Recipe: Kölsch

If your friends only like beer with “Lite” in the name – this might be a good gateway style to get them headed in the right direction.  Kölsch (or Koelsch, or just Kolsch) is a German hybrid ale.  It has some pleasant grainy flavors but nothing overpowering.

Kolsch should be served in the proper glassware.  As I’m kind of a stickler for this type of thing, I made sure to procure a set.  The proper name for this type of glass is a “Stange”.

The glasses can be difficult to find.  I ordered these 0.2l Reissdorf glasses from John’s Grocery.  You could also use a straight-sided Tom Collins glass or iced tea glass in a pinch.

Does the type of glass you serve your beer in really matter?  I like to think so. Particularly with a style (like this one) which could be easily confused with several others upon visual inspection.  The proper glass makes a visual impact and lets the drinker know what to expect before the first sniff or taste.

I’ll get off the soapbox now and onto the recipe!

Brewing Notes

If you don’t quite have the fermentation control to do a proper lager – you may still be able to one of these hybrid styles.  You need to keep the temperature under control, but right around 60-62ºF will do it.

Follow up fermentation with a month of cold aging.  This can easily be done in your serving refrigerator.  You’ll need to warm the beer back up if you’re going to carbonate naturally, but there should still be enough yeast around to get the job done.

All Grain Recipe

Batch Size: 6.00 gal
Boil Size: 9.35 gal
OG: 1.048 SG
FG: 1.010
Color: 3.7 SRM
IBU: 29.8 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 70.00 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Ingredients:
————
10.00 lb     Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (2.0 SRM)
0.50 lb       Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM)
0.50 lb       Wheat Malt, Ger (2.0 SRM)
1oz  (28.00 gm)       Pearle [8.00 %]  (60 min)
0.5oz  (14.00 gm)    Mt. Hood [5.00 %]  (15 min)
1 Pkgs        Kolsch Yeast (Wyeast Labs #2565) [Starter Yeast-Ale 2000ml]

Directions:
————–
Mash at  150.0 F for 60 minutes.  Ferment at 62ºF.  Rack the beer then lager (age) for another 3-4 weeks at 32-34ºF.  I do this step in the keg, but you could use another fermenter.

Extract

Batch Size: 6.00 gal
OG: 1.047 SG
FG: 1.010
Color: 3.9 SRM
IBU: 29.8 IBU

Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
————
5.50 lb       Extra Light Dry Extract (3.0 SRM)
1.00 lb       Wheat Dry Extract (8.0 SRM)
1 oz (28.00 gm)         Pearle [8.00 %]  (60 min)
0.5 oz (14.00 gm)      Mt. Hood [5.00 %]  (15 min)
1 Pkgs        Kolsch Yeast (Wyeast Labs #2565) [Starter Yeast-Ale 2000ml]

Directions:
————
Steep grains as desired – usually 30 mins at 150ºF.  Ferment at 62ºF.  Rack the beer then lager (age) for another 3-4 weeks at 32-34ºF.  I do this step in the keg, but you could use another fermenter.

Tagged as: koelsch, kolsch, recipe