German Gose: Popular but misunderstood
Gose (pronounced GOH-zeh, not GOES) is a historical beer style that is typically associated with the city of Leipzig in the mid-east part of Germany. It originated in (and is named for) the nearby town of Goslar on the Gose River. While quite popular around 1900, it declined significantly after WWII and ultimately died out in the mid-1960s before being revived on a small scale in the 1980s in Germany. It has gained enormous popularity in the past few years as a modern craft beer style in the United States and is used as the base for many contemporary experimental beers.
If it has become so popular recently, then why is it misunderstood? Well, while the beer seems popular as an experimental beer base, few producers seem to be making the traditional beer. And fewer brewers seem to understand the traditional ingredients, production methods, and balance that make the beer so refreshing and interesting. So while I’ll describe the beer, I’ll also talk about some of the more common errors I’ve seen and how to avoid them.
Gose is categorized by the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) as a category 27 Historical Beer in the 2015 Style Guidelines, along with many other defined minor styles.
Sensory Profile
Gose is a tart, highly-carbonated, low bitterness wheat beer with a restrained seasoning of coriander and salt. The beer is highly attenuated and dry, with bright flavors that make it very refreshing. This simple sensory description is filled with words prone to misuse by brewers, however. Words like tart, salt, and coriander can be misunderstood and taken to the extreme. Even within those words, there is a quality or character that is often lacking if inferior ingredients are used.
The aroma of a Gose is light to moderately fruity, with an apple or pear quality. There is typically a light sourness present, which can be slightly sharp. Coriander gives it an aromatic lemony quality, which can blend nicely with the fruitiness and sourness. The malt impression is like bread dough, or sourdough bread. Salt may be detected as a very light, clean sea breeze. None of these characteristics should be more than moderate in intensity and are often quite a bit lower. These aromatic qualities should blend together to give a bright and fresh impression.
Gose is an unfiltered beer, so it can be somewhat hazy. Typically, the beer has a yellow color and a white head. Very high carbonation gives it an effervescence and tall head stand. The body is medium-light to medium-full, but the beer should never seem heavy on the palate.
Flavorwise, there should be a restrained sourness, bready-doughy malt flavor, and lightly fruity quality of apples, pears, or lemons. The coriander can give it the lemony quality, but shouldn’t have a celery seed or ham-like flavor. The salt should give it a seasoned flavor, not an overtly salty impression – it should not taste like Gatorade. Just as adding salt to a steak makes it taste beefier, salt in this beer gives it a brighter taste; you should not say “that tastes like salt” after tasting it.
As with many sour beers, the bitterness should be very low and generally not noticed. Likewise, no hop flavor is typically present. The beer finishes dry and crisp, with the acidity balancing the malt, not bitterness. The fermentation profile is neutral and clean. The sourness is derived from Lactobacillus (frequently called Lacto by craft brewers), so the sourness should be clean, not funky.
Brewing Ingredients and Methods
To help with some of the discussion of production techniques and ingredients, I turned to two good friends for help – Kristen England, Brewmaster at Bent Brewstillery, and Fal Allen, Brewmaster at Anderson Valley Brewing Company. Both produce great Gose beer using different methods. Anderson Valley’s Gose is a classic example in the BJCP style guidelines, and Bent Brewstillery’s Funked Up – Salinity was one of the prototype beers used to produce the style description, along with German examples.
The ingredients for a Gose are fairly simple. The base malt is Pilsner malt and wheat malt, with the percentage of wheat malt typically around 60% of the grist. The beer should not be too much like a Pils in flavor, so it might make sense to avoid Pilsner malts that have a highly bready flavor. Belgian Pilsner malt has enough flavor to be interesting without being excessively bready.
A simple infusion mash is sufficient, although the mash temperature should be restrained so as not to create a beer with a lot of body. Something in the 149 °F (65 °C) range or slightly lower is fine. Gose is not a big beer, so an original gravity of around 1.040 to 1.045 is sufficient.
Since the bitterness is low, it makes sense to use low alpha noble-type hops. I would keep the total IBUs under 10. They can be added as a single bitterness addition in the boil, or as first wort hopping (which is what Kristen recommends). Just keep in mind that bitterness and sourness tend to clash, so keep the bitterness below threshold level.
Coriander and salt are typical ingredients. Fresh whole coriander seed should be used, and the spices freshly ground. Avoid old or stale spices, or those that have a celery or ham character. Bright lemon is the target flavor profile. The salt can be kosher salt or sea salt, but I avoid using iodized table salt. Sea salt can be a nice choice, but be careful of making it taste too much like sea water. Kristen recommends a rate of about 1.5 g per gallon (4 L) of coriander and 2 g per gallon (4 L) of kosher salt, added at knockout with the spice portion steeped for 5 minutes and then removed. Fal adds sea salt post-fermentation.
