Kölsch Style Ale

This recipe, the same recipe used for yesterday's meeting (3/24/2008), was given to me by my dad. It is a traditional Kölsch style recipe. For those of you who may not know, Kölsch style beer is a clear ale with a "straw-yellow" hue with prominent hop levels (but not so much as available in typical German pilsener beers) that is a specialty of Köln (or Cologne), Germany. I will try to describe the standard process of making this beer, and the compromises and ranges that have produced an acceptable home-brew product. I do not have the all-grain conversion list for the recipe, but it is simple enough that conversion should be easy enough to figure out on your own (probably pilsener malt). This recipe is great for a novice home-brewer because of its simplicity.

Ingredient list for a five gallon batch:

5 lbs. extra light dry malt extract
1/2 lbs. cara hell (steep)
1 oz. Hallertau (bitter)
1 oz. Hallertau (finish)
Kölsch liquid yeast

Steep crushed cara hell grains as usual (refer to "How to Brew" section).

After grains are removed and the wort is brought to a boil, add the dry malt extract.

Bring to a boil again (as light of a boil as possible due to the light colored hue) and add the first ounce of hops for bittering. The boil should last about an hour.

During the last five minutes of the boil, add the last ounce of hops.

When the wort has cooled to below 70 degrees Fahrenheit, pitch the yeast.

Traditionally, Kölsch style ales are fermented at slightly cooler temperatures that other ales (60 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit). I have also seen recipes where Kölsch style ales are brewed even colder in the secondary stage of fermentation, most likely for the sake of clarity. Unfortunately, I do not have the ability to control temperature into this recommended range. Luckily though, it turns out just fine around 70 degrees Fahrenheit. The longer it sits in the secondary stage of fermentation, the clearer the end result. Primary fermentation usually lasts about a week or so, and you might have a product that is acceptable for bottling/kegging after 2-3 weeks of secondary fermentation, but I would typically leave it sit in the secondary for at least twice that. The product served last night sat in the primary for about a week, the secondary for about 5 weeks, all at around 70-75 degrees Fahrenheit, and in a keg for about 2 weeks at 46 degrees Fahrenheit.

Enjoy!