My first Kolsch recipe

Thats not a bad recipe at all. I just finished a Kolsch and used the Safale K-97 yeast. Be warned ahead of time that Kolsch yeast takes a long time to ferment and it will appear to be muddy, it doesnt flock well. I let mine ferment for 2 weeks and then held the beer at 50 for two weeks to try and clear it up .. and it did a little but never did clear completely until I bottled it. Let me show you what I mean .. here is a before bottle and after bottle picture. This one will try your patience. ( two week condition.. in another week or two it will get even better )

 

Mash temp is low. Up it to 151 or 152F and carry it out for an hour. An oven is a nice way to keep a mash warm. Preheat the oven at it's lowest setting. Turn it off right before you put your kettle in there.

Hop aroma is one of the first things you'll lose in a beer that is stored for monts before you drink it. Cold cellaring is advised, and this beer tends to really get drinkable after it's 4 or 5 months old. Before that it tastes kind of corny. They're your hops, so you can do what you like. I wouldn't expect them to shine through and it's out of style for the beer.

http://www.whitelabs.com/yeast/wlp029-german-ale-kölsch-yeast

Ferment at 65F and you'll be good.

 

029 will stay fairly clean if you pitch enough and start low, so don't worry too much about that low temp. That restrained lemon/white wine grape is welcome anyway. I've even made Kolsch at 67F, warming to 69F, with this yeast with good results. And don't worry about a month. You'll need it controlled for a couple days. Get up above 67 and you'll start getting sulfur IME, although a little bit is not unwelcome.

Be prepared for a month or so of lagering. The yeast is a veil of sorts - not just in appearance, but in flavor/mouthfeel, robbing your beer of that clean, just slightly acidic, crispness. When it reaches it's peak you'll know. if for whatever reason you can't lager be prepared to leave it to cold condition in the bottle for a significant length of time, and don't try to savor it when it is awesome - drink it all, and make more.

good luck--
--Michael

 

You'll really want to keep it cold for an extended period of time. Other wise I'd say stick to ales. While a kolsch is borderline you could brew it and the. Store them in the bottles in your fridge for a while. Pour carefully.

 

All good thought to be rolling around right now. Moving 50 bottles of beer can be a burden. This beer wont' be anything you want to really drink until autumn or winter anyway.

This isn't your RIS thread.