Kölsch Beer Brewing, Recipe Writing & Style Guide

[@prodanman]

David, wife & I been brewing 1 year now. This past weekend we participated in our 1st Homebrew Competition. The required brew was a Kölsch. We used your Kölsch recipe on Brewfather & took 6th place outta 18 entries. We were over the moon with our success. I do seem to have an issue with clarity. But I'm sure we will resolve that. For 1 year brewing & our 1st competition we were very excited!. Thank You. We are in our 2nd competition late September & we are entering your Octoberfest Märzen.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Great to hear and well done. Beer clarity is very easy when using gelatine.

[@thomassmall8556]

I've been waiting for your Kölsch recipe for ages. Many thanks. I'd appreciate a similar treatment of Altbier.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Great, thanks Thomas. I will be giving many styles this treatment :)

[@chrismorrow3001]

Not sure if anyone else mentioned this, but your slide at 10:04 should read ramp up to 20 deg C / 68 F. Thanks for sharing. love your helpful videos!

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Yes :) cheers Chris 🍻

[@vikramjitsingh4538]

one of the best videos for a describing a style with all specs in place, unlike some amateurs who just give half info.............this is a five star video. David thanks and thumbs up.......

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Many thanks, much appreciated. Yes, I think it is vital to have all the information. I have covered many styles like this already and there are many more planned.

[@NetworkGeek280]

Im 4 brews in to my personal brew all David Heath recipes challenge, this was number 3. It's an absolute cracker. Love it.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Great to hear :) Cheers 🍻🍻🍻

[@MrPdawgify]

Thanks for the recipe video. Brewed this and everyone loved it. Great recipe

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Great to hear Phil , enjoy 🍻🍻🍻

[@thaifoodtakeaway]

Glad to see you back to posting recipe guides, and thank you for the photo of the glass with the final product; as they say a picture is worth more than a thousand words! A humble request from my side, can you make a video focused on fining the beer and a few more on the classic German styles?

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Many thanks :) Yes, I try but these style guides take so much time! I have a video around fining here:- kzbin.info/www/bejne/rqjXe6d4ds9oq7s More German styles coming :)

[@PietroOttati]

Hi David, this new format Is Amazing. Explain a beer style in Evert aspect Is really helpful and makes people aware about the tradition, ingredients and production. Super. Hope you'll continue with other style. Pilsner could be another very interesting One IMHO. Compliments. :-)

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Many thanks Pietro :) yes I think it has evolved well. I plan to cover as many styles as I can :)

[@joachimmurphy2024]

Thanks David for the recipe. I have been brewing for 30 years now using kettle elements thermometers and plastic buckets and recently decided to upgrade my system as my old thermostat finally gave up the ghost. I was about to buy a grainfather when I saw your review of modern brewing systems. I have opted for the RoboBrew as it appears to be a fine system and I didn't really need the blue tooth and online connectivity as my tried and trusted recipes are all in files on tatty bits of paper and I can always obtain new recipes from excellent channels like this. I was initially inspired to brew all those years ago by the great man Dave Line. I find your recipes and enthusiasm just as inspiring. As your review has saved me around £375 I feel that I owe you a pint or two! If you ever find yourself in South Yorshire give me a call. I can't wait to get started with this kolsch!

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Great to hear Joachim :) Yes things have for sure changed! Bluetooth is a nice idea but it is only as good as its software and GF have dropped the ball on this for too long now sadly. I think you made a wise choice :)

[@anderslindqvist9686]

Thanks David, So much different beer to plan, so much beer to brew. Feel stressed already. Must relax with a beer.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Thanks Anders, no need to stress, plenty of time :)

[@spanners2772]

Brewed this before and thought it was a really good nice pint, everyone loved it, I decided to brew it for a second time but didn’t have any pilsner malt so substituted it for Maris Otter, it turned out really nice and malty, to look at it colour wise it looks like a pale ale, to taste it, it still has that nice flavour of the original but with a slight twist, a tribute to your original formulation of the recipe, when its right its right and I cant take that away from you, Just perfect!

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Very sorry for the late comment for some reason KZbin hid this from me. Yes this certainly will work with base malt changes. Try with munich next :)

[@Andy-hb8kl]

I brewed one a few weeks ago without seeing this presentation, my grain bill Pilsner 89.3%, Carapils 7.7%, Wheat 3.0%. Virtually identical to yours! Great minds think alike!! K-97 yeast, Magnum and Saaz hops.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Great choices Andy. I've experimented quite a lot and this hits the spot best I find for most.

[@andreastuftefjellanger4846]

For the first time you've put out an instructional video on a style I'm allready happy with. Still worth waching for reference though:)

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Great, there is always more than one way for variation though :) Have you tried different malts and hop choices for example? :)

[@Rabbagazten]

Thanks David , just in time for my brewing. Excellent presentation as usual! Never fail to learn from your videos.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Great to hear Ronald. I really appreciate your feedback :)

[@marcarch3872]

I love your recipe videos. Very interesting and super easy to understand. Please at to your future recipe videos todo list: barley wine. It would be very interesting and useful to know all your guidelines to some types of this awesome beer style. Thank you David for sharing your knowledge.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Great to hear Mark. Barley wine is on my list :)

[@marcarch3872]

@@DavidHeathHomebrewGreat news! Your recipe videos are pure gold. I have learned a lot thanks to you.

