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Author Topic: Tell me about Kolsch please  (Read 12906 times)

Offline thomasbarnes

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Re: Tell me about Kolsch please
« Reply #45 on: July 06, 2011, 02:13:12 am »
That said, looks like the water in Cologne is fairly hard from my research so who knows.

Of course, Koelsch-As-We-Know-It is a modern style (the style only emerged after WW2; the Koelsch Konvention only dates to 1986) and the Germans know a thing or two about water treatment.

My guess is that the commercial brewers are treating their water to reduce some of the hardness, perhaps leaving just enough calcium for yeast health and mashing enzymes. I can't see using the sort of water you'd use for an Irish Stout or Burton IPA in a delicate beer like a Koelsch.

Offline weithman5

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Re: Tell me about Kolsch please
« Reply #46 on: July 11, 2011, 08:06:24 am »
had a Fruh Kolsch from cologne last night. my son brought back a few from solingen as well as berliner pilsner.  it was pretty good but i don't see the attraction to brew one over other light refreshing styles.
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Offline sailortodd

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Re: Tell me about Kolsch please
« Reply #47 on: July 11, 2011, 06:19:28 pm »
had a Fruh Kolsch from cologne last night. my son brought back a few from solingen as well as berliner pilsner.  it was pretty good but i don't see the attraction to brew one over other light refreshing styles.
Kolsch, to me, takes the best of both pilsner lagers and light ales in its best iterations. That's why I want to brew one.
Beer: so much more than just a breakfast drink.

Offline gmac

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Re: Tell me about Kolsch please
« Reply #48 on: July 19, 2011, 06:39:20 pm »
I have nothing to really add except to express my frustration that after finally getting my yeast, my AC is shot and my basement is heating up.  It's now too warm for me to feel comfortable brewing.  Tomorrow I go buy a big tub to make a swamp cooler but I'm going to start a saison yeast just so I have something to brew at the end of the week. >:(

Offline beerprof

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Re: Tell me about Kolsch please
« Reply #49 on: July 21, 2011, 05:01:30 pm »
Have a finished Kölsch in the serving chamber as I write this. Turned out well. 85% Best Pils malt, 12% Best Wheat malt and 3% Weyermann sauer malt. WL 029. Thanks majorvices!
Chemistry, not just my job; it's a way of life...

Offline corkybstewart

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Re: Tell me about Kolsch please
« Reply #50 on: July 21, 2011, 05:13:29 pm »
I have one in primary right now fermenting at 58-60F.  The grain bill (10 gallon batch)was 16 pounds of Weyermann Pilsner and 2 pounds of wheat mashed at 148F.  2.5 oz Perle for 60 minutes, 2 oz Strisselspalt for 20 minutes, wyeast Kolsch.  My wife volunteered it for a wedding in 3 weeks so I'm gonna make it ferment slow and cold so it won't be ready.  What was she thinking?  They're gonna have a keg of Bud Lite already, why do they need crappy homebrew?
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Offline gmac

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Re: Tell me about Kolsch please
« Reply #51 on: August 10, 2011, 01:32:21 pm »
I put this in the keg today to settle out and age for a couple weeks.
The initial taste is great.  Very fruity with obvious pear and apple overtones.  I was surprised at how little bitterness there was from the hops.  I ended up using what I had which was only:
10lbs pilsner malt
3/4 oz Perle @ 60
1/4 oz Hallertau @ 60
1/2 oz Hallertau @ 30
Wyeast Kolsch yeast with 3 L starter.
This is pretty good and I can't wait to see what it is like when it is carbonated and clear.
It's in the freezer now cooling and it will get gelatin tomorrow.  Then, before I take it to celebrate a 5K run my wife is doing at the end of the month, it'll go into a new keg so hopefully it will be nice and clear after I take it to her run.  I'm also taking 5 gals of APA for me...

Offline euge

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Re: Tell me about Kolsch please
« Reply #52 on: August 11, 2011, 12:15:02 pm »
Just racked into three kegs the latest kolsches. I don't like doing it but left them in the fermenter for a month before kegging. Initial taste testing is positive, but I do worry about meaty flavors in a brew that's left on the yeast that long.
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