Kolsch question

[Cammanron]

So I brewed a kolsch style beer with Safale k97 and I fermented it a bit warmer than recommended. At high kreuzen it overflowed and came out…. No big deal. After high kreuzen, I then put the fermenter in a fridge and completed fermentation at the fridges warmest setting (around 50 F). I then bottle conditioned at room temp until fully carbed and then put them in the fridge to condition.
The question I have is, should this beer taste close to a lager, or not? It tastes good, just not like a lager … ALSO, it is NOT crystal clear like some people claim they are able to achieve. Maybe K97 doesn’t flocculate that clear, I dunno

Thanks

 

[VikeMan]

Ok, first, Kolsch is an ale, not a lager. It's often lagered after fermentation, but it's still an ale. And K97 is an ale strain, and not necessarily the cleanest one at that. I wouldn't expect the result to taste like a lager even without the extra warm fermentation, which also would not help.

Regarding clarity, K97 is a slow flocculator. But time should take care of it.

 

[Cammanron]

Yeah I know that I made an ale, with an ale yeast…. I was under the impression that this was as close to a lager without brewing a a lager.
What would happen if I ferment with lager yeast, bat at ale temps?

 

[madscientist451]

So I brewed a kolsch style beer with Safale k97 and I fermented it a bit warmer than recommended.

The question I have is, should this beer taste close to a lager, or not? It tastes good, just not like a lager …

What exactly was the fermentation temp?

Hey if it tastes good, its a winner, but save some bottles and re-brew at recommended temp for that yeast and see which one you like better.

 

[Cammanron]

What exactly was the fermentation temp?

Hey if it tastes good, its a winner, but save some bottles and re-brew at recommended temp for that yeast and see which one you like better.

The temp was around 69F

 

[VikeMan]

What would happen if I ferment with lager yeast, bat at ale temps?

IMO you'd get a lager with noticeable ale-like esters, because that's what every warm fermented lager I have tasted was like. But fear not, many will tell you that you can make a "great" lager that way.

 

[madscientist451]

I believe the manufacturer recommends 68.

 

[odie]

Kolsch is an ale fermented at closer to lager temps and methods (lagering after primary fermentation/packaging is done). it will take a similar time as a lager to be ready. K97 is not a bad choice IMO if you cannot source a true Kolsch yeast.

 

[Sammy86]

The question I have is, should this beer taste close to a lager, or not? It tastes good, just not like a lager … ALSO, it is NOT crystal clear like some people claim they are able to achieve. Maybe K97 doesn’t flocculate that clear, I dunno

1. Kölsch style beer while being close unfortunately will not give you that lager taste. True Kölsch yeast IMO are very distinct...my personal favorite is WY2565.

Its a clean yeast and drops clear fairly quickly while having that Kölsch flavor. Its a clean beer and can be crisp just not enough like a lager.

2. As with many yeasts time clears all, some take longer than others. If you don't already I would hit the boil with whirlfloc or irish moss and then post fermentation prior to packaging I would hit it with some gelatin for 48-72 hours. Will definitely help with clarity.

 

[jdauria]

So you say after high krausen (where you were fermenting at 69F) you moved to the fridge were it was 50F. Did you check gravity to see if the beer was actually done? Because a beer is not done fermenting when "high krausen" drops some and may not even be done when it drops completely. Even when gravity has stopped dropping, the beer can use a few days for the yeast to clean up after itself before cold crashing in a fridge, which is what it seems you did, though at a warm 50F. Store the beer in the fridge for a month to see if that helps with clarity, as it does not seem you lagered it all. As others have mentioned, not a great yeast for a Kolsch...next time try a true Kolsch yeast, ferment it between 60-65F, then only after at final gravity, put it in fridge to cold crash.

 

[AlexKay]

My experience with K97 is that it is very slow to drop out, but eventually (over a month at cold temperatures) the beer is crystal clear.

 

[AlexKay]

I’ll add that K97 is one of my favorites, though I ferment it at 60 F or so. Clean, but not soulless.

 

[Cammanron]

[

So you say after high krausen (where you were fermenting at 69F) you moved to the fridge were it was 50F. Did you check gravity to see if the beer was actually done? Because a beer is not done fermenting when "high krausen" drops some and may not even be done when it drops completely. Even when gravity has stopped dropping, the beer can use a few days for the yeast to clean up after itself before cold crashing in a fridge, which is what it seems you did, though at a warm 50F. Store the beer in the fridge for a month to see if that helps with clarity, as it does not seem you lagered it all. As others have mentioned, not a great yeast for a Kolsch...next time try a true Kolsch yeast, ferment it between 60-65F, then only after at final gravity, put it in fridge to cold crash.

I didn’t do a gravity check since I do small 2G batches and sever checks mean less on the bottle. I let it sit in the primary (and only) for 3 weeks.
Clarity doesn’t bother me too much.

 

[dmtaylor]

I don't like K-97 at all. Tastes like yeast and bread, and quite tart, nothing like any good lager that I've ever had. I tried to like K-97, I really did..... but I don't. It's similar, but NOT the same as Wyeast 1007 or 2565.

With this batch, best thing you can do is to give it a good 3-4 months of age before you drink it. It takes THAT long for the yeast to settle out sufficiently to where you can start to think about enjoying it.

Anecdotal, but that's been my experience with it. A lot of people like this yeast. Not I. YMMV.

Next time just use either 1007 or 2565, or try S-189 or W-34/70 warm -- works great for me.

 

[Protos]

Me too find K-97 excessively tart, whatever temperature it's fermented at.
M54 and Lalbrew Köln are far better dry yeasts for Kölsch style beers, IMO.

 

[Fr8Dog]

Has anyone tried CellarScience - Cali dry yeast with a Kolsch?

 

[Sammy86]

Me too find K-97 excessively tart, whatever temperature it's fermented at.
M54 and Lalbrew Köln are far better dry yeasts for Kölsch style beers, IMO.

I really enjoyed the Köln yeast...thought it made a great Kölsch, however when I sent it into a comp the judge said the yeast flavor didn't match the style.

 

[Sunfire96]

I've brewed one kolsch and I used Lalbrew Koln yeast fermented at 65F. Bottled after 7 days and lagered in the fridge for a couple weeks once carbonation conditioning was complete. It ended up scoring well at a non-BJCP competition and it did not last long at my house either lol

 

[Beermeister32]

If you have a refrigerator that holds at 50F, go buy yourself a couple packets of W34/70 and make yourself a true lager next batch if that was what you are after. 50F is a good fermentation temperature for lagers.

Use the same recipe as you are using, just change out the yeast and fermenting temperature. Afterwards lager it at 34F if possible. Should be great after a month, FANTASTIC after 90 days.

 

[Cammanron]

If you have a refrigerator that holds at 50F, go buy yourself a couple packets of W34/70 and make yourself a true lager next batch if that was what you are after. 50F is a good fermentation temperature for lagers.

Use the same recipe as you are using, just change out the yeast and fermenting temperature. Afterwards lager it at 34F if possible. Should be great after a month, FANTASTIC after 90 days.

I’ll give it a try.