I’ve been in a bit of an appellation mood lately.
I brewed the beginnings of a lambic-style ale recently, using a wild yeast cocktail that’s supposed to mimic the native strain found in the outdoor air of the Pajottenland region of Belgium. This weekend, I finally got a chance to brew a kolsch-style ale, a beer particular to Cologne, Germany. I can’t technically call it a kolsch, of course, since the Kolsch Konvention of 1986 prevents it (similar to the legal protections on other kinds of beer categories, like Trappists, or many wine varietals). To call it a kolsch, it needs to be brewed within the city limits, and currently only about 20 or so breweries make a true interpretation of the style.
Kolsch is an interesting beer as it is fermented like an ale, but the end product is more akin to a delicate lager…kind of a “hybrid” beer. Some very soft esters, little to no hop aroma, and a crisp, dry finish. It’s one of the only ales that comes out of the German brewing tradition, and for a homebrewer like me without a temperature controller to aid in lagering, it seemed like a fun beer to try.
While I brewed, I enjoyed a couple nice glasses of Pilsner Urquell and Founders Centennial IPA, both great beers in their own right. I used a pretty straightforward recipe for a 5 gallon batch, based on a bit of research perusing various recipes online:
10 lbs. Pilsner malt
0.5 lbs. Munich malt
2 oz. Spalt hops (in boil at 60 min.)
Wyeast 2565 Kolsch
Single step mash at 152 for 90 minutes. Boil for 90 minutes.
Target OG: 1.050
The brewing itself went very well…hit the mash temp, nailed the target original gravity, and pitched a healthy starter. I’m fermenting at about 68 to 70 degrees, and after it’s done I’ll throw it in the beer fridge at 40 degrees to lager for a few weeks. It should help settle the proteins and clear things up for a cleaner looking beer.
July 21, 2009 at 9:22 am
Be sure to post on the results. I’m sure everything will turn out fine. I’ve never brewed a kolsch before, but I love the style. It doesn’t seem very difficult at all, and the kolsch yeast isn’t too tempermental. Plus, you have the added bonus of being able to drink a bunch of nice, fresh kolsch on the cheap. I love Reissdorf, but it’s hard to justify paying the price to drink that beer the way it’s meant to be consumed: session style. It’s similar to a good English bitter: why pay $4 a pint when you can knock out 5 gallons for less than $20 and be ready to drink fresh beer in 4 weeks.
July 21, 2009 at 9:41 am
That’s exactly why I brewed this one…most of my current homebrews are on the bigger, more aggressive side, and I wanted something light, refreshing and sessionable. The total cost of ingredients was something like $18. So not bad for more than two cases of good beer.
August 24, 2009 at 9:46 am
[...] it worked just fine (and cut about 2.5 hours from the whole process). While I brewed, I enjoyed a couple glasses of my kolsch, which I think turned out pretty solid compared to commercial examples I’ve [...]