Beer Style: German Kolsch and Altbier
Traditional Cathedral Kölsch
If you are looking for a more traditional Kölsch recipe, we’ve got a basic recipe for brewers to appreciate the ingredients, so be sure to use only fresh and quality malts, hops, and yeast.
Anita Johnson’s Kölsch
Anita Johnson, owner of Great Fermentations of Indiana, in Indianapolis says, “This Kölsch recipe is a crowd pleaser. We have served it at homebrew club meetings, public beer festivals and in the Indy Runners’ recovery tent at the Indianapolis 500 Festival Mini Marathon (the country’s largest 1/2 marathon). I like this beer because it has lots of flavor but is light and thirst-quenching. The Wyeast 2565 leaves a tartness that I really like. So simple but yet so good!”
AHS Altbier
"A genuine altbier is a difficult to find style outside of Northern Germany. For most homebrewers, making their own is a more attractive option than airfare. One way of looking at this style is that altbier is the opposite of steam beer. While steam beers are lagers fermented at ale temperatures, an altbier is most often an ale fermented at low temperatures and then cold conditioned like a lager."
– Jeff Schultz
Austin Homebrew Supply — Austin, Texas
Creature of the Wheel Kölsch
The wheat malt is a nod to the past, but this recipe uses every modern technological advantage to produce a clean, crisp, light-colored Kölsch. If the family has never enjoyed any of your homebrews before, this may bring them into the light.
Kepler’s Kölsch
Kölsch is a tricky beer style to pull off. Some would say that stovetop extract brewers shouldn’t even think about trying it. Not us. We know that if you take a scientific approach you can do it. However, you need to read these instructions carefully before you brew and follow them exactly.
Red Lodge Ales Brewing Co.’s Glacier Ale
According to Red Lodge’s website “Glacier Ale is modeled after the German altbier. It is deep amber-brown in color and has a caramel malt flavor balanced with moderate hop bitterness. Silver medal winner-2010 North American Beer Awards. Gold medal winner – 2007 North American Beer Awards.”
Andrew Clark’s Düesseldorfer Altbier
Many recipes for Altbier use a large percentage of Pilsner malt along with some Munich malt, but in this recipe Munich II as the base malt lends a fantastic malt presence that blends beautifully with the hops.
Kölsch
Commercial Kölsch is really only Kölsch if it’s brewed in the German city of Cologne. Kölsch brewed at home, however, can be refreshing and crisp on a spring or summer day.
Kölsch: Tips from the Pros
Tim Etter and Anthony Gibson (Tenaya Creek), Patrick Rowland (Calumet Brewing) and Brock Wagner (Saint Arnold) tell you how to score a KÖ when brewing your next Kölsch.
The 10 Easiest Beer Styles
It’s Brew Your Own’s Tenth Anniversary and we’re kicking off a year-long series of articles with our list of the 10 most approachable beer styles.
Sticke Alt
Sticke alt is generally interpreted as to mean ‘secret alt’, a seasonal brew from Dusseldorf which was brewed to be stronger than the typical altbier in alchohol and flavors. Here is Matt Cole’s (formerly at Sly Fox Brewing, and now at Fat Heads Brewing) recipe for those looking to brew one.
Sly Fox Brewing Co.’s Altbier clone
According to Sly Fox Brewing Co.’s website, “A smooth, medium bodied German-style ale. A specialty of the city of Düsseldorf, with a perfect blend and balance of four German malts and three noble hop varieties.”
