AG#: 13 Kolsch - Dreizehn (no Triskaidekaphobia here !)

[Manx Guy]

Hi

Yes my school days German came back to me when I saw that this was AG number 13...
Well its easier to say than Triskaidekaphobia which was my other thought...


Nice simple German kolsch - at the hoppier end of the 'style guidelines'...

I mashed at 66C with a grain to liqour ratio of 4:1 (as is tradditional I understand) and went for a 2 hour mash

Grain Bill

Lager/Pilsner Malt 88%
Wheat Malt 10%
Acid Malt (for pH correction) 2%

Hop schedule

Tettnang 4.2% AA to 20 IBU FWH

Tettnang 4.2%AA to 6 IBU @15 minutes

Target OG: 1046
Target IBU 26


Mash all done & boil on...
Update to follow

[Manx Guy]

For some reason photobucket is on the blink and I cant upload photos...

Any way all done and sat in the FV at 16C

[leedsbrew]

nice one Guy! I've done a number of Kolsch beeers now and the best have all been with Tettnang! Are you using the WLp or wyeast?

LB

[Manx Guy]

Hi LB!

Yeah I saw at least one of your brew day posts/blogs and decided to go with the Tett...

I'm using Wyeast 2565 it was a big starter so its already blipping the airlock!

It looks like its going to climb out of the FV so I may switch to a blow off tube!


Still cant post any photo's... but I guess you've seen it all before...
Got a really good cold break today - not sure if it was to do with the use of wheat or the fact I used a whole protofloc tab as its such a pale beer!

I got good efficiency = 82% so glad I went for the more bitter end of the scale or it may not have been what I wanted...

Ended up with 20 litres @1048 (Target 19L @ 1046)

No disasters and all cleaned up before lunch...

[leedsbrew]

nice work matey! I reckon your cold break was probaly a result of the two variables being complimentary to each other! Will you be kegging this then? If so I'd recomend lagering (or at least keeping cold) for a good fortnight in the corni to really get it pin bright!

Keep some of the yeast cake as well, as if its anything like wlp029 then it gets better with future generations!

[Manx Guy]

Hi!

Yes I'll be kegging this, I plan to lager for 2-4 weeksat about 5C...

I might bottle a few from the corni at a later date (whetheror not I get a beer gun may effect this)

This was repitch from a lager kit experiment I did back in November... I added a good 100ml slurry to a litre star 3 days ago and it flew off!
may have some bottle at the NCB meet in March for sampling!
I'll be sure to keep soem of the slurry from this batch too!

Cheers!

[leedsbrew]

sweet!

re; bottling from a corni. IIf your getting a beer gun great, but if you don't get round to it beofre you want to bottle some of this then I find that about 4-6 foot of 3/16 beer line works very well. Thats how I bottled my Brooklyn RIS and it has been fine for the past 2 years without any oxidation.



I vent the keg with the gas off, then put the steralised end ofthe beer line into the bottle. Turn the gas reg back to zero and turn the gas bottle back on. Increase the gas pressure until you have a steady flow into the bottle that doesnt create too much foam. I find that 5ish psi works well. cold bottles and cold beer help to minimise foaming as well.



It also helps to have your beer slightly more carbonated that you would want in the bottle as it may loose a bit during bottling, but I've found that so long as you bottle on foam or near as damn it then you don't get a problem. I don't turn the beer off, just go from one bottle to anbother very quickly once the bottle is full.

Cheers

LB

[Manx Guy]

Hi LB!

That looks like a top tip!

Cheers!

[Manx Guy]

Ok....

first near bright sample from the corni:



Looks good and tastes, pretty near a bottled Kolsch I had recently - except fresher!
THe phot makes it look a lot darker than it really is and the bubbles are so small you can really see them in the photo (mainly because of the 'sweat' on the glass - its just come straight out of a fridge set to 'lagering temps)

You can get a hint of Tett too, but its not overly bitter, in the ball park I think....
Now I just need to let it condition a bit longer....

Must not drink it too young or before I get to bottle it


Cheers !
Guy

[leedsbrew]

Looks great that guy! Hope I gets to saltaire before you sink it all! Lol

[Manx Guy]

Hi!

Yes I need to have a bottling session soon enough...
I hope to bring some to the Saltaire meet too!


Guy

[WishboneBrewery]

I have to admit, its weird the amount of random German i remember from School. I think I could count to 100 or at least 99.
Languages should really be a bigger and earlier part of school...

[Goulders]

Guy that looks cracking. Makes we want to reach into the screen and grab it!

[BeerEagle]

I am a newly converted fan of Kölsch. Had a quick break in County Cork and found a really good craft brew pub - I think it was called the Franciscan Well.

Their Kölsch was wonderful. If I hadn't been driving, I would have had a lot more.

Going to try this next weekend.

[Manx Guy]

Hi BE!

Nice simple recipe, and similar to some LB did...

Tett is the hop for Kolsch IMHO but life would be boring if we all liked/brewed the same beers...

Let us know how it goes...

Cheers!