Kölsch Bee Cave Brewery Kölsch

[TwoHeadsBrewing]

I take mine down to 34 degrees for a few days. The yeast drops out and the cold temp makes for a very firm yeast cake when I rack it so I get very little transferring when I open the spigot.

Thanks for the info! I'm going to check my gravity one more time, then crash cool this tonight. Friday night when I'm brewing I'll rack this into a keg...which mean I better get busy drinking my stout that's inside it!

 

[EdWort]

If you are between 1.009 and 1.011 you are ready to keg. Enjoy!

 

[comj49]

ED,

I am just about to make this, but my LHBS is out of alot of hops. They have Saaz (5.8%) and Spalt (2%), what do you think about substituting those for the Perle and tettenanger? Or do you have another suggestion?

I am not making it for a couple of weeks actually, so if you think i should try to order the correct hops online, i have time.

 

[EdWort]

ED,

I am just about to make this, but my LHBS is out of alot of hops. They have Saaz (5.8%) and Spalt (2%), what do you think about substituting those for the Perle and tettenanger? Or do you have another suggestion?

I am not making it for a couple of weeks actually, so if you think i should try to order the correct hops online, i have time.

Try Northern Brewer for Perle and Saaz for the Tett.

BTW, Northern Brewer has both Perle and Tett in stock. Get them while you can.

 

[Dr Vorlauf]

I did a double batch of this last year and it was awesome. I am thinking of taking advantage of some time off in December to make 4 double batches as I can ferment and age at ambient temperature in my basement.

Koelsh Kristmas...

 

[planenut]

I just brewed this recipe yesterday. First AG by the way. I was advised to up the grain to 12 lbs total (8.8 2 row pils and 3.2 wheat malt) to make up for expected less than perfect efficiency. It checked out at 1.044 before the boil with 6 1/3 gallons and came out at 1.051 post boil.

Any way it is resting at 68 F with a little foam at the top and I realize I should have made a starter. What would you expect w/out the starter? I used the WLP029 yeast.

Thanks

Hello Ed,

I brewed on 9/22. 1.051 Post boil OG.
After about a week it was 1.022
Today (19 days) it is still at 1.022 and tastes sour.
Remember I had the temp go up to about 75 on days 2 and 3 during the most active fermentation and then I dropped the temp back to 68 and fermentation slowed. Currently no airlock or any activity, although a few bubbles persist at the surface.
Should I go ahead and crash cool for 4 days and keg and see how it tastes then or am I stuck with this sour taste?

 

[EdWort]

Hello Ed,

I brewed on 9/22. 1.051 Post boil OG.
After about a week it was 1.022
Today (19 days) it is still at 1.022 and tastes sour.
Remember I had the temp go up to about 75 on days 2 and 3 during the most active fermentation and then I dropped the temp back to 68 and fermentation slowed. Currently no airlock or any activity, although a few bubbles persist at the surface.
Should I go ahead and crash cool for 4 days and keg and see how it tastes then or am I stuck with this sour taste?

Does it taste sour or bitter? It's got a ways to go as mine always finishes out at 1.010 to 1.009.

It should be close to being done by now, but sourness may be a sign of infection.

 

[planenut]

Sour,
Reminds me of the smell of an old bar that has had a lot of beer spilled over the years. Or maybe what a beer left out for days after opening. Taste is similar to the smell.
Looks crystal clear and there is no mold or anything

 

[EdWort]

Sour,
Reminds me of the smell of an old bar that has had a lot of beer spilled over the years. Or maybe what a beer left out for days after opening. Taste is similar to the smell.
Looks crystal clear and there is no mold or anything

Give it time. Don't throw it out!!

 

[planenut]

Do you recommend racking to 5gallon secondary or to keg or just leave it alone. I can keg it easy enough or leave it. I don't have a spare 5 gallon at this time.. Well I have one but I also have all the ingredients to make your afpelwein tomorrow. I have to look at the bright side...

I had great plans to wash the yeast and be ready for the next Kolsch...

