Beer Style: German Kolsch and Altbier
Unicorn Brewing Co.’s Cliffhanger Kölsch-Style Beer clone
FREEUnicorn Brewing Co.’s Cliffhanger Kölsch-Style Beer clone (5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)OG = 1.053 FG = 1.011IBU = 25 SRM = 4 ABV = 5.5% This is a scaled down version of
Altbier
Digital and Plus Members Only
Devil’s Purse Brewing Co.’s Handline Kölsch clone
Digital and Plus Members OnlyIn the end, this beer just takes patience, unless you have a centrifuge. Cold lagering for a month should provide you with the clarity and crispness you’re looking for.
Gordon Strong’s Altbier
Digital and Plus Members OnlyIn the world of beer trivia, if you mention altbier, most people know two facts: That it comes from Düsseldorf in Germany, and that “alt” means “old” in German. But it’s nothing like an English old ale . . .
Potsdamer Stangenbier
Digital and Plus Members OnlyPotsdamer Stangenbier (5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)OG = 1.050 FG = 1.010IBU = 15 SRM = 3 ABV = 5.3% Ingredients6.5 lbs. (3 kg) Weyermann Barke® Pilsner malt 2.2 lbs. (1 kg) Weyermann Floor-Malted Bohemian Wheat Malt 0.84 lb. (0.38 kg) Weyermann Carafoam® malt0.84 lb. (0.38 kg) Vienna malt 3.3 AAU Tettnanger hops (60 min.) (0.65 oz./19 g at 5%
Kölsch One and Two
Digital and Plus Members OnlyI really do like the technique of first wort hopping, I feel that in such a delicately balanced beer, the hop flavor just seems more integrated without being overbearing.
Long Trail Brewing Co.’s Long Trail Ale clone
Digital and Plus Members OnlyLong Trail Ale, which has won multiple awards at GABF, is considered an altbier with several unique twists to it.
Cologne Kölsch
Digital and Plus Members OnlyThe word Kölsch has several connotations in the German language. If used as a noun, it refers to the distinct Cologne dialect and accent. As an adjective, it means “anything from Cologne.” Thus, it is a local joke that Kölsch is the only language that you can also drink!
Düsseldorf Altbier
Digital and Plus Members OnlyThe grain bill of the classic copper-colored altbier — which is internationally also known as a German Brown Ale — is almost Munich-like, but with a slightly less “caramelly” character than a Märzen, and less dark than a dunkel. It differs from a Munich brew, however, in its much more pronounced hoppiness. This creates a wonderful blend of malt-and-hop aromas in the finish, which is often described as bitter-sweet. The uniqueness of this beer — an ale after all — comes from the clean fermentation of a relatively cold-tolerant, top-fermenting specialty yeast.
Horst’s Kölsch
Digital and Plus Members OnlyOne of Germany’s summer session beers, Kölsch is a fairly recent development by beer-historical standards. The style has no exact birthday, but instead emerged gradually as a beer style in Colgne shortly after World War I. Frequent contributor Horst Dornbusch provides BYO readers with a recipe for this style of beer.
Cowboy Alt
Digital and Plus Members OnlyJamil Zainasheff provides a classic Düsseldorf altbier recipe for readers here. You can find the full Style Profile column in the articles section to delve deeper into this style.
Red X Altbier
Digital and Plus Members OnlyThere is a yearly Chicago Homebrew Club Competition sponsored by Bell’s Brewing called Hoptacular and this took second place in 2013, but still a C.H.A.O.S. club favorite and re-brewed several times. We have done lightly rested Bourbon Barrel versions as well.