Kölsch Bee Cave Brewery Kölsch

[bluemoose]

Ed,

Ever tried adding peach to this? Any suggestions?
SWMBO would like a peach Kolsch, like we used to drink at a local watering hole. I was thinking about using this recipe and adding peach into secondary.

Thanks

 

[elproducto]

Anyone tried Crystal hops in this, or any other Kolsch for that matter?

I've brewed a couple Kolsch's with Tetts, but I have a pound of Crystal hops just waiting to be brewed with. I'd also like a hoppier Kolsch.

 

[EdWort]

Ed,

Ever tried adding peach to this?
Thanks

Sorry, but I'm a stickler about Reinheitsgebot for my German beers. No fruit ever touches them.

 

[HopheadNJ]

Any chance of this going from grain to glass in less than 3 weeks? I keg and would obviously force carb.

 

[rockytoptim]

Any chance of this going from grain to glass in less than 3 weeks? I keg and would obviously force carb.

I have brewed this and I usually primary for 2 weeks then cold crash for 2 days then keg. You can drink it from grain to glass in under three weeks but its way better after its aged 4 more weeks in the keg.

 

[EdWort]

Any chance of this going from grain to glass in less than 3 weeks? I keg and would obviously force carb.

Sure, but it won't be brilliantly clear and it will be green beer.

If you have a chance to drink it over time, you will notice how it improves in taste and the clarity a couple weeks after you tap it.

 

[fullstop22]

I brewed this for my sons wedding along with a Magic Hat #9 clone. I was told this was by far a wine drinking crowd. I knew my sons buds would drink some homebrew but very few other had ever tried it. We had 2 cases of this kolsch,1 case of #9 clone, 1 keg of Bud , random bottles of homebrew, 2 Bud and 1Labatts in cans just in case. Oh yea 3 cases of wine for this wine only guest list. The end result--- Kolsh & #9 clone BAM gone! The random bottles next gone.
1/2 of the keg left.2 cases of wine left Most 2 cases of cans left.
I heard I don't even like beer but this stuff is great by one women. A few of the WINE drinkers had the first glass of wine tried the homebrew no more wine for them. BIG THANK YOU to EdWort for this recipe

 

[elproducto]

Ed, what is your efficiency? Just hoping to hit the numbers right.

Cheers

 

[EdWort]

ed, what is your efficiency? Just hoping to hit the numbers right.

Cheers

75%

 

[rossi46]

Made my 4th batch of this tonight and did something wrong. My pre-boil was 1.050 and post-boil is 1.060. It's like an Imperial Kolsch. I'm glad I added an extra 1/2 ounce of hops.

 

[Benzene]

This one is churning away as I type this. To compensate for my lower efficiency I added 1 pound to the grain bill. OG was 1.054 so I'm happy!

 

[beermaker62]

I am planning on force carbonating my Kolsch then bottle. Do i need to keep the beer refrigerated after bottling or will it go bad?

 

[RLinNH]

Brewing this beer for the 3rd time right now. I will be brewing it 3 more times in the next 2 months.

 

[Looper]

I just brewed this up, with a slightly different grain bill..

7lbs German pilsner
1lb white wheat malt
1lb Vienna malt

60 min - .75oz Perle pellets (8.70%)
30 min - .50oz tettnang pellets (4.8%)

For ~35 IBUs

Mashed for 1 hour at 150F.

Boiled 90 minutes, pitched a 1 liter starter of wyeast 2565.

Wyeast nutrient and whirlfloc added with 15 minutes left in the boil.

OG was 1.052 giving 76% efficiency.

1 hour after pitching, the fermometer reads 70F.

What should the ambient temperature of this be during primary fermentation? I was planning on putting it next to my basement door, which is a relatively constant 56-60F.

What is the lower end (temp-wise) of this yeast? I don't want it to be too cold for the yeast to work, then have it quit too soon.

Thanks !

 

[Looper]

Krausen formed 12 hours after pitching.

Ambient temperature is 56, fermometer reads 60. Airlock bubbling away, nice 3-4inch krausen. Should be perfect.

 

[Surly]

I just brewed this up, with a slightly different grain bill..

7lbs German pilsner
1lb white wheat malt
1lb Vienna malt

60 min - .75oz Perle pellets (8.70%)
30 min - .50oz tettnang pellets (4.8%)

For ~35 IBUs

Mashed for 1 hour at 150F.

Boiled 90 minutes, pitched a 1 liter starter of wyeast 2565.

Wyeast nutrient and whirlfloc added with 15 minutes left in the boil.

OG was 1.052 giving 76% efficiency.

1 hour after pitching, the fermometer reads 70F.

What should the ambient temperature of this be during primary fermentation? I was planning on putting it next to my basement door, which is a relatively constant 56-60F.