 

[EdWort]

Leave it at 68 for up to 4 weeks, then crash cool it and keg it. Then forget about it for a while and see what happens. You may be pleasantly surprised.

 

[planenut]

Roger wilco,

Thanks again!

 

[TwoHeadsBrewing]

Leave it at 68 for up to 4 weeks, then crash cool it and keg it. Then forget about it for a while and see what happens. You may be pleasantly surprised.

I've followed your instructions exactly, but in the wrong order ! I set my fridge at 34 to crash cool, and THEN forgot about it for a while. It's been in there for 2 1/2 weeks now and I don't have a free keg to put it in yet. My apfelwein is almost gone though...maybe I'll have another poker night and have the guys finish it off. Anyways, have you ever "lagered" your pseudo lager before, and what effects did it have?

 

[EdWort]

I've followed your instructions exactly, but in the wrong order ! I set my fridge at 34 to crash cool, and THEN forgot about it for a while. It's been in there for 2 1/2 weeks now and I don't have a free keg to put it in yet. My apfelwein is almost gone though...maybe I'll have another poker night and have the guys finish it off. Anyways, have you ever "lagered" your pseudo lager before, and what effects did it have?

I'm sure that will work too. I have "forgotten" about mine at 38 degrees before too and it turns out quite tasty.

 

[Monsterc]

this tastes more like a pilsner than a Kölsch, though I'm using kölsch yeast. It ferments out dry so is it very crisp and with 36 ibu's, it's not sweet like a German Ale. This end up just over the edge on the style numbers for ibu, abv, og. etc, but since I'm using kölsch yeast, it's a kölsch in my book.

Darn tasty and another staple brew in my kitchen.

All Grain

7# 2 row Pils Malt
2.5 # Wheat Malt

Single infusion mash for 60 minutes at 151 degrees.

1 oz Perle 7.8% AA for 60 minutes
1/2 oz. Tettnanger 4.4% AA for 15 min.
1/2 oz. Tettnanger 4.4% AA for 5 mi.

WLP029 with a starter.

Ferment for 10 days at 68 degrees, crash cool to 39 for 4 days or longer, then rack to keg.

Ed,

How do you get by with only a 60 minute mash when using 2 row Pils Malt?
What brand 2 row are you using?

 

[Dr Vorlauf]

I am doing this recipe for the second or third time. I have ideal frementation conditions in the garage. brewed on Sat afternoon and fermentation seems to have stopped today. The temperature started at 65 F and dropped to about 60 F today. I expect mid 50s tomorrow.

The Wyeast 2565 is a strange beast but a really great yeast IMHO. The thing that intrigues me is that it can act like a wimp in the starter at warm ( 70F ) but explode in the primary at 58 F. It is also hard to believe that it is a top cropping yeast, I see it as more of a " warm lager yeast" than a "cold Ale " yeast.

 

[EdWort]

Ed,

How do you get by with only a 60 minute mash when using 2 row Pils Malt?
What brand 2 row are you using?

Canada Malt - It's a very well modified malt to begin with.

 

[Dr Vorlauf]

Canada Malt - It's a very well modified malt to begin with.

I only do a 60 min mash but get conversion as tested with iodine. I think I can save money with the Canada malt as I am using German and it is a bit pricey ( but very high quality ).

 

[carl_g]

So for an extract version of this.. does this look about right?
I put this stuff into beer tools and this is what I came up with.. I had to lessen the hops a little to stay within the range of bitterness for the style.

 

[BlackNotch]

Brewed a batch of this today, the only difference was in the hops, HBS didn't have Tettanger, so they recommended Argentine Cascade. I really can't wait to try this one!

 

[BlackNotch]

Just took a sip of the Kolsch...WOW, very good! This has been kegged for 9 days, and it tastes mighty fine, very similar to Victory's Prima Pils. I might like this one better than your pale ale...

 

[EdWort]

Just took a sip of the Kolsch...WOW, very good! This has been kegged for 9 days, and it tastes mighty fine, very similar to Victory's Prima Pils. I might like this one better than your pale ale...