[@matthewkaiser310]

A wonderful video as always David! I really appreciate you going into detail about the style and how it's brewed. After years of brewing hopped up, hazy beers that rely on a pound of hops per batch I have decided to start brewing different styles of beer. I feel it is always best to brew to the style of the BJCP to see what the beer is like prior to making a bunch of changes. I will most definitly try your Kolsh recipe in the near future. Cheers!!

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Great to hear Matthew. Yes its nice to try new styles for sure :)

[@theloniuser]

Hi David! Thanks for this video. I used your recipe to brew a double batch of this today. I decided to do a “modern” 30 minute boil but I’m wondering if that was a mistake for DMS reasons. I’d love to hear your take on using a 30 minute boil or not for Kölsch.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Hi James, the likelyhood of dms due to modern malt is super ultra low. It can crop up in fermentation though. You can use the 30 min boil for any beer style but you may desire a longer boil for some styles for thickening the wort like imperial stouts for example.

[@theloniuser]

@@DavidHeathHomebrew Thanks David. I appreciate your reply.

[@gbparn]

Thanks David, love your content and your brew pic of the recipe looks awesome. I love drinking the style. My home club does a spring kolsh tasting every other year and I really look forward to brushing off my honey kolsch recipe for that gathering.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Great :) Glad you enjoyed it :) Many thanks for your feedback :)

[@briandodds778]

awesome video. Loved the whirlpool "drill bit". going to find one of those...

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Thanks Brian. This is a Grainfather product, I show and review it here:- kzbin.info/www/bejne/mWm5k4Njn957qM0

[@jl4cm]

thanks David, another great video. I'm ordering the grain today to try your recipe.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Great, let me know what you think later :)

[@joachimmurphy2024]

This was absolutley spot on! I loved it, my friends loved it! Unfortunatly my wife and her friends loved it too so now I have none left! Guess I'll be doing this one again fairly soon! Thanks David! Do you have any Marzen recipes to hand?

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Great to hear :) As for Marzen, not yet :)

[@williamhague9510]

Looks a great recipe - thanks for sharing David... will be trying this one out for sure!

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Great, thanks William :)

[@vertigoonline9231]

Hello David, you wrote on your fermentation schedule PITCH @ 20 5C/40F , What do you mean by 20 ? Thank you for the video

[@cihankavgaoglu5824]

That’s what made me confused actually but as I can see you couldn’t get any response for that. Anyways, I’ll add the yeast at 17 degrees.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Just saw this. I must have missed it. Its 17C pitch rising to 20 late in fermentation.

[@markbarber7839]

Just tapped a keg using this recipe. It's really good. Like a ale equivalent to a pilsner !

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Great :) Glad you are enjoying it Mark.

[@mikej5909]

Yet another interesting and informative video David. 👍 For my Kölsch I use 95% Weyermann Pilsner and 5% Munich 1 with a single first wort hop of Liberty for 24 IBU and WLP029. It is a little more malty and it's not quite as dry in the finish as most of the commercial Kölsch styles I've had. It's also the recipe the Lady of the house likes the best and you know how that goes... 😉😃 Cheers! 🍺

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Haha, I sure do Mike. Many thanks for your feedback :) This is certainly a style that deserves much experimentation :)

[@jonmccombs1711]

Tried your recipe but only used the Tannang and it is by far my favorite. i brew it 4 times a year and always have it on tap.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Great to hear Jon :) I am rather proud of this one myself :)

[@robertwhitt6161]

Yeah David, great video, question on your fermentation slide - Says Pitch @ 20 5°C/40°F is that meant to be Pitch @ 20.5°C/69°F - Fermentis has the range at FERMENTATION: ideally 15-20°C (59-68°F). Just want to clarify.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Ahh sorry. Sonetimes my conversion from celcius into fahrenheit is inaccurate. Ive no idea why as I use google for that. I only think in metric :)

[@marcpare3599]

Hi David. Super video, once again. I am brewing this recipe next but was wondering about the lagering phase. You mention that you bring down the temperature in your fermentor and I know guys who say it is better not to separate the yeast from the beer during the lagering, though others don't mind doing that. For me personnally, it would be more convenient to lager in my kegerator than in my fermentor (which is the conical from Brewfather with just a cooling pump) to avoid changing the ice in the bin so often. My kegerator is Kegland's X series, so I can easily play with the temperature. I would naturally just keg and then lager in the kegerator, but would there be an advantage taste-wise to transfering the beer from my conical to a carboy, transfering as much yeast as possible in it, and sticking it in the kegerator, instead of lagering in a keg without the yeast (also in the kegerator)? I know either option won't wreck the beer, but do you know which is better taste-wise? Thanks a lot and cheers.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Hi Marc, taste is very much a personal thing. What works well for one will not be the same for all. I suggest going the way that best suits you first and see how that works for you.