The major concern for most brewers when making Gose is the souring method. There are several ways this can be accomplished, some providing better results than others. Whichever way is selected, the desired end state is a pH of about 3.2 to 3.4. Fal uses kettle souring, in which the wort is inoculated with Lactobacillus pre-boil, allowed to increase in acidity, and then boiled the same as other beers. Kristen uses a mixed Lactobacillus and Saccharomyces fermentation. Other methods for souring include adding lactic acid post-fermentation (more on this later) or using acidulated malt (which I’ve found can throw off grist percentages and the mash pH).
When using kettle souring, the wort is produced as usual, then brought to a brief boil to sterilize. The wort is then cooled to an appropriate temperature for the strain of Lactobacillus used (Fal uses L. delbrückii, and cools to 110 °F/43 °C). Generally, a temperature of around 95–100 °F (35–38 °C) will work well with most strains. Keeping the kettle covered and oxygen out by purging with CO2 is an important part of this souring process.
While Kristen ferments with a mixed Lacto and Saccharomyces culture, he offers an easier alternative for homebrewers who wish to kettle sour. Probiotics such as Swansons Priobiotic and Good Belly drinks have L. plantarum, which can be used for kettle souring. They will not work in the presence of hops, so do not add any hops to the wort before souring. The goal is to pitch 10 million active Lacto cells per mL of wort in order to reach a pH of 3.4 within 24 hours. Swansons works better if you put 3 caps into a 500 mL starter at 95 °F (35 °C) for 24–36 hours, then pitch. The Good Belly drinks can be used at a rate of about 2 per batch without using a starter.
For more detail on various strains of Lactobacillus and how they can be used, good references are the Milk the Funk blog (http://www.milkthefunk.com/wiki/Lactobacillus), and Michael Tonsmeire’s American Sour Beers book.
Once the wort has reached the desired sourness level, it is then boiled normally. If post-boil Lacto is being used, pay attention to the requirements of the particular strain. Some strains of Lacto do not tolerate hops at all. Lacto can be added after primary fermentation is done, or along with the primary strain.
The primary fermentation yeast should be something relatively neutral and well-attenuating. German ale yeast (like Wyeast 1007), Kölsch yeast (like White Labs WLP029), or even neutral American ale yeast can be used. I think the Wyeast 1007 strain is a good choice since it can tolerate low pH fairly well.
If the Gose is being used as the base for another experimental beer, Fal recommends adding fruit about 2⁄3 to 3⁄4 of the way through fermentation so as to retain flavor but ferment out the sugars. Spices are typically added at the end of the boil. If you haven’t tried it, I recommend seeking out Boulevard’s Hibiscus Gose or Anderson Valley’s Blood Orange Gose as two very successful examples of a Gose experimental beer.
Common Errors
Like any beer with spices, you can find many examples of Gose with way too much coriander or salt. The coriander should complement the acidity, not dominate it. It should not smell like a witbier. Likewise, if salt is too dominant, the beer will taste salty and the mouthfeel with seem “fat” or very heavy. Neither helps the beer taste refreshing.
The sourness character is another problem area for many brewers, in both intensity and quality. Adding straight lactic acid will produce a minerally, tart, simplistic sourness. The interest in sour beers comes from the byproducts other than lactic acid that add to the flavor complexity; these are absent in lactic acid. Saying that adding lactic acid is the same as using Lacto is like saying that you can use grain alcohol instead of yeast since both are just providing ethanol.
Some choose to use methods like sour mashing or adding Brettanomyces to get flavor and complexity in Gose. However, neither gives you the clean character that is typical of the style. I do not recommend either of these approaches.
If the level of sourness is too low, then the beer won’t seem balanced. It won’t have bitterness or sourness, so the malt will seem flabby without a counterpoint. The malt is fairly important to the beer, since without a good malt you won’t get the bread dough flavor. I recommend using continental Pilsner and wheat malts for the best flavor. Some use other forms of wheat (unmalted wheat, flaked wheat, etc.) or add additional grains (oats, etc.). These will not have the right flavor and often will increase the body and viscosity of the beer, which reduces drinkability, in my opinion.
Finally, there are too many goofy variants on Gose nowadays. Please try to make a proper Gose first so you understand the balance and character of the beer before trying a creative riff on the style. You may find, like I do, that the original beer is plenty flavorful on its own and is a great go-to summer beer.
Homebrew Example
My recipe for Gose at the end of this article uses some of the methods recommended by Fal and Kristen, along with my own preferences. I’m choosing a kettle souring method because it seems to be the easiest to measure and control.
I’ll choose the traditional ingredients I discussed, including German wheat malt, Belgian Pilsner malt, Czech Saaz (noble) hops, and German ale yeast. The target parameters are middle of the road for a Gose. The coriander, salt, and Lacto doses are in line with the recommendations in the ingredients and process section. Be sure to select fresh coriander seeds (I usually order from Penzey’s spices) and grind them right before using in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle.
The first time you make this recipe, you may wish to add the salt post-fermentation so you can tune the beer to your taste. Don’t add it all at once. Add some, mix, then taste. Once you have the right amount for your taste, record that in your version of the recipe. You can add it at the end of the boil in the future.
