Kölsch Tiber's Perfect Kölsch

[sunshine22]

I want to try something like this. Is the secondary lager temp a be all end all? I have a kegerator that we store our beer and some extra foods in. Would it be wrong to lager it around 35*F?

 

[Tiber_Brew]

I want to try something like this. Is the secondary lager temp a be all end all? I have a kegerator that we store our beer and some extra foods in. Would it be wrong to lager it around 35*F?

That's perfectly fine. I often lager around 35F.

 

[gboa]

update-have been busy so i forgot to respond, the wlp029 batch came out awesome, i like it much better than the previous batch i did which i still liked. i liked it so much i will try it in my next altbier as well. thanks again for a great recipe

 

[Tiber_Brew]

update-have been busy so i forgot to respond, the wlp029 batch came out awesome, i like it much better than the previous batch i did which i still liked. i liked it so much i will try it in my next altbier as well. thanks again for a great recipe

Glad it worked out for you. I've used the WLP029 for Altbier with great results, so I'm sure you'll like it.

 

[Gavin C]

Thanks for the recipe. Looks very good. A really like these simple recipes. Really lets the ingredients shine through it seems. I am looking to do some lighter styles for the summer and to refine my process further since I started playing with water chemistry. Much less forgiving than darker beers I think. Got some WLP029 I used to brew a Munich Helles with a cool ferment and want to do a Kolsch and an Alt also.

I've got Belgian Pilsner malt. Will this have much of an impact on the beer do you think? Is there much of a difference from the german pilsner malt?

 

[Tiber_Brew]

I've not tried this recipe with Belgian Pils, but I would think you'd be fine in using it. I would imagine that the Lovibond, diastatic power, protein, etc. is pretty comperable between the two.

 

[terrenum]

Hi Tiber ad other folks wo brewed is one,
We'll be brewing a kolsch next weekend and I am currently planning the brew. Your recipe seems very interesting. We are aiming for a super easy drinking beer, around 5%.
We would like however to have a very subtil touch of smokiness in there to add complexity. I understand it is out of style but we are looking for something different. What do you think about replacing the munich for weyermann smoked malt?
Do you feel,it would be a good fit in the brew?
Thanks

 

[Tiber_Brew]

Hi Tiber ad other folks wo brewed is one,
We'll be brewing a kolsch next weekend and I am currently planning the brew. Your recipe seems very interesting. We are aiming for a super easy drinking beer, around 5%.
We would like however to have a very subtil touch of smokiness in there to add complexity. I understand it is out of style but we are looking for something different. What do you think about replacing the munich for weyermann smoked malt?

I would leave the Munich in, but substitute a small amount of the Pils malt for smoked malt.

Do you feel,it would be a good fit in the brew?

No, but that's just my preference. You might find that you'll love it! That's the great thing about homebrewing; you can try just about anything, and you might find that some slight creative tweaks will improve your favorite styles!

Hope it turns out!
TB

 

[KIRBREW]

Hey Tiber, what was your OG-FG, and your ibu's? If it was in a previous post I apologize, ( I'm using mobile) so if it was in the title I can't see it. Thanks for the recipe!

 

[Tiber_Brew]

Hey Tiber, what was your OG-FG, and your ibu's? If it was in a previous post I apologize, ( I'm using mobile) so if it was in the title I can't see it. Thanks for the recipe!

You're right; it doesn't show up on mobile.

Here are the stats:
OG: 1.048
FG: 1.010
IBU: 25
SRM: ~4

 

[KIRBREW]

Thanks! I'll be brewing this next week.

 

[Tiber_Brew]

No problem. Hope brew day goes well!

 

[Gavin C]

Option 1: (This is the method I used):
Step Mash:
Strike @ 131F, ramp to 149F over 25 minutes.
Hold at 149F for 30 mins.
Ramp to 152F for 15 mins.
Ramp to 155F for 30 minutes.
Slowly ramp to (and mash out at) 168F for 10 minutes.

Hey Tiber

I was wondering if you could expand on your step mash. I am looking to tackle it this weekend with a similar variant of your recipe.