What is the lower end (temp-wise) of this yeast? I don't want it to be too cold for the yeast to work, then have it quit too soon.

Thanks !

Looper
I tend to like Vienna malt. I do though have to ask why you added it to this Kolsch?

 

[Looper]

Looper
I tend to like Vienna malt. I do though have to ask why you added it to this Kolsch?

To tell you the truth, I was just planning on using the Pilsner and Wheat malts, but I got into a conversation with the guy at the LHBS about the recipe. He was honest and told me he didn't know a whole lot about the kolsch style, but that one of his buddies is a very experienced homebrewer who happens to win gold at any homebrew competition he enters, in the Kolsch category.

That said, I have no idea what'll happen. I was cautious and only used 1lb, instead of the 2lbs that he recommended (since I still wanted 1lb of white wheat).

Primary fermentation is finally slowing down, and krausen is gradually falling. I fermented this one cold (55-60), and it has taken its time, althought steady airlock activity and thick krausen would say otherwise.

I expect the FG to be very low, like planned. Once the krausen drops, I'm going to let the yeast clean up for about a week, then throw it in the garage (~35-40F) for a few weeks to cold crash.

I'll definitely report back here with tasting notes. Might not be for a while though..

 

[seatbelt123]

Looks like a great beer and I plan on brewing it. But it looks like you are getting really high attenuation. The WL Kolsch yeast is described as getting between 72-78% attenuation. But to hit an FG of less than 1010 with an OG of more than 1050 suggests an 80+ pct attenuation.

If I target an OG of 1050 my brewing program says I'll end up at about 1012.

Just interested in your thoughts on this.

Thanks!

 

[seatbelt123]

I brewed this on 2/5, 7 days ago. Airlock activity seemed to stop so I opened it up to take a gravity reading. Rang in at 1.006! And there was still a thick krausen!

I guess I'll just let it finish up. I hope it doesn't dry out too much...

 

[keesh]

I just made this - added 2# of honey malt and upped the pilsener (I used german) malt to 10# to make up for a lower efficiency. I also used 2 oz German Tradition hops as FWH (which are similar to Hallertau) because I had them on hand (I got them for 1$/oz a while ago, wasn't sure what to do with em) and 1 oz as a finishing hop at 5 minutes. I am planning on dry hopping with 1 oz of US northern brewer but that depends on how it smells when I transfer to secondary.

 

[n8dagr8]

Brewed this over the weekend. It was my first all grain. Used the 10 gallon cooler I made from the directions on this site. Hit my target gravity and everything. I upped the hops just a touch. It smells great (yes, I'm an airlock sniffer). Thanks for all the great recipes, Ed!

N8

 

[seatbelt123]

Here's my first pour! All grain BIAB (electric to boot!) on 2/5. Cold crashed for a week. I forgot to take the FG.

Looks and tastes great. Gorgeous lasting bright white head (not to style though). Faint pils aroma, light sweetness and graininess. Taste is delicately balanced bt pils malt and euro-spicy hop bitterness. Finishes crisply.

Thanks for the recipe - I will brew it again.

 

[LMGK]

Don't have perle hops. Only cascade, ttteanger, hallertau and Saaz. Which could I use as substitute?

 

[elproducto]

I've used all Tetts in Kolsch and it's really nice.

 

[Rubes]

Tapped the keg yesterday and had a few pints in the backyard. What a great, refreshing beer. I knew from the samples that this would be a winner, so luckily I made another 5 gallons last weekend. I'll definitely be making more in preparation for summer.

 

[seatbelt123]

Tapped the keg yesterday and had a few pints in the backyard. What a great, refreshing beer. I knew from the samples that this would be a winner, so luckily I made another 5 gallons last weekend. I'll definitely be making more in preparation for summer.

I had a few in my yard too! A month in and it is crystal clear and refreshing. Great Kolsch.

 

[LMGK]

I've used all Tetts in Kolsch and it's really nice.

Yah it turned out tasty so far just cold crashed and kegged up yesterday. Samples taste great already. Secondly I just checked my reciepe I wound up using some Saaz with my tetts for bittering. I was running low on the tetts. Still pretty clear already, light, the most non fruity ale I've made to date. Clean and crisp is not an exaggeration.

 

[Benzene]

Brewed this about a month ago and it's my favorite one I've brewed yet.

 

[BunzoBrew]

Wow those pics look very nice. I'm going to do a batch today and I'm excited, it'll be my first time doing a kolsch and I finally got the yeast from my lhbs

 

[goosegrease]

I brewed this about ten days ago, 8 lbs pilsner, 2 lbs wheat. I was a little too efficient and ended up at a .56. Just tested and I am at .011. It is still a little cloudy, I will give it another 10 days or so and coldcrash and keg. The sample I pulled tasted amazingly good. Thanks Ed!
Jim