Pay close attention to the instructions since preparing the wort for souring is a key step. A fermentation blanket or heater may be needed to keep the temperature at a high level until the sourness is produced. Once the sourness stage has finished, the rest of the brewing process is similar to most other recipes (brew, chill, pitch, ferment, package).
For the extract version, commercial wheat dry malt extract is a good choice. It’s usually around 65% wheat malt and 35% Pilsner malt, but check the data sheets from the manufacturer.
I hope you enjoy drinking this beer in warmer weather as much as I do. It’s a great alternative to other wheat beers or light lagers.
Gose
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.042 FG = 1.008
IBU = 9 SRM = 3 ABV = 4.5%
Ingredients
5 lbs. (2.3 kg) German wheat malt
3.5 lbs. (1.6 kg) Belgian Pilsner malt
2.1 AAU Czech Saaz hops (first wort hop) (0.7 oz./20 g at 3% alpha acids)
0.26 oz. (7.5 g) coriander seed, freshly ground (0 min.)
0.35 oz. (10 g) kosher salt (0 min.)
19 capsules Swansons Probiotic L. Plantarum Inner Bowel Support (10B cells/capsule)
Wyeast 1007 (German Ale) or White Labs WLP029 (German Ale/Kölsch) yeast
1 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Two days before brew day, make a 1-qt. (1-L) yeast starter with the German ale strain, aerating the wort thoroughly (preferably with oxygen) before pitching the yeast.
On brew day, prepare your ingredients; mill the grain, measure your hops, and prepare your water. This recipe uses reverse osmosis (RO) water. Add 1⁄4 tsp. 10% phosphoric acid per 5 gallons (19 L) of brewing water, or until water measures pH 5.5 at room temperature. Add 1 tsp. calcium chloride (CaCl2) to the mash.
On brew day, mash the malts at 149 °F (65 °C) in 13 qts. (12 L) of water, and hold this temperature for 60 minutes. Raise the temperature by infusion or direct heating to 168 °F (76 °C) to mashout. Recirculate for 20 minutes. Fly sparge with 168 °F (76 °C) water until 6.5 gallons (25 L) of wort is collected.
Raise the wort to a boil and hold for 10 minutes. Do not add the hops at this time. After the boil, chill to 95 °F (35 °C). Add the powder from the probiotic capsules, and discard capsules. Do not pitch the German ale yeast at this time. Purge the kettle with CO2 and cover. Hold for 12 to 24 hours at 95 °F (35 °C), or until pH drops to 3.4.
Add the hops, bring the wort to a boil, and boil for 90 minutes. Turn off the heat, then add the coriander in a mesh bag and the salt. Let steep for 5 minutes then remove the bag. Chill to 64 °F (18 °C), pitch the yeast starter, and ferment until complete.
Rack the beer. Prime and bottle condition, or keg and force carbonate to 3 volumes.
Gose
(5 gallons/19 L, extract only)
OG = 1.042 FG = 1.008
IBU = 9 SRM = 3 ABV = 4.5%
Ingredients
4.5 lbs (2 kg) Bavarian wheat dried malt extract
2.1 AAU Czech Saaz hops (first wort hop) (0.7 oz./20 g at 3% alpha acids)
0.26 oz. (7.5 g) coriander seed, freshly ground (0 min.)
0.35 oz. (10 g) kosher salt (0 min.)
19 capsules Swansons Probiotic L. Plantarum Inner Bowel Support (10B cells/capsule)
Wyeast 1007 (German Ale) or White Labs WLP029 (German Ale/Kölsch) yeast
1 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Two or three days before brew day, make a 1-qt. (1-L) yeast starter with the German ale strain, aerating the wort thoroughly (preferably with oxygen) before pitching the yeast.
Use 6 gallons (23 L) of water in the brew kettle; heat to 158 °F (70 °C). Turn the heat off. Add the malt extract and stir thoroughly to dissolve the extract completely.
Raise the wort to a boil and hold for 10 minutes. Do not add the hops at this time. After the boil, chill to 95 °F (35 °C). Add the powder from the probiotic capsules (discard capsules). Do not pitch the German ale yeast at this time. Purge the kettle with CO2 and cover. Hold for 12 to 24 hours at 95 °F (35 °C), or until pH drops to 3.4.
Add the hops, bring the wort to a boil, and boil for 60 minutes.
Turn off the heat, then add the coriander in a mesh bag and the salt. Let steep for 5 minutes then remove the bag. Chill to 64 °F (18 °C), pitch the yeast starter, and ferment until complete.
Rack the beer. Prime and bottle condition, or keg and force carbonate to 3 volumes.
Tips for success:
The first time you make this recipe, you may wish to add the salt post-fermentation so you can tune the beer to your taste. Don’t add it all at once. Add some, mix, then taste. Once you have the right amount for your taste, record that in your version of the recipe. You can add it at the end of the boil in the future.