[@marcpare3599]

@@DavidHeathHomebrew Ok, thanks David and cheers.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

🍻🍻🍻

[@A2an]

Thanks again for the time and energy you spent making such a beautiful and knowledge-filled video, thank you for sharing your wisdom 👍

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Many thanks Allan. Glad you enjoyed it :) Many thanks for your feedback :)

[@Dogsdoodas]

I just completed the kolsch magnum and huell Mellon variant and its just wow.. no really wow!!

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Great to hear :) Yes, this is the one I prefer by far :)

[@deegee1921]

I finished mine about 3 weeks ago and agreed wow. Cleared up nicely and tastes amazing. Thanks david

[@martinodonnel1533]

Really enjoying this recipe its a very light and refreshing beer, thanks for sharing its a belter

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Great to hear Martin. Yes it never lasts long I find :)

[@carimage]

Thank you David for all the information. I’m tasting my Kolsch right now just Pilsner, Tettnang, K97 and no chill. Cold conditioned for two weeks at 10C then two weeks in keg. Very clear. Great style I’m keen to try your recipe soon cheers!

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Great stuff David, thank you :) Yes, it certainly is a very interesting style with various options for trial :)

[@shanejorgensen8806]

Another awesome video. Thank you David.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Many thanks Shane, much appreciated :)

[@itterman]

This is such an enjoyable style!!! Can't wait to try the recipe.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Go for it Bruce, it goes down very easily this stuff :)

[@kenfowler5407]

Another great video David! I have done this style before, using someone else’s grain pack - I might have to give this one a go while waiting for my Kveik yeast to come! Cheers

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Go for it Ken, this goes down really easily :)

[@alundavies1557]

Hi David, I just brewed this for the second time as I loved it the first but it’s been an absolute shocker. It wouldn’t start fermenting (again) so I did all the usual tricks and finally got it going but it has ended up bloody awful. I was going to keg it today but in general consensus, it’s going down the drain. I have no clue what I’ve done wrong, I’ve never had one do this before. It’s very cloudy, even after adding finings and dropping the temperature right down for a crash. One person said they tasted Dettol, another TCP, another grapefruit and personally it just tastes like I’m licking the original grain. Would love it if you could shed some light on what I might have done wrong here, it’s my second brew with my new brewzilla so I’m a bit gutted I managed the best version with my cheap old BIAB 🤦🏻‍♂️ Love your work mate 👍🏼

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Sorry to hear that Alun, there are various possibilities here but most likely its wild yeast. Here is the list full possibilities:- Possible Causes: Using chlorinated tap water to brew or rinse equipment is the most common cause for plastic-like or medicinal flavors. Medicinal flavors can also be the result of using cleanser or sanitizer that is chlorine or iodine based. Some wild yeast will contribute to a similar medicinal taste

[@alundavies1557]

Wild yeast? As in bacteria? Dam. I’m usually so careful. We don’t have chorine in the water here and I used PBW with starsan throughout. Time to go to the brew shop and get more ingredients, my kegs runeth dry! Thanks mate, love your work.

[@johncspine2787]

Bottles should be held first at room temp ~2 wks to rouse the yeast and allow carbonation, and then stored cold. That wasn’t clear, are you recommending going from bottling straight to cold? I’ve had success with low temp storage of the beer after racking to secondary for several weeks for cold conditioning in bulk before bottling. Love first wort hopping as it lends a floral and extremely subtle presence throughout.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

I am not really commenting about bottling as these days I just keg my beers.

[@MittyMagoo]

Hi David, I'll be brewing a version of this recipe next weekend - super excited! I've gone with 90% pilsner, 5% Munich and 5% wheat to use up leftover grain, as well as leftover Northern Brewer (Germany) replacing Magnum for bittering. Is the water profile of Ca-37, Mg-10, Na-25, SO4-70, Cl-35, HCO3-80 still your favourite water profile for this style? Cheers 🍻

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Great, I hope you enjoy it. Yes, I recommend that profile 🍻🍻

[@jacklee9172]

Great video as per always! I'd like to see maybe a tasting video too from your recipe / beer style videos :)

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Thanks Jack. I used to do that some time back but they were not popular. So now I show the beer and describe how it is within the same video.

[@vasilijkante7166]

Thank you for the videos, perfect as always. About the Fermentis yeasts, you already mentioned in a previous video not to rehydrate but also no aeriation is new to me. Suggested only for Fermentis or for all dry yeasts? Thank you

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Great, thank you . This information was Fermentis specific from the company.

