Re: kolsch

The recipe for the 3 Kolschs I brought to the BJCP study session a few weeks ago is 90% Rahr Pale Ale Malt 10% Wheat Malt 14 IBU N. Brewer (60 min) 12 IBU Perle (30 min) 2 IBU Hallertau (finish) The yeasts were: Wyeast 1056 (this was the favorite at the session) Wyeast 2565 (2nd favorite, many thought it was on the fruity side) Wyeast 1007 (not totally inappropriate for style, but I don't care for the flavor of this yeast) Fermentation temp was around 60F. Keep fermentation temp appropriate for the strain of yeast you use. I personally find Kolsch one of the most boring, bland styles out there (no offense to anyone intended), but an absolutely fine beer. If you're brewing to style, that's what you should aim for. I choose to make mine a little more interesting by bumping up the hop flavor (that's the Hallertau addition). Adding speciality grains as Will suggests is another good way to add more character to the beer, but be careful if you're brewing to style. When I brew it again, I'll probably leave out the Hallertau, bump up the bitterness with a little more Perle, and try a California Common yeast instead of the Alt yeast. -- -- Michael Valentiner, Minneapolis, Minnesota mpv(a)yuck.net