What are you brewing/bottling/kegging?

[FedoraDave]

Well, I was gonna bottle the Straw Boater Blonde Ale today, but I had a bunch of errands and stuff, and I just don't feel like it. I'll bottle it first thing tomorrow, and then turn around and brew a batch of Fedorus Magnus Kölsch.

[berryman]

Bottled a five gallon batch of a American style light lager that was brewed 3/7/15 and has been in the cold/lagering for quite a few weeks this morning, and bottled a Red Rye Ale that was brewed 3/28/15 this afternoon.

[FedoraDave]

Bottled a five gallon batch of a American style light lager that was brewed 3/7/15 and has been in the cold/lagering for quite a few weeks this morning, and bottled a Red Rye Ale that was brewed 3/28/15 this afternoon.

I've been toying with the idea of brewing an American-style lager, myself. My lager fridge is currently lagering an Oktoberfest, and I don't like to make too many lagers; just two or three a year, as they take so long to get to the pipeline. Keep that lager cold for a while longer, Berry. Should peak around July or August.

[swenocha]

Doing a loose version of the Beersmith Kölschbier. I'm a big fan of a Kölschbier, especially in the Spring/Summer months. Similar, but a bit heartier than a pale lager, and a bit quicker to being ready because it's an ale. I usually do some pale lagers in the Spring as well, especially since I have so... much... beer... right now, so the time-to-drinking isn't that important, but I had been wanting to do this simple recipe for a while, so I'm going with it tomorrow morning. I have Pearle and Tettnanger on hand in the German hop varieties, so I'll likely go with that instead of the Spalt that they used. I think either would be fine. I also haven't totally decided if I'm going to shift a bit of the hops to a 20 minute addition. Technically true to style probably wouldn't have that addition, so I may well keep it where it's at. But I may change my mind.

Kölschbier
Kolsch

Type: All Grain
Date: 5/17/2015
Batch Size: 2.80 gal

Ingredients

Amount Item Type % or IBU
5 lbs 8.0 oz Schill Kolsch 2-row Ger (3.0 SRM) Grain 94.66 %
5.0 oz Munich Avangard Ger (6.0 SRM) Grain 5.34 %
0.50 oz Pearle Ger [8.00 %] (60 min) Hops 26.0 IBU
1 Pkgs Kolsch Yeast (Wyeast Labs #2565) Yeast-Ale

Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.050 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.012 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 4.97 %
Bitterness: 26.0 IBU
Calories: 222 cal/pint
Est Color: 5.4 SRM

Into the hop boil... I stuck with the original plan... 0.5oz Per-lay for 60 min and no flavor/aroma additions.

I posted the recipe to my facebook last night, and a professional brewer friend offered some recommendations regarding ferment and mash temps, so I modified both a bit from what I was going to do. Great getting that kind of feedback, and funny that he said that had I added a touch of wheat, I would have had their Kolsch recipe exactly (which is their baseline beer).

So... I was planning to mash at 150, but he recommended their mash temp at 148, saying that I wanted it as dry as possible. Remembering the Beer Chem course we took, I was reminded that Beta amylase is most active between 130-150 degrees, and that that particular enzyme trims off single maltose sugar units that are more fermentable, which results in higher attenuation, a cleaner beer, and a thinner body. So... 148ish it is. I was also planning to ferment at 60 for a week (or until primary ferm appeared complete), then drop to lager temps for a few weeks. He instead noted that they do the following... ferment out at 56, and then let it ramp up to 65 after holding for 3 days at 56. Allow the fermentation to hit terminal for 3 days, then cold crash. Add some finings. Then lager for 2 weeks. So... I'll be following that process as well, and I'll be sharing a bottle with him at the brewery (assuming I approve of the final product)....

[FedoraDave]

Bottled the Straw Boater this morning, and I'm into the boil on my Kölsch. Looking forward to this once the summer settles in.