[@jelleklinge9743]

David, you mentioned oslo kveik in this video, i have used oslo kveik from 2 sources, bootleg and since i am living in europe directly from the source. Both give off a mushroom ish flavour at every recipe (even stout) and fermentation temperature which is ruining every beer i brew with Oslo. Since you are a kveik enthousiast, do you know what i mean? Hornindal and Ebbegarden seem to lack this profile. Oslo is not particulairy clean. I even split batched with nottingham to do a side by side comparisson of my recipe. It is sure for a kolsh any kveik would be a no go. Also for a realy good kolsh use floormalted pilsener malt like Weyermann bohemian floor malted to get realy true to the style with a little bit of wheat (10%). This is recommended by the Germans as i live very close to the german border. It will give you that bready crisp malt flavour you mentioned. Using munich or vienna is considered cheating by the germans

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Oslo kveik is part of Eik Og Tids commercial mix. Oslo was isolated from this but its not something they use. I guess we all have different taste pallets but ive not noted mushroom myself. Having said this I mostly use it under pressure, so that could change things. As for Kolsch and beer in general I prefer floor malted minimally modified malt every time :) All the advances in malting these days are amazing for brewing with but the sacrifice is sadly flavour.

[@jelleklinge9743]

@@DavidHeathHomebrew Thanks, will do Olso experiment agian soon, i have some fresh weyermann floor malted pilsener lying around. Also i have locally made pilsener malt which also is an option.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Great, hopefully this effect will not be present this time for you.

[@ruisilva2640]

Hi David, very good recipe .. I'm tempted to try it but i have some questions, if you can help me i would appreciate it. If i understood correctly, i should pitch yeast at 5ºC and then bring up to 17ºC and hold it until close FG right? After that first step, i should ramp up 1ºC per day to 20º during 3 days (18ºC 1st day, 19ºC 2nd day and 20ºC on 3rd day), correct? After those 3 days, do some measures to ensure that fermentation is over, but should i keep it at 20ºC also? My final question is regarding lagering, after all those previous steps, i should bring the temperature to 4ºC and leave it like that for 2 weeks, correct? Sorry for all the questions in advance, best regards!

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Hi, thank you, this has been very popular. Pitch your yeast at 17C and hold until close to FG. Then at 1c per day ramp to 20C over 3 days. Hold until you have a consistent FG for 3 days and then you can lager. Some will consider a week or two to be enough. I hope this helps 🍻🍻🍻😎😎😎

[@ruisilva2640]

@@DavidHeathHomebrew many thanks for the help, as always the best 😎🤩

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

@ruisilva2640 thank you, great to hear 🍻🍻🍻

[@djdownie3]

If you were to aerate post pitch with the GF aerater would you pitch on top of all of the wort post aeration ? Presumably you wouldn't mess with the wort post pitch.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

I would suggest that you aerate first and then pitch.

[@Dogsdoodas]

Love the shift to more lager type recipes. Very cool

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

🍻🍻🍻

[@philg6531]

Thanks for this video David. I have brewed many of your recipes and have never been disappointed. I want to ferment this Kolsch quickly and was thinking about using Framgarden. Would this complement the recipe?

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Thanks Phil, great to hear. Kolsch is not really a style that I think kveik works with. It becomes something else, still good beer, just not Kolsch. You best route would be to use Kolsch yeast for the first four days and then add it some Lutra. That will work nicely.

[@philg6531]

@@DavidHeathHomebrew Great thanks for the advice.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

🍻🍻🍻

[@giovanniiacono9235]

hi David...I would like to make an altbier...can you recommend a yeast, preferably dry, for this style?

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

K-97 would be my suggestion. Enjoy 🍻🍻🍻

[@Butsugen8]

Excellent video, this is my next brew!

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Thank you, glad you enjoyed it :)

[@spectrumhomebrew]

Hi David, nice video, one question, the water profile you have in the recipe planning, is it your suggestion? A köln typical water profile? Something else? Thanks in advance!

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Thank you. Yes, that is right.

[@DrDLax]

Hi David, This is Deepak from Chennai, South India. I just finished brewing a Carona Clone. I used the Pilsner 2 row 4 Kgs, Corn Flakes 500Gms, Carapils 300Gms. I used Galena Hops . I used 11 Gms @ 60 Mins and 14 Gms @ 15 Mins. Till the wort was hot and boiling the color of the wort was golden but once I cooled the wort the color changed dark. Can you please help and inform me what went wrong. The water that I use is Canned water.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Part of the darker colour is due to the Maillard reaction from boiling. This will change in time when this all settles out. Nothing to worry about :)

[@soundwave070]

Hi David, when I import your recipe, even before changing any details in the recipe, water or equipment, the calculated pH is almost 5,7 yet I don't hear you mention anything about lowering it the get a better acidity. Am I missing something important?

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Sorry for the late reply, I have been away working and very busy now for 10 days. Ph adjustment is not something I tend to address unless it is something out of the ordinary. For Kolsch 5.2 - 5.3 is pretty typical.

[@mardanheddeokwa]

Hi David, I just got back from Germany and searched a recipe for a Fruh Kolsch taste alike. I think this can be a good candidate for it?

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Could be, though ive not tasted that one to be able to say.

[@markthrower224]

David I've brewed your Bohemian Pilsner twice now; the 2.5 months from grain to glass is so worth it I may have to give this one a go as well... on these hot Texas summer day's it really hits the spot.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Great to hear Mark. Yes its been a popular one for sure :)

[@MrBrianmuz]

Hi David. I just brewed your recipe and I have to say it tastes amazing. Thanks heaps for sharing the recipe and information. One thing with my one though was that the Best Pilsner malt I was able to get was only 3.1 EBC and the beer came out a little too pale. What would you recommend to increase the colour? Should I add an additional malt or do I just need to seek out a higher EBC Pilsner?