In particular, what is the rationale for the low strike temp without a rest at a lower temperature. Are 149,152 and 155 three differing amylase rests?

I'm not hoping for you to write the book on step mashing to acomodate my ignorance but just wanted to get an idea as to what's the thinking behind the various temperature points.

This will be my first attempt at a multi-step mash with my BIAB setup and will likely shorten the rests due to the fine milling I use with BIAB.

Any thoughts or pointers would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Tiber_Brew]

The method I posted is more of a ramp mash. If you want to use more distinct rests with a step mash, I would recommend a 15-20 min rest at 145, then 30 minutes or so at 152, then 10 minutes at 158 before mashing out at 168.

Edit: I posted a brief reply on my phone while on the golf course, but I'll explain in a little more detail now.

In particular, what is the rationale for the low strike temp without a rest at a lower temperature. Are 149,152 and 155 three differing amylase rests

Like I said, the method in my original post is more along the lines of a ramp mash. Doughing in at beta glucanase or proteinase temps isn't necessary and is potentially detrimental if too much time is spent at that temperature range with today's fully modified malts. The purpose with my ramp mash schedule is to allow significant beta amylase activity with minimal glucan and protein breakdown. If you can step mash, I would recommend doing that at the temps/times I listed above.

 

[Gavin C]

The method I posted is more of a ramp mash. If you want to use more distinct rests with a step mash, I would recommend a 15-20 min rest at 145, then 30 minutes or so at 152, then 10 minutes at 158 before mashing out at 168.

Edit: I posted a brief reply on my phone while on the golf course, but I'll explain in a little more detail now.



Like I said, the method in my original post is more along the lines of a ramp mash. Doughing in at beta glucanase or proteinase temps isn't necessary and is potentially detrimental if too much time is spent at that temperature range with today's fully modified malts. The purpose with my ramp mash schedule is to allow significant beta amylase activity with minimal glucan and protein breakdown. If you can step mash, I would recommend doing that at the temps/times I listed above.

Thanks a lot Tiber. Very much appreciate you taking the time to explain your ramp mash. I had not heard of that term before. Still have much to learn. Sounds like I need to do some homework prior to the mash. Thanks for the pointers.

 

[Gavin C]

....with a step mash, I would recommend a 15-20 min rest at 145, then 30 minutes or so at 152, then 10 minutes at 158 before mashing out at 168.

.....

Brewed up my Kolsch on Saturday. I had alot of fun with the step mash you proposed. Certainly quite a bit of work involved with my direct fired BIAB setup but was able to control the ramps and rests well. Shorter rests were planned owing to the fine milling I use.

An accurate thermometer helps. (I have a Thermapen)

20 mins at 145
15 mins at 153 (overshot by 1F)
10 mins at 158
5 mins at 168

Interestingly (or perhaps not interesting at all) I tested for conversion after the 20 minute rest at 145. No sign of starch present.

I changed the recipe a little to accomodate my setup for a 5.5 gallon batch, added some acid malt (full volume BIAB needs some pH adjustment with lighter styles)and changed the hop schedule a little to account for the differing AA% of the hops. Used Hallertauer and Saaz for bittering and a small Hallertau addition at 15 minutes. Was shoting for OG of 1.047. Came in at 1.046.

I'm hoping to have this one ready for a competion in August. Not sure if it will be in its prime by then but I will keep you posted.

Thanks again for the help Tiber.

 

[Tiber_Brew]

Sounds like things went fairly well. You may have to play around with rest times with BIAB. Experiment and record everything, and you'll find what works best for you.

 

[GrowlerMonkey]

Hey Tiber, I'm considering giving this one a go after having success with your German Pils Recipe, but my question is this.....Is a kolsch more of a way to get a pilsner like beer without the added effort? Does the style stand on it's own, or is it just sort of a quicker turnaround pils? Sorry for my ignorance, I just haven't really had many Kolsch beers.

 

[j1n]

Hey Tiber, I'm considering giving this one a go after having success with your German Pils Recipe, but my question is this.....Is a kolsch more of a way to get a pilsner like beer without the added effort? Does the style stand on it's own, or is it just sort of a quicker turnaround pils? Sorry for my ignorance, I just haven't really had many Kolsch beers.

