Kölsch Fermentation Temperature

[fknizner]

I made an 800ML starter on for a smack pack of Wyeast Kölsch (2565), which I let sit on my stir-plate for 30 hours and then pitched into my brew last evening after beer had cooled to ~65. The beer is sitting in my Fermentation chamber right now, ambient temp ~49, and it's fermenting like crazy right now with a fermentation/beer temp at ~53.

I know that the temperature range on Wyeast's website for the Kölsch is 56-70, and I always have fermented with it at around 57.

However, It appears to be doing jut fine at ~53.

My Questions:
1. Should I...
a) leave it at 53 (and hopefully get an even crisper, lager-like flavor)?
- or -
b) bump up the temp to ~56 (which is within the suggested range)?

2. Are there any potential problems (stuck fermentation, some kind of off flavor..etc) in letting it ferment below the suggested fermentation temperature?

Thanks

 

[TheJasonT]

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I know a local brewery that is fermenting their Kölsch at lager temps and doing just fine. It's easily one of the best beers I have ever had.

I would think you would want to let it warm up some (diacetyl rest) near the end of fermentation before a lagering period at the minimum.

 

[fknizner]

Thanks. Its still going strong at ~54, and I'm probably going to bump it up to ~60 once fermentation has noticeably lessened, and let it sit for a week at that temp.

If I still haven't reached FG, or if there's any hint of diacetyl in my sample, i'll bump it up to 68 for ~48 hours.

I dont plan on lagering this particular brew, but I will cold crash it ~36 for a week or so. I plan on bottling, and I've found that cold storage for longer than a week makes bottle carbing take f o r e v e r.