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Kolsch

A crisp, refreshing German ale with subtle fruity esters and a clean finish, perfect for warm-weather brewing and drinking.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 48 12-ounce servings
Course: Beverage
Cuisine: German
Calories: 145

Ingredients
  

Grains and Malt
  • 5 pounds Pale Ale Malt
  • 1.5 pounds Vienna Malt
  • 1 pound Pilsner Malt
  • 0.5 pounds Carapils Malt
Hops
  • 0.75 ounces Hallertau Hops 60 minutes
  • 0.5 ounces Hallertau Hops 5 minutes
Yeast and Extras
  • One vial liquid Kolsch yeast or one pack dry yeast
  • 6 gallons soft water
  • 0.75 cups priming sugar for bottling

Equipment

  • 5 to 10 gallon stainless steel brew kettle
  • Muslin grain bag
  • Large mesh strainer or brew basket
  • Brewing thermometer
  • Long-handled brew spoon or paddle
  • Immersion wort chiller or ice bath setup
  • 6.5 to 7 gallon glass or plastic carboy fermentation vessel
  • Airlock and rubber stopper
  • Hydrometer and test tube
  • Auto-siphon and tubing for bottling
  • Bottle capper and crown caps
  • Sanitizing solution
  • Large funnel
  • Bottle brush

Method
 

  1. Crush all grains using a grain mill set to a coarse setting.
  2. Heat 2.5 gallons of soft water to 154°F and mash in grains, holding at 150–152°F for 60 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.
  3. Sparge grains with 1.5 gallons of water at 170°F to rinse additional sugars.
  4. Bring collected wort to a rolling boil, add 0.75 ounces Hallertau hops, and boil for 60 minutes.
  5. With 5 minutes remaining, add 0.5 ounces Hallertau hops to the boil.
  6. Cool the wort rapidly to 68°F using an immersion chiller or ice bath.
  7. Transfer cooled wort to the sanitized fermentation vessel, measure original gravity, and pitch yeast.
  8. Ferment at 65–68°F for 7 to 10 days, monitoring airlock activity.
  9. After fermentation slows and final gravity reaches 1.010–1.012, bottle with 0.75 cups priming sugar, cap, and condition at room temperature for 10 to 14 days.

Notes

Maintain fermentation temperature at 65–68°F to avoid off-flavors and ensure a clean, crisp profile.