? Did the addition of more wheat make it come out a little thicker in the mouthfeel or did you still end up with that nice crisp kolsch beer?
 
The 60%/40% turned out great. The wheat didn't have much of an effect on mouthfeel. Since my last post above nearly 2 years ago I've brewed a few cream ales. Any basic cream ale recipe would make a good kolsch in my opinion. To really make it shine, increase the wheat%. If you decide to use vienna I'd keep it low so you don't get any bready flavors. I've grown quite fond of munich, so I'd definitly add some munich to my next Kolsch.

6lbs Pilsner
4lbs white Wheat
0.5lb Munich 10
.25lb CaraHell

1oz saphir (60mins)
1oz saaz (10mins)

Wyeast Kolsch 1 yeast

Mash:
10 min protein rest at 122F
60 min at 148F
 
Here's what I ended up going with;


HOME BREW RECIPE:
Title: Kolsch

Brew Method: All Grain
Style Name: Kölsch
Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 5.5 gallons
Boil Size: 7 gallons
Efficiency: 70%

STATS:
Original Gravity: 1.052
Final Gravity: 1.013
ABV (standard): 5.07%
IBU (tinseth): 25.43
SRM (morey): 4.26

FERMENTABLES:
6 lb - Pilsner (57.1%)
3.5 lb - White Wheat (33.3%)
1 lb - Munich Light (9.5%)

HOPS:
0.6 oz - Opal (AA 9.2) for 60 min, Type: Pellet, Use: Boil
1 oz - Hallertau Mittelfruh (AA 3.75) for 10 min, Type: Leaf/Whole, Use: Boil

MASH STEPS:
1) Temp: 149 F

YEAST:
White Labs - German Ale/ Kölsch Yeast WLP029


Thoughts? I went with Opal only because I have some open in my fridge that I'd like to use, but I have some Tettnanger too, so if someone thinks that would make a better hop profile for this I'd definitely like to hear that.
 
Debating if I want to use Opal hops or just suck it up and use tettnang or Hallertau for this. Will the late addition of an aromatic hop ruin the style?
 
Would it be possible for anyone to convert this recipe into Extract or Extract with Steeping Grains? If not, can someone point me in the right direction to convert it?

I'd like to try to make this in honor of my trip to the brewery a few years ago.

Thanks

I would convert the grain bill as follows:

5lb Pilsner Liquid Extract
1.5lb Wheat Liquid Extract
.75lb Munich 10L
.75lb Vienna​

This should give you a pretty close match with steeping the specialty grains.
 
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