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

That is great to hear Brian. I love this recipe :) I would not worry too much about small colour differences.

[@pow06er]

Hi David, I’m brewing this recipe with Lallemand Kolsch, any thoughts on pressure fermentation vs not with the Lallemand?

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Hi Paul, I would suggest no pressure for the first 3-4 days. Otherwise you will lose your yeasts aromas and flavours.

[@paulwalter4708]

Hi David, really helpful video. I have some Perle hops to use up, which you mention are classics for the style. Do you think I could substitute those Perle hops for one of the type of hops in your recipe?

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Many thanks Paul. Yes, no problem using Perle. Just match the IBU of each addition and it will work just great :)

[@paulwalter4708]

@@DavidHeathHomebrew many thanks!

[@ericlemes]

Hi David, thanks for the very detailed videos. I'm not an experienced brewer and perhaps missed something important or obvious, but what is the hop bill and timings for your recipe?

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Thanks Eric. You can find the recipe in the videos description as well as a link to the recipe for Brewfather.

[@ngreed86]

Hi David. Is there a particular water profile for this recipe?

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

I would go with a Cologne, Germany profile. It's ideal.

[@canadianbrewer]

Water question. I had to use some gypsum to get the same water profile. I thought that Noble hops don't like gypsum? 1.9 g in the mash and 1.8 g in the sparge.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

No problems with using gypsum with noble hops.

[@canadianbrewer]

@@DavidHeathHomebrew Just sampled my Kolsch I made using your water profile and it tastes great. Thanks David.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Great to hear Chris 🍻🍻🍻

[@foleyu2]

Haven't had good luck with K97. Got a very tart beer with belgian like esters ?

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

I would suggest lower temps or using pressure :)

[@tonytebby4785]

Hi David, I’m loving all your videos, thank you. I am currently brewing a Crafty Brews Kölsch recipe kit and would like some advice on fermentation schedule. I have a Grainfather FV with cooling pump kit and a camping fridge to cool the water, so I’m confident I can get down to 4 degrees. I am brewing with WY2656 and my proposed schedule is: 1 day @ 21* - complete 7 days @ 15* - in progress 1 day @ 16* 1 day @ 17* 1 day @ 18* 14 days @ 4* Then bottle with carbonation drops and condition @ 20* for 14 days. Does this look like the right approach to you? How can I tell if it’s okay to progress from 15* up to 18* or if I should extend the 15* stage? Regards, Tony.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Thanks Tony. That is great to hear :) Yes this looks good, as long as the storm fermentation period is covered by the 7 day section, which it should be.

[@lisacarruthers9649]

In Brewfather, would you suggest putting all the water salts in the mash, or splitting them between mash and sparge please? Also, could I do this under pressure?

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Hi Lisa. There are different schools of thought on this but more predictable results are found when treating all your water. Pressure is no problem.

[@rickwischer1318]

Curious for the reason for ramping up the temperature from 17 to 20 over the final 3 days of fermentation.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Hi Rick. There are two reasons for this. Firstly by raising temperature you will be assisting your yeast in finishing fermentation with a full attenuation. Put simply, it will finish eating all sugars. Secondly, by raising the temperature like this you are providing protection for your beer against DMS which provides an off flavour in beer often described as cooked sweet corn. I hope this helps.

[@rickwischer1318]

@@DavidHeathHomebrew Two follow up questions with regard to your reply. 1) Does a plan to cold crash change anything? I would assume not but wanted to verify. This would mean initially fermenting 17, raising to 20 near the end and then cold crashing at 3. 2) Is this yeast and/or style of beer a reason for this process or do you recommend raising a few degrees over the last 3 days for all beer styles?

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

No problem! 1) Just the end temperature and initial clarity 2) No, this is good practise for all yeast, though it is not needed for kveik yeast. I hope this helps :)

[@axlns81]

Hi David, that’s for another amazing recipe. Currently fermenting that beer. Not sure how this happened, I imported your kolsch recipe to my Brewfather account and at some point wheat was replaced with Munich. Do you think I will be offstyle now? Thanks

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

That will be fine. Just a little different and less head retention.

[@alundavies1557]

Hi David, cheers for the video and recipe, I brewed it a few days ago and am waiting patiently for the yeast to start doing its thing. Out of interest, how long would you think this would take? It’s been 24 hours at 16 degrees currently with zero action. Am I just being impatient? Cheers

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Hey Alun, usually not that long. Give the fermenter some gentle rocking for a few minutes to rouse the yeast 🍻

[@alundavies1557]

@@DavidHeathHomebrew thanks for the reply David. My RAPT has started to show some movement but it’s still super slow compared to others I’ve done. Out of interest, I’m doing a different brew at the same time (Peroni clone), both are at cold temps and both are going very slowly. Is this just what to expect with the colder yeasts? I’ve not used them before. Thanks

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Ok good news. Yes colder temps for sure means slower.

