kolsch yeast temperature

[mChavez]

Hi!

I've been looking at kolsch yeast and according to wyeast's description, it ferments well at 13-21C.
Does this refer to air temp or wort temp (i.e. air temp of <17C)?
I can get air temp of 20-22C for my ale yeasties (which seems to work well) but for <17C I'll have to wait until winter =/

Has anyone tried fermenting wyeast kolsch beasties at 19-24C (air) and got good results?

Thank you!

 

[Yooper]

Hi!

I've been looking at kolsch yeast and according to wyeast's description, it ferments well at 13-21C.
Does this refer to air temp or wort temp (i.e. air temp of <17C)?
I can get air temp of 20-22C for my ale yeasties (which seems to work well) but for <17C I'll have to wait until winter =/

Has anyone tried fermenting wyeast kolsch beasties at 19-24C (air) and got good results?

Thank you!

Fermentation temperature is always beer temperature, never ambient temperatures. I think that you don't want to go over 20C ever with that yeast strain, and I'd much prefer a max of 17C (probably 15C ambient).

I cant' really think of any ale yeast strains that I'd like at 20-22C air temperature, but a kolsch would get especially fruity and nothing like a kolsch. 22C room temperature is just too warm for most yeast strains.

 

[TobyG]

My last Kolsch I had my fermentation freezer set at 60F (15.5C) and it is the best Kolsch I've ever made. Kolsch yeast is going to generally do best in that range.

 

[IL1kebeer]

I just finished an American wheat fermented with a kolsch yeast at 65F ramped up to 68F at the end of fermentation. No off flavors for the style. If it was a kolsch it might be a different story

Edit- this was with white labs kolsch yeast wlp0029. Not wyeasts kolsch variety

 

[TobyG]

You shouldn't need a diacetyl rest with Kolsch yeast. I use 60F ambient since there was a Zymurgy article (November/December 2011) that tested the fermentation temp side-by-side in blind tasting. The lower fermented (54-56F) one was cleaner and more 'crisp'. The higher fermented (68-70F) one had a little more fruitiness and a slight winey character. My own anecdotal experience agrees, so I use a middle temp closer to the low end. I expect there really isn't much difference in that respect between WLP029 (what they used) and Wyeast 2565.

 

[PJoyce85]

You shouldn't need a diacetyl rest with Kolsch yeast. I use 60F ambient since there was a Zymurgy article (November/December 2011) that tested the fermentation temp side-by-side in blind tasting. The lower fermented (54-56F) one was cleaner and more 'crisp'. The higher fermented (68-70F) one had a little more fruitiness and a slight winey character. My own anecdotal experience agrees, so I use a middle temp closer to the low end. I expect there really isn't much difference in that respect between WLP029 (what they used) and Wyeast 2565.

I also recently heard a Brew Strong Live Q&A in which they were discussing Kölsch yeast. As you stated, the consensus was that the closer you stick to the lower end, the cleaner the product.

I am aiming for a 58° ferment. Just brewed it today so I'll post how it turns out if anyone is interested.

 

[unionrdr]

The two times I used WL029 yeast,I kept it in it's ideal range of 65-69F. Def well balanced flavors with tha bit of crispness. gotta brew more!...

 

[PJoyce85]

So here is what a Kölsch looks like fermenting at 57-58°. If I didn't brew this, no way would I think that was 100% Pilsner malt!

I brewed this on Saturday.