AG: Kolsch w Schill Kolsch Malt

[biertourist]

I have updated my Kolsch recipe so that I can use the newish Schill Kolsch malt- a "Cologne-style" malt made in the general Cologne area.  It is like you took a typical German Pilsner malt and kilned it a bit longer so that it's 1/2 - 2/3rds the way to light Munich malt.  It's too dark to use @ 100% and still end up within the Kolsch range, so if you want to enter a BJCP competition use the grist percentages detailed below.

OG: 1.050
FG: 1.010
SRM: 5.5
ABV: 5%
IBUs: 25

Grist
Weyermann Pilsner Malt (I find that Best Pilsner malt is too grainy/ crackery): 60% 5.87 kg for 11 gallons out of the kettle
Schill Kolsch Malt: 30% 2.94kg -11 gallons in kettle
Pale Wheat Malt: 10% 1kg -11 gallons in kettle


Hops:
You want about 20 IBUs from your 60 minute / 90 minute hops (if you do a 90 min boil)
1.8 oz of noble German hops @ 15 minutes (if dealing with really low AA german hops- I was using 2.6% AA Tettnanger)

Mash:
Mash very loose and mash all at 65C -you want high fermentability and you want less sparge water to avoid picking up tannins
Crush: "malt condition" your malt before crushing to avoid shredding the husks and extracting extra tannins later


Fermentation: This yeast is happy at near lager temps or at spring/fall/winter room temperature -but at the higher temps it will produce more grapey fruity esters.
These yeasts take FOREVER to flocculate- be prepared to lager for an extended period and add finings- gelatin does the job
These yeasts, taste pretty bad, IMHO and the beer just won't be right until the yeast all falls out of solution so just keep lagering and hold off on drinking it until it's ready- it's worth it!
-If you want another 2 points lower FG you can always harvest the kolsch yeast and then add a lager strain in secondary to ferment out the maltotriose.

Water Treatment: If starting from RO/Distilled water go light with the water treatment and only use Calcium Chloride (no gypsum on this one); IMHO, you want the softness from fairly soft water; I acidify my sparge water because I want to avoid husky tannin extraction in the sparge in kolsches at all costs.



https://bsgcraftbrewing.com/schill-cologne-kolsch-25-kg

Note: Does anyone else notice that the Kolsch yeast grapiness is oddly reminiscent of Peroni's grapiness?  -Insert Conspiracy Theory Here



Adam

[biertourist]

P.S. I've entered this beer into the 20th annual Cascade Brewer's Cup; judging is this Friday and Saturday.  I'd be surprised if 2 beers could beat it; I'm fully expecting a medal and will report back after Saturday.

[nigel_c]

Sounds like you have the recipe pretty much dialed in. I love this style and have a starter on the go at the moment. Fresh it's just bad but it's amazing the difference a few weeks can make.
Makes me thirsty just reading the post.

[biertourist]

The awards ceremony is this Sunday.  After that, I'll be happy to report that this won both 1st place and 2nd place in its category as a Kolsch and a Cream Ale respectively.   
I was right that there weren't two beers that could beat it; the only beer that could beat it was itself.


My Festbier scored a 39.5, too so I think I'm well on my way to mastering the light German styles.  They're beer styles that favor technical mastery, though as the grists and hop additions are rather simple; all you need to do is avoid screwing up the ingredients or overcomplicating things.  Many of the other styles require a lot more trail and error on the recipes themselves.

I should rebrew them each one more time and enter them into the AHA NHC next year and see how they do in the largest of the large competition.  My hesitation would be that I really don't think there're too many US judges who actually know what Festbier should be like.

I need to get a good stout recipe for BJCP competitions next.  I know what tastes good and I even brewed Jamil's recipe from BCS but I think judge's tastes have evolved since Jamil put his recipe into an NHC.

Adam

[biertourist]

Sounds like you have the recipe pretty much dialed in. I love this style and have a starter on the go at the moment. Fresh it's just bad but it's amazing the difference a few weeks can make.
Makes me thirsty just reading the post.

Yea, Kolsh yeast just tastes bad.  It produces delicious flavors, but the yeast itself tastes bad; it wouldn't be such a big deal if it wasn't such a terrible flocculator.