Kolsch Homebrew Recipe and Review – All Grain / No Chill
A subtle, brilliantly clear, pale beer with a delicate balance of malt, fruit, and hop character, moderate bitterness, and a well-attenuated but soft finish. -BJCP 2021 Guidelines, 5b. Kolsch
Jesse was in search of a beer that his wife would also drink, and during a recent excursion to the Peterson Homebrew Festival (Yeti Fest), Gary G had a Peach Kolsch he was serving which Jesse’s wife loved.
The good news, Jesse’s efforts were a success! His wife is a fan of the beer he made, and frankly, so is Mike!
Many consider Kolsch to be a “gateway” beer for those who either don’t drink beer, or usually drink mass produced light lagers. It’s light yellow to gold color, and balanced flavor aren’t a shock to most palates, yet the balance between malt, fruitiness, hops and bitterness is interesting enough to get some hooked on craft beer.
It’s a medium light to medium bodied beer, usually in the 4 – 5% range, which makes it quite sessionable. The balance is pretty critical, and being so light, mistakes are hard to hide.
This recipe is based off of the Mean Brews recipe – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pORW1t7f2GQ
You can find Jesse’s version here:
Jesse’s Kolsch (Mean Brews Adaptation)
Recipe Details
| Batch Size | Boil Time | IBU | SRM | Est. OG | Est. FG | ABV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.5 gal | 60 min | 23.2 | 3.5 SRM | 1.046 | 1.007 | 5.12 % |
Fermentables
| Name | Amount | % |
|---|---|---|
| Pilsner | 6.437 lbs | 85.84 |
| Munich II | 8 oz | 6.67 |
| Wheat White Malt | 6 oz | 5 |
| Carapils/Carafoam | 3 oz | 2.5 |
Hops
| Name | Amount | Time | Use | Form | Alpha % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hallertau Magnum | 0.6 oz | 60 min | Boil | Pellet | 11.3 |
| Tettnang | 0.75 oz | 15 min | Boil | Pellet | 3 |
Miscs
| Name | Amount | Time | Use | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calcium Chloride (CaCl2) | 1 g | 0 min | Mash | Water Agent |
| Canning Salt (NaCl) | 1 g | 0 min | Mash | Water Agent |
| Epsom Salt (MgSO4) | 1.7 g | 0 min | Mash | Water Agent |
| Gypsum (CaSO4) | 2.7 g | 0 min | Mash | Water Agent |
| Lactic Acid | 2.5 ml | 0 min | Mash | Water Agent |
Yeast
| Name | Lab | Attenuation | Temperature |
|---|---|---|---|
| German Ale/Kolsch (WLP029) | White Labs | 78% | 64.9°F - 69.1°F |
Mash
| Step | Temperature | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 150.1°F | 60 min |
Notes
| Based on the Meanbrews recipe Pedigree Highest score from all competitions: 44 Gold 2022 Arkansas State Fair, Brewed by Joe D'Auria, 1st out of 6 entries (https://web.archive.org/web/20221019172108/https://arstatefair.brewcomp.com/) 2023 Colorado state Fair, Brewed by Kevin Wagner, 1st out of 9 entries (https://reggiebeer.com/ReggieWeb.php?Web=1000782) Silver 2022 MVHBC, Brewed by Joe D'Auria, 2nd out of 13 entries (https://web.archive.org/web/20221002160551/https://competition.mvhbc.com/) Bronze: 2021 IBU open, Brewed by Michael Rensing, 3rd out of 9 entries (https://web.archive.org/web/20220227055819/https://ibuopen.brewcompetition.com/) 2022 Brixtoberfest, Brewed by Joe D'Auria, 3rd out of 12 entries (https://web.archive.org/web/20221001214047/https://brixtoberfest.brixiesbrewers.com/) |
Download
| Download this recipe's BeerXML file |
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Opening Music is Rock Jam Band courtesy of TheoTer on FreeSound – https://freesound.org/people/TheoTer/sounds/569778/