[@qevinflynn]

Hi David! Since you mention lagering in the conical with the glycol chiller i would have a question around this. Would you dump the yeast when you start lagering in the gf conical? Any difference in general in dumping yeast, yes/no, if you would use a bottom fermenting yeast and then lager? Thx a lot in advance! :-)

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Thank you. Yes, I would dump the trub first for a cleaner end result.

[@madmp3zz]

Any advice on a water profile for RO water? All i keep reading is 1.9g calcium chloride per 5 gallons.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Hi Tom, You can just set an RO profile in brewing/water calculators and then set a target profile and it will tell you what to add. Brewfather does this for example.

[@joeatth]

Hi David, great video as usual. I fancy brewing this and have a question about lagering. After fermentation can I lager in primary, in the yeast for a couple of weeks before bottling, or do I need to move it off the yeast into secondary? Also, if the latter will I need some bottling yeast to aid carbonation?

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

You can lager in primary, no problem at all.

[@joeatth]

@@DavidHeathHomebrew thanks David, that's next brew sorted

[@joeatth]

@@DavidHeathHomebrew oh also, sorry for the questions, but at what temperature should I bottle condition?

[@tjarligdrengen]

Is Kölsch a good beer to pressure ferment?

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

I would suggest only applying pressure after 3/4 days if you want the yeasts flavour and aroma.

[@agustinfernandez6279]

Hi David! I have your recipe fermenting for 2 days, the gravity is about 46% of total(it goes too fast at 17*C). I would appreciate your opinion about pressure fermentation in this recipe. Did you use pressure fermentation in this recipe? Do you think it would have some benefits apart of natural carbonation? Many thanks. Cheers!

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Hi, you certainly can use pressure however I would suggest no pressure for the first 3-4 days so that you have the flavours and aromas from the yeast in place.

[@agustinfernandez6279]

@@DavidHeathHomebrew many thanks David. Cheers

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

🍻🍻🍻

[@Terratracer1909]

A key point you forgot to mention. (As someone who lived in Germany) What also makes Kölsch Bier, Kölsch Bier, is the vessel it is drank from. It should be drank from a narrow, thin walled, 0,2L glass called a Kölsch Stange.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Ok but most are not going to have access to that. Its not essential either.

[@georgiyv5733]

Hello David! Greetings from Ukraine ) When I'm looking to try something new, the first thing I always check your channel, and I can tell, there is an impressive list to look through :-) Great video and a great source of inspiration to brew a new style of beer. Thank you! A quick question about the base malt: You suggest using as a base malt Pilsner Malt 3.5 EBC. I can locally order a malt named something like "Premium Pilsner malt extra hell", from Weyermann. Do you think it's OK to use it for Kolsch, or should I search further?

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Thank you Georgiy. A variety of different pilsner malts will certainly work. The Weyermann version you mention is an excellent malt with plenty of modification which leads to very good results. It is aimed more at lagers but I believe it will work nicely here also.

[@georgiyv5733]

Thank you David!

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

:)

[@havarfjerdingen2281]

Thanks for the interesting video David. What is the purpose of extra/fresh wort you're adding straight after pitching, and how much is added?

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Thanks Håvar. This is not extra, it is the actual wort. Add afew litres, pitch your yeast and then aim the rest of the wort at the yeast to hydrate it for a fast start :)

[@hmmy92]

how many weeks do you lager? I think the k-97 yeasts create some "bad" aromas that leave after many weeks.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Not usually very long personally. Anything from 2 weeks to 2 months taste depending.

[@AM2PMReviews]

So it’s like a lager but with ale yeast…

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Yes, its an ale but with lager traits 🍻🍻🍻

[@zzing]

I think I might actually brew one of your recipes without too significant changes in malts. What exactly is the yeast supposed to give you when the description is often "clean"? I have a skare based kveik (krispy from escarpment) that I have in a sample that just needs some growth - I was thinking I might be able to get away with using it and mashing at a higher pH to try to compensate for the lower pH that is typical with kveik. Beyond that it might not technically be a kolsch (as you say) but would people really notice a difference?

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Clean yeasts are not adding any flavour essentially. Also known as neutral :) I have made many styles with Kveik that people have found authentic tasting. It is all down to personal taste buds.

[@rimmersbryggeri]

I think Aramis hops could work for this style. Very few people seem to use them though.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Worth a try for sure :)

[@rimmersbryggeri]

@@DavidHeathHomebrew I have used them to great effect in triples/strong ales I think they could also suit Dortmunder Lagers you don't see many people brewing those though.

[@matthewkaiser310]

David, I had an opportunity to brew this recipe today. I was a little worried when I noticed your efficiency is a bit higher than mine, so I slowed down my mash in as you mentioned in a previous video. My efficiency went through the roof!! Thanks for that tip. My question is about my crush. During vorlauf I had quite a bit of grain on top of my malt pipe. Does this mean my crush is too fine? I assume the grain was a little too fine and went through the false bottom prior to setting the grain bed. Just trying to improve every brew. Cheers!