Yes, it comes across like a Bitburger Pils. Victory Prima is the BEST domestic German style pils I have ever tasted. Thanks.

 

[BlackNotch]

Prima is one of my faves as well. This fermented in an Ale Pale that was placed in an Igloo "cube" cooler filled with water and 1-2 frozen water bottles. I tried to change the bottles twice a day. The water temp was around 60 degrees.

 

[android]

i racked mine to secondary today and the beer was incredibly foggy coming out out of the primary. has anyone else experienced this? hopefully it will clear up a lot in the secondary. i suppose i should have tried gelatin, but oh well.

smelled damn good and tasted OK for flat and warm. this was my first all grain and the OG was only 1.040 and the FG was about 1.010, not quite the ABV i wanted, but it should be a good session beer.

 

[Bender]

So what happens if I don't cold crash this and use Isenglass the clear it in secondary? I'm guessing the worst thing is the beer might be cloudier than it would be otherwise.

 

[android]

i finally got around to kegging mine after an extended period in the secondary in my basement. it's been 'crash cooling' in the keg for 2 days and i pumped 30 psi on it for both days, not she's at 10 psi and the first glass is a little undercarbed but tasting very nice!

questions: do you normally get a few cloudy pints at first?

also, what pressure do you serve this at?

thanks for the recipe!

 

[Pangea]

Anyone not use finings or clarifiers in Edwort's Kolsch? I forgot to add my irish moss during the boil. I'm curious if it will clear up like it should after cold conditioning or will I be keeping it cold for extended periods prior to kegging for nothing.

Should be great either way - I hit all the numbers, mashed @ exactly 151 to 150 for 60 minutes, OG 1.052, just over 5.5 gal wort in the fermenter. I'm using the WYeast 2565 strain.

Thanks!

Pangea

 

[TwoHeadsBrewing]

Heh, I did that too...totally forgot to use the irish moss in the boil. I ended up adding some gelatin finings to clear it up about a week ago. It's almost totally clear now, but I'm still going to wait for a couple more weeks before I attack that keg in earnest.

On a kind of related note, I've found that Nottingham yeast produces a beer that tastes almost exactly like Lost Coast's Great White beer. It clears quickly, and is a great "grain to glass" in about 2 weeks. Definitely not a "kolsch" without the proper yeast, but a very tasty beer...maybe qualifies as a blonde ale?

 

[Pangea]

Heh, I did that too...totally forgot to use the irish moss in the boil. I ended up adding some gelatin finings to clear it up about a week ago. It's almost totally clear now, but I'm still going to wait for a couple more weeks before I attack that keg in earnest.

On a kind of related note, I've found that Nottingham yeast produces a beer that tastes almost exactly like Lost Coast's Great White beer. It clears quickly, and is a great "grain to glass" in about 2 weeks. Definitely not a "kolsch" without the proper yeast, but a very tasty beer...maybe qualifies as a blonde ale?

This is the second time in a row I forgot to add the moss. But last time it was a weizen so it doesn't really make a big impact. I'd like this one to come out fairly clear, with maybe just a bit of chill haze.

I was also thinking about a new strain for this recipe, wondering about using US-05. Think I may try it next time istead of the kolsch to see what happens - the goal being higher flocculation and clarity without finings, plus perhaps a suitable beverage that is ready to be quaffed sooner.

 

[CharlosCarlies]

Just kegged this after ~3 weeks in primary and a couple days @ 38F. It came out crystal clear w/ just a little irish moss and no finings.

The sample I tasted was fantastic even uncarbed! W/ that being said, I just realized a few minutes ago that I had actually mashed at the wrong temp (154F) w/o even knowing it. It finished out at 1.011-1.012ish, which actually ended up making it taste a little sweeter like a "normal" kolsch which is perfectly fine by me! Next time I'll try it a little drier, but this looks like it's going to become one of my favorite beers yet. Thanks for the recipe Ed!