Koln Water Help for my perfect Kolsch

[discokid2k]

HI All,

I am trying to wrap my head around proper water for brewing, I just started so be gentle and I am confused. I am in my Kolsch mode and am working on perfecting one but I need some assistance. I found a recipe that styles the Koln water:

Ca 104ppm
Cl 109ppm
Mg 15ppm
Na 52ppm
So4 86ppm
Cos 152ppm

Here is the recipe page- pretty detailed: http://www.babblehomebrewers.com/attachments/article/62/koelsch.pdf

My question is what is So4 & Cos? I know the rest of the elements and I do not know how to modify my water just yet, sorry. I have attached the water report for my area, which I am currently digesting but in the meantime, what are these two random elements?? I believe Cos is Cobalt? Any advice? Am I in over my head?

View attachment ShowDocument.pdf

 

[ajdelange]

SO4 is sulfate ion and CO3 refers to the alkalinity 'as calcium carbonate'. But forget about this water data. Kölsch is a delicate beer and is best made with water with minimal ion content. RO water with only a modest amount of calcium chloride (half a tsp per 5 gallons) makes a very nice Kölsch. Given where you are posting from RO water is doubtless going to be a necessity for you anyway. Forget about the water treatment recommendations in the .pdf you reference. It contains bad advice. You definitely do not want the specified levels of sulfate or alkalinity.

A grain bill of pilsner malt with perhaps 5 - 10% wheat for head is more or less traditional. Kölsch should be as light as possible in color so don't add any crystal or caramel malts. You will also need 2-3% sauermalz (acidulated malt) to get mash pH into the correct range.

Hops can be any of the noble varieties except perhaps for Saaz which would render the beer a bit spicey. It is because you are using noble hops that you want minimum sulfate.

Yeast is critically important for a Kölsch if it is to have that fruity chardonnay like quality. Use a strain designated for Kölsch.

Because you are shooting for light color you should restrict the boil time to one hour. Adjust your hopping schedule accordingly.

 

[mabrungard]

As AJ says, that proposed water profile would not produce the finest Kolsch. A much less mineralized water is required and more importantly, the alkalinity is going to be far lower than suggested by that profile. I also note that the chloride and sulfate levels are fairly aggressive. This is a case where using a factor like the sulfate to chloride ratio will get you into trouble. If a brewer is interested in promoting malty perceptions, reducing both chloride and sulfate to more modest levels would allow the malt to shine instead of masking it with minerals.

 

[discokid2k]

SO4 is sulfate ion and CO3 refers to the alkalinity 'as calcium carbonate'. But forget about this water data. Kölsch is a delicate beer and is best made with water with minimal ion content. RO water with only a modest amount of calcium chloride (half a tsp per 5 gallons) makes a very nice Kölsch. Given where you are posting from RO water is doubtless going to be a necessity for you anyway. Forget about the water treatment recommendations in the .pdf you reference. It contains bad advice. You definitely do not want the specified levels of sulfate or alkalinity.

A grain bill of pilsner malt with perhaps 5 - 10% wheat for head is more or less traditional. Kölsch should be as light as possible in color so don't add any crystal or caramel malts. You will also need 2-3% sauermalz (acidulated malt) to get mash pH into the correct range.

Hops can be any of the noble varieties except perhaps for Saaz which would render the beer a bit spicey. It is because you are using noble hops that you want minimum sulfate.

Yeast is critically important for a Kölsch if it is to have that fruity chardonnay like quality. Use a strain designated for Kölsch.

Because you are shooting for light color you should restrict the boil time to one hour. Adjust your hopping schedule accordingly.

A follow up question: How does one amend the water to attain the correct "RO"? I used to buy just purified water for my brews but I have slowly started using my local water which is high in carbonates from what I can decipher from the city report I attached. I guess back to the drawing board for the moment. Thank you gents!

 

[discokid2k]

As AJ says, that proposed water profile would not produce the finest Kolsch. A much less mineralized water is required and more importantly, the alkalinity is going to be far lower than suggested by that profile. I also note that the chloride and sulfate levels are fairly aggressive. This is a case where using a factor like the sulfate to chloride ratio will get you into trouble. If a brewer is interested in promoting malty perceptions, reducing both chloride and sulfate to more modest levels would allow the malt to shine instead of masking it with minerals.

Besides a chemistry degree, any reccomended reading to help me out?

 

[afr0byte]

A follow up question: How does one amend the water to attain the correct "RO"? I used to buy just purified water for my brews but I have slowly started using my local water which is high in carbonates from what I can decipher from the city report I attached. I guess back to the drawing board for the moment. Thank you gents!

RO stands for reverse osmosis. It's a super fine filter that removes 95%+ of the minerals from the water. Often supermarkets will have a water dispenser that has RO water.

 

[discokid2k]

RO stands for reverse osmosis. It's a super fine filter that removes 95%+ of the minerals from the water. Often supermarkets will have a water dispenser that has RO water.

Ahh. Awesome. I was buying water for most brews anyways. That is a lot easier than trying to wrap my head around water amending. I was remembering chem class and thinking, "oh s**t".

 

[mabrungard]

Besides a chemistry degree, any reccomended reading to help me out?

I suggest using a water profile that is relatively low in most ions. Since Kolsch is typically a relatively pale beer, I suggest looking at the "Yellow" water profiles that are included in Bru'n Water. A Kolsch frequently has a balanced to malty perception, so Yellow Balanced or Yellow Malty profiles might be more suited.

 

[discokid2k]

I suggest using a water profile that is relatively low in most ions. Since Kolsch is typically a relatively pale beer, I suggest looking at the "Yellow" water profiles that are included in Bru'n Water. A Kolsch frequently has a balanced to malty perception, so Yellow Balanced or Yellow Malty profiles might be more suited.

Sweet! I will start looking into that. Thanks. I may ask you some more questions, buyer beware>