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Great to hear. Yes, this is an important step for sure :) You will know when your crush is too fine. It will cause you mash to stick and/or your sparge.

[@malcolmhuggins7908]

David do you have any guidance on hop rates for the standard recipe in this video I can sort the bittering rates but wasn't sure about the late additions? Many thanks Malcolm

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Do you have a Brewfather account? If not it is free to make one :) Then use this link and you will get all those details. share.brewfather.app/U9aqSoxkfKsu4S

[@Nick-no1ke]

Such a well done video. It got me excited to make Kolsch my next brew! I always struggle with deciding what to brew next--aiming for the perfect balance of choices on my taps.This seems like a welcome addition to the higher gravity stuff I'm currently drafting. I will try your recipe as my last Kolsch was a bit lacking. I noticed you don't advocate for acidulated malt. Are you primarily managing your mash pH via your water profile? I find acidulated malt to give a pleasant, lemony zip and properly buffered the pH, but just started experimenting with lactic acid last night while brewing a Tripel (mash pH was way too high). I don't think using it is Reinheitsgebot, though. What are your thoughts on the use of either of those in this recipe for folks like me who have high ph/more alkaline water?

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Many thanks Nick. Im not anti acid malt but I do mostly treat my water by other means when needed. If I do use it then I will not list it publicly because people need to treat their own water differently.

[@DrDLax]

And the Yeast that I used is Fermolager W 34/70

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Yes, this will be ok :)

[@philg6531]

Hi David, I brewed this recipe and all went well. I put the fermenter into the fridge to lager for 2 weeks but the temperature has dropped to -2C for a few days. Is there any point in continue lagering or if i raise the temperature to 4C will this be of benefit. Feel like it might be a bit late now?

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Hi Phil, raise it back up and carry on 🍻🍻🍻

[@piotrba2166]

I also use G30 and few weeks ago I brewed my first Kolsch - Yeast K-97, Hops - mix of tettnang, spalt, hersbrucker up to 27 IBU. It's now lagering in fermentor at 4-5 st C (7 days planned) and I've been fermenting this quite low - at 13 st C outside. What carbonation is optimum for that beer ?? Do I really need of lagering this beer at home since it should drop clear in the bottles ? I,ve got plans to brew 3 versions - fermenting low and lager, fermenting low and not lager and fermenting at 18 st C and lager - what do You think of that experiment ??

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Hi, Kolsch has a carbonation range of 2.4-2.8 vols and there is no need to lager it. Cold crashing it for early clarity would certainly be to style but this is simply the look of the beer and will not change the taste. Changing the fermentation temperature will produce different results in terms of the flavours from K-97, which at the higher range can produce some fruity notes.

[@beerandbbqhobbyist6464]

Hello David. This style has been my favorite style for quite some time and I usually keep it on tap. I do have a question. What are your thoughts on using a kolsch malt verses Pilsner malt and would you loose something pressure fermenting this verses a regular fermentation? I’m gonna start fermenting higher like you recommend. I usually lager near freezing. I thought that was the way to do it. Thanks for the video.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Great. Kolsch malt is a great way to go if you can obtain it. You will need to still use pilsner as otherwise the colour will be too dark and the flavour will also but too much along with malty sweetness. If you want to pressure ferment then you can but to too keep the desired esters I would suggest no pressure for the opening 36-48 hours. Yes lagering near freezing is more relevant to American light lagers than anything European.

[@beerandbbqhobbyist6464]

@@DavidHeathHomebrew thank you. David. I do appreciate it.

[@beerandbbqhobbyist6464]

How would the two malts differ in taste?

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Anytime :)

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

The Kolsch malt is sweeter and more malty.

[@brokentreebrewingco7034]

I wonder now that they've released Lutra, if kveik would work for a kolsch style kveik ale

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

All a question of taste really. Some use US05 :p

[@porksandwich5693]

Thank you. Do you use a flaked wheat or white wheat?

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

I use regular wheat malt for this recipe.

[@apakamel9437]

Gonna try this one out on my next brew! Do you serve in the same keg that the beer finings are in or do you transfer into another one after it's been cleared?

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Great :) The same keg is fine :)

[@apakamel9437]

Hey again and thanks for the reply. Brew went great so now it's bubbling away in my 19l corny keg. Just wondering now, could you explain more about the process of mangroves beer finings? Since there isnt a lot to find about this particular product, i would like to "clear" things out. I thought it would be more economical and efficient to put the beer finings in my primary after fermentation and during cold crash, before racking into serving keg. Would that be ok? And is the method with this type of finings the same as gelatin or do you just pour the package straight into a cold crashed keg and leave it there for 24-48 hours before racking? Sorry for all the questions, but never used any clearing products before. Thanks in advance!

[@treesmith79]

This is going to be my next beer to brew, does any one know how long the hopstand/whirlpool edition is?

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Sorry I see this is missing. Ive adjusted it. This is a 10 minute stand :)

[@treesmith79]

Thanks mate, much appreciated.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

:)

[@aidanlynch8351]

Hi David, your water is nearly 50/50 for mash and sparge. Is this for reason? Would more water during mash and less on sparge have a negative effect?