Should go try Gaffel Kolsch at your local beer store and see what its about.

i wouldnt call it a quick turn around pils. it def stands on its own.

 

[GrowlerMonkey]

Thanks for the recommendation!

 

[Tiber_Brew]

Hey Tiber, I'm considering giving this one a go after having success with your German Pils Recipe, but my question is this.....Is a kolsch more of a way to get a pilsner like beer without the added effort? Does the style stand on it's own, or is it just sort of a quicker turnaround pils? Sorry for my ignorance, I just haven't really had many Kolsch beers.

No need to apologize! As has been mentioned, Kölsch stands on its own. It has a few variances from Pils beers, including malt flavor, hop aroma, bitterness, and most notably the yeast character. Pilsner lovers tend to like this Kölsch, but they differ in appreciable ways. I'm a fan of Reissdorf Kölsch, which is periodically available at my local co-op.

 

[GrowlerMonkey]

I just brewed this one up last night. I used belgian pils, as I buy it in bulk and had it on hand. I'm hoping it won't differ much from what is intended for the recipe. I also ramped from 131 to 149 in 15 min instead of 25, as I was afraid of degrading proteins in a fully modified (belgian) malt. Not sure if I really needed to or not.

Anyway, really looking forward to this. I did a double batch, thinking it will go really fast this summer...

Thanks for all your help, Tiber, on the last few lagers/hybrids I've brewed!

 

[Tiber_Brew]

I just brewed this one up last night. I used belgian pils, as I buy it in bulk and had it on hand. I'm hoping it won't differ much from what is intended for the recipe. I also ramped from 131 to 149 in 15 min instead of 25, as I was afraid of degrading proteins in a fully modified (belgian) malt. Not sure if I really needed to or not.

Anyway, really looking forward to this. I did a double batch, thinking it will go really fast this summer...

Thanks for all your help, Tiber, on the last few lagers/hybrids I've brewed!

You are right about mashing in protein enzyme temps with fully modified malt. I originally wrote this recipe while I was using under-modified malt, and would actually advise a ramp/step mash beginning at 140 with fully modified malt. Unfortunately, I can no longer edit my original post. EDIT: A moderator friend helped me out with this; now the mash info in the original post should be clearer.

Glad to be of help. Hope your brew turns out well.

 

[GrowlerMonkey]

Thanks Tiber.

Is there a reason you use floor malted pils in your kolsh, and just standard German pils malt in your German pils? Does it bring something special to the Kolsch?

 

[Tiber_Brew]

At the time I wrote this recipe on HBT, I was buying floor malted Pils. Lately I've been going through a different supplier and using fully modified German Pils malt. I gotta say I miss the floor malt, but the fully modified stuff is great, too.

 

[Gavin C]

Thanks Tiber for the pointers.

Very happy with how this turned out. A real crowd pleaser at our 4th of July celebrations.

Lip-smackingly delicious. Great for a Texas Summer.

Followed your advice on the mashing. This was the schedule I used.

Mash Profile

 

[Tiber_Brew]

Looks great, Gavin. Glad it worked out for ya!

 

[Hedo-Rick]

Tiber,

What mash pH range would you suggest for a single infusion mash?

I've had some success in the mid 5.2 range, but was recently looking at Eric Warner's Kolsch book and he suggests a mash pH of 5.5.

 

[Tiber_Brew]

Tiber,

What mash pH range would you suggest for a single infusion mash?

I've had some success in the mid 5.2 range, but was recently looking at Eric Warner's Kolsch book and he suggests a mash pH of 5.5.

I recommend a mash pH of 5.4 - 5.45.

 

[browder]

Gonna boil a batch off Friday I usually boil Edwort's Kolsh recipe & can't keep enough of it in kegs--gonna be my first boil using a 1/2 barrel so should be a good day---my LBS only had one pack 2565 but had a German Ale yeast I'll use in one fermenter should be alright--Thanks for the recipe I'll post back with a pic in a few weeks---