Don’t miss our New England Beer & Baseball adventure in 2026! Click here to register!

recipe

Kölsch I

Kölsch I

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain) OG = 1.048 (11.9 °P)  FG = 1.009 (2.3 °P) IBU= 25  SRM = 4  ABV = 5.1%

Ingredients

9.25 lb. (4.2 kg) Durst continental Pilsner malt (2 °L) or similar
0.5 lb. (227 g) Weyermann Vienna malt (4 °L)
5 AAU Hallertau pellet hops (1.25 oz./35 g at 4% alpha acids) (60 min.)
White Labs WLP029 (German Ale/Kölsch) or Wyeast 2565 (Kölsch) yeast 3/4 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step

Mill the grains and dough-in targeting a mash of around 1.5 quarts of water to 1 pound of grain (a liquor-to-grist ratio of about 3:1 by weight) and a temperature of 149 °F (65 °C). Hold at 149 °F (65 °C) until enzymatic conversion is complete.

Raise the temperature to mash out at 168 °F (76 °C). Sparge slowly with 170 °F (77 °C) water, collecting wort until the pre-boil kettle volume is around 6.5 gallons (24.6 L) and the gravity is 1.037 (9.3 °P). The total wort boil time is 90 minutes, which helps reduce DMS levels in the beer.

Add the bittering hops with 60 minutes remaining in the boil. Add Irish moss or other kettle finings with 15 minutes left in the boil.

Chill the wort rapidly to 60 °F (16 °C), let the break material settle, rack to the fermenter and aerate thoroughly. Use 2.5 liquid yeast packages or make a starter with fewer packages.

Ferment at 60 °F (16 °C). Lager for at least four weeks before bottling or serving. When finished, carbonate the beer to approximately 2.5 volumes and serve at 50 °F (10 °C).

You might also like…

recipe

American Wheat

If you’re looking for a well-balanced American wheat, you’re in luck. Recipe provided by Jamil Zainasheff.

recipe

The Alchemist: Focal Banger clone

While the recipe for Focal Banger has been known to change over the years, the hop combo has been one thing that hasn’t changed.

Glass and can of Juicy Bits IPA. recipe

Weldwerks Brewing’s Juicy Bits clone

Juicy Bits is an iconic hazy IPA and makes up more than 40% of Weldwerks’ production. The juicy aroma and flavor is attributed to equal ad

recipe

Dubbel Halo Ale

Horst Dornbusch lays out a recipe with fermentation tips for those looking to brew up a Belgian Dubbel.