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Recipe calculators are tuned to give as much sparge water as possible in the interest of efficiency. I used Brewfather for the calculation:)

[@aidanlynch8351]

David Heath Homebrew thanks David. I’m using Brewfather too with the braumeister just wanted to check.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

No problem:)

[@leehargreaves1402]

Hi, I've never made a larger would this be the right process for fermentation? 1. Pitch at 20 2. Cool to 17 and leave until 5 point short of FG. 3. Raise to 20 by increasing 1c a day 3. Leave at 20c for 3 days. Now I presume I don't crash to 4c, in what Increments should I drop per day and then when down to 4c I presume this is when I leave it for the 2 weeks or does the 2 weeks start from I start to drop the temp? Thanks in advance.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Hi Lee, this is an ale style not a lager :) Temps will depend on the yeast used but what you have there is fairly average :)

[@leehargreaves1402]

@@DavidHeathHomebrew Thanks for your reply David. I'll be using k-97 yeast. I'll do as above and drop 2c per day until 4c and leave it for 2 weeks and see how it turns out :)

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

That will be ideal :) I hope that you enjoy the end result.

[@leehargreaves1402]

@@DavidHeathHomebrew I'm sure I will. Thanks for your videos and brewfather recipes.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

:)

[@chacalGYE]

David thanks I am following your channel closely. I used Columbus as a bittering hop but kept it below 30 IBUs + Tettnang for aroma. I am almost one week into fermentation at about 54F - 64F, and the beer still has a cake on top... That has me a little nervous, first time using K-97, definitely a different animal. I was hoping I could skip the lagering step but looks pretty hazy so I guess I will need to find space in the fridge. LOL.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Hi Carlos, sorry but I missed this comment. I hope this worked out ok?

[@chacalGYE]

@@DavidHeathHomebrew Actually, due to a process tweaking both alcohol and IBUs came out too high for this style. I think the fermentation went ok though and it attenuated quite well. I wonder, what pitch rate would you normally use for a Kolsch with K-97: 750k cell/Plato/ml; 1MM cells/Plato/ml or 1.5MM cells/Plato/ml? More into the Ale pitching rate or the Lager pitching rate?

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Ok :) Personally I would go with the pitch rate that Fermentis suggest. Always best :)

[@zzing]

Is there any significant difference at the temperature? For example if you wanted to do 14 instead of 17.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Hi, are we talking about fermentation temps with K97?

[@zzing]

@@DavidHeathHomebrew Yes and possibly in general with kolsch yeast.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

This is ale yeast, 14 is going to be too low sadly.

[@zzing]

@@DavidHeathHomebrew kolsch k-97 can do 12-25, a certain brut ale derived from a kolsch strain can do 14-22.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Ok, ive never used it this low personally. I see that it is recommended to use at 15-20.

[@Usercool]

The pitch T states 5°C - is this correct? Wouldn't that be the lagering temperature or do you really need to pitch this low?

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Are we talking K97 here? I pitch and ferment between 15-20C

[@Usercool]

@@DavidHeathHomebrew Thanks for the reply David! I thought so because you mentioned a pitch T of 19°C at 12:45 just before pitching but the K-97 fermentation table at 10:03 was a tad confusing since the pitch there states @ 20 but followed by 5°C/40/F

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Thats the cold crash step :)

[@Usercool]

@@DavidHeathHomebrew oh, it all makes sense now! Can't wait to try my own hand at a Kölsch. Fell in love with the style after visiting Cologne just before the lockdown last year. Should be interesting to brew, cheers!

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Great and yes, Kolsch is amazing :)

[@fdk7014]

Very interesting again! I've never tasted a Kölsch so I have to make this sometime. By the way, I've started using two packages of dry yeast to get the final gravity down to where I want it. Two packages are still cheaper than 1 vial of liquid yeast and I don't have to make a starter!

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Great. Yes dry yeast is much easier for sure! I seldom use liquid these days.

[@porterbrewer9349]

I Love It.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Me too :)

[@Davidorallo]

Hi David, what water have you used? what salt concentrations? Ca2+, Cl-, SO4 2-, Na+, CO3 2-... Thanks

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

I used my local water source which for this style really needs little changes at all. I did show recommended levels in the video that you can use :)

[@Qldbrewbill]

Hi David great video. What was your mash temp.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Thank you :) I used 65 deg c for mash in and 75 deg c for mash out.

[@JonAn1]

One pack of yeast and no rehydrate?

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Yes :)

[@JonAn1]

@@DavidHeathHomebrew why?

[@Dts1953]

Brilliant video David must get round to brewing this style. Thank you sir👍👍👍

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Glad you enjoyed it :) Many thanks for your feedback :)

[@czeypher8535]

Which fruits would you recommend adding to a Kolsch? I added kumquats and it was really nice, tart but not too sour.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

I think it is a question of taste but popular examples would be cherries, peaches, passion fruit,guave and pineapple.

[@Diabolik771]

3:25 Water Profile is THE reason that many American copies of European style beers fall short.

[@DavidHeathHomebrew]

Highly likely 🍺