[Beer-lord]

So... I was planning to mash at 150, but he recommended their mash temp at 148, saying that I wanted it as dry as possible. Remembering the Beer Chem course we took, I was reminded that Beta amylase is most active between 130-150 degrees, and that that particular enzyme trims off single maltose sugar units that are more fermentable, which results in higher attenuation, a cleaner beer, and a thinner body. So... 148ish it is.

Personally, I've done both 148 and 150 and couldn't tell the difference but when doing large volumes like 9 gallons of BIAB mash, your temps are likely all over the place in the kettle. That's one reason why I stir my mash every 10 minutes ( and may look into recirculating).
My problem is getting to pitching temperature with my water temps and even with a pond pump. I'd have to sit it in the keezer for about 12 hours to get to pitching temperature. I know many do this but I hate the thought of leaving beer alone that long even though I follow pretty good sanitizing and cleanliness rules.
I'm gonna have to try doing this soon but with summer here, now's not the time.
Keep me updated please.

[swenocha]

My temps are rock-solid stable for my 3 gallon batch in the electric turkey fryer that I insulated the snot out of. I started at 148ish, and finished around 145-146. I get the temp to maybe 154, shut it off, drop the grain in and stir. Lid and cover lid with blanket. I then stir again a couple times during the mash.

I use a small submersible coil wort chiller, and I get to pitch temps pretty quickly. Of course, with this smaller volume, that's made a touch easier.

[swenocha]

Bottled the Straw Boater this morning, and I'm into the boil on my Kölsch. Looking forward to this once the summer settles in.

What's your Kölsch recipe, Dave?

[Rebel_B]

Kegged a batch of a Rye IPL, brewed on 3/29, dry-hopped with Amarillo & Simcoe hops on 5/10/15. Tasted the final gravity test sample... Excellent! Finished at 8.4% ABV

[Beer-lord]

Kegged a batch of a Rye IPL, brewed on 3/29, dry-hopped with Amarillo & Simcoe hops on 5/10/15. Tasted the final gravity test sample... Excellent! Finished at 8.4% ABV

Oh Hell Yeah! <drools>

[mashani]

@Swen, your Kölsch should turn out very authentic, although perhaps a shade or two darker then most. Much more authentic the last few I've made (which are still really good beers, but not authentic in any sense of the word). I like that Schill Kölsch malt a lot, even though it is darker then pils. It has a nice flavor. Going with German/Belgian Pils and a touch of wheat will get you a real pale Kölsch with great head retention if you want to try that sometimes.

The white lab Kölsch yeast makes great beer too - I use the Wyeast in the winter and the White Labs in the spring/fall, as the White Labs likes warmer temperatures better.

The Wyeast stuff can be a blowoff machine, so watch out.

[swenocha]

Already in place, Mash... My IPA blew the LBC out, and I only had two gallons or so in it. This one is a 2.5, so I was pretty certain that I'd go with the blowoff from the get-go here.



My original plan was to use pale pils, but then I noted that my LHBS carried the Kolsch malt, so I sacrificed color to try it out. I do a fair amount of pale pils/lagers with the pils malt, so I thought I'd try something a touch different on this one.

[Kealia]

Nice. I missed the boat on doing my Kolsch this year. I like to brew it in March for June drinking. It's also one of the beers that I like to use gelatin in to make it super clear.

A cold Kolsch with a fresh warm pretzel on a summer evening just hits the spot!

[FedoraDave]

Bottled the Straw Boater this morning, and I'm into the boil on my Kölsch. Looking forward to this once the summer settles in.

What's your Kölsch recipe, Dave?

I make a 2.5 gallon batch with the following ingredients:

3# Pilsner
1# Munich
0.25# White Wheat

0.33 Oz Hallertau - 90 minutes
0.33 Oz Hallertau - 20 minutes
0.33 Oz Hallertau - 7 minutes

White Labs WLP029 German Ale/Kölsch Yeast


I don't know how authentic this is, but it's a nice, crisp beer; very refreshing and highly carbed - almost effervescent.

[berryman]

Brewed my Sweet 'Lil Red today, I've brewed this a few times before. Trying to build up my pipeline before summer.


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