Brew #59 - Daril's "Almost Kolsch" Again


9/1/2002      "Almost Kolsch" Again
  
   Category         :  Kölsch                   
   Method           :  Full Mash
   Starting Gravity :  1.046
   Ending Gravity   :  1.012
   Alcohol content  :  4.5%
   Recipe Makes     : 14.0 gallons
   Total Grain      : 23.00 lbs.
   Color (srm)      :  4.6
   Efficiency       : 75%
   Hop IBUs         : 24.5

Malts/Sugars:
 20.00	lb.	British Two-Row          
  2.00	lb.	Munich Light             
  1.00	lb.	German Wheat             

Hops:
 2.00	oz.	L-Hallertauer  	   4.7%	60 min
 1.00	oz.	L-Northern Brewer  8.6%	30 min
 0.50	oz.	L-Northern Brewer  8.6%	20 min

Boil temperature of water: 212F
Grain Starting Temperature: 68F
Desired Grain/Water Ratio: 1 quarts/pound
Strike Water:  5.75 gallons of water at 134F
First Mash Temperature: 122F
Second Mash Temperature: 154F
Boiling Water to add:  3.86 gallons 

Notes:
Procedure:

A classic Kolsch uses Pilsner as the base malt.  This recipe uses
British Two-Row (Marris-Otter) instead.  

First, let's look at the style. A Kolsch has starting gravity of 
1.040 to 1.046, IBUs of 20-30, and SRM of 3.5 to 5. The Zymurgy 
description of a Kolsch is Pale gold. Low hop flavor and aroma. 
Medium bitterness. Light to medium body. Slightly dry, winy palate. 
Malted wheat okay. Lager or ale yeast or combination of yeasts okay. 
Malts can be U.S. or continental, including a fraction of wheat malt 
if desired. Hopping should be continental noble hops. 
The yeast is the tricky part - use a Kolsch or German Ale yeast.
The Goose Island Brewery in Chicago brews a
Kolsch using Kolsch yeast from Germany.  The Free State Brewery
in Lawrence, Kansas, brews a Kolsch using Wyeast "European" ale.
This yeast is suggested by Fred Eckhardt.  I have used this 
yeast in the past and it's great, but for this iteration, I'll
use the Wyeast #1007 "German Ale" yeast.


- Mash in at 122F and rest for 30 min. 
- Infuse to 150-155F and hold until conversion. 
- Mashout at 170F. for 5 min. Lauter, sparge, and 
  rinse to collect 14 gal. of wort. 
- Bring to a boil, let hot break form, and follow hops schedule. 
- Add 1 tsp. Irish moss the last 15 min.  of boil. 
- Force cool, transfer, to primary, and pitch a 1 qt. starter. 
- Rack to secondary after krausen. 
- Primary fermentation should be done in  the mid-60s. This beer 
benefits from cold-conditioning, so rack to secondary and "lager" 
at 40 degrees for a couple weeks. 

Style Comparison @ 70%, 75%, & 80% extraction efficiency:

              MIN        YOURS      YOURS     YOURS     MAX
                          70%        75%       80%
OG           1.042      1.042      1.046     1.049     1.046
Alc %        4.0        4.0        4.5       4.7       4.5
IBUs        20         24.7       24.7      24.7      30
Color (srm)  3.5        4.6        4.6       4.6       5.0


  This beer turned out SO WELL ... we decided to just ... DO IT AGAIN!
  
  The only difference from the previous batch is the use of Northern Brewer
  whole-leaf hops for flavoring & aroma instead of Hallertauer. Discovered
  that I'd run OUT of Hallertauer at the last minute.  I had the NB on hand,
  so I adjusted the amount to equal the target IBU's of the original.  NB is
  a Hallertau variety hop - so it's a reasonable substitute.