Rogue Ales: Honey Kölsch clone
Rogue’s Honey Kölsch is a big time, award-winning honey beer (2016 & 2015 Honey Beer Competition – Gold & Best in Show, 2015 World Beer Championships – Gold, etc.) that represents a true labor of love. As the name suggests, Honey Kölsch benefits from the 100+ colonies of honey bees raised in Rogue Farms own apiary. In addition to the “Rogue Hopyard Honey” and “Rogue Wildflower Honey” used, the recipe also draws upon other ingredients grown on Rogue premises.
Rogue Ales: Honey Kölsch clone
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.048 FG = 1.010
IBU = 26 SRM = 3 ABV = 5%
Ingredients
7 lbs. (3.2 kg) US 2-row pale malt
1 lb. (0.45 kg) white wheat malt
5 oz. (140 g) dextrine malt
4 oz. (113 g) acidulated malt
1 lb. (0.45 kg) raw wildflower honey (0 min.)
4.1 AAU German Hallertauer Hersbrucker pellet hops (60 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 4.1% alpha acids)
9.1 AAU German Hallertauer Hersbrucker pellet hops (10 min.) (1.5 oz./43 g at 4.1% alpha acids)
½ tsp. yeast nutrient (15 min.)
Whirfloc (15 min.)
Wyeast 2575 (Kolsch II) or White Labs WLP003 (German Ale II) yeast
¾ cup (150 g) corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Mill the grains and mix with 3.5 gallons (13.25 L) of 163 °F (73 °C) strike water to reach an infusion mash temperature of 152 °F (67 °C). Hold at this temperature for 60 minutes. Vorlauf until your runnings are clear. Sparge the grains with 4 gallons (15 L) of 170 °F (72 °C) water until 7 gallons (26.5 L) of 1.035 SG wort is collected in your boil kettle.
Boil for 60 minutes adding hops, yeast nutrient, and kettle finings according to the ingredients list. After the boil, turn off the heat and add the final hop addition and honey. Whirlpool the kettle by gently stirring with a mash paddle for 2 minutes and then let rest for an addition 13 minutes to achieve a 15-minute flameout steep. Chill the wort to 60 °F (16 °C), aerate, and pitch yeast.
Ferment at 60 °F (16 °C) for the first 48 hours and then free rise up to 64 °F (18 °C) and hold at that temperature until you reach terminal gravity. Crash cool at 33 °F (1 °C) for the better part of a week and then package. Carbonate to between 2.4 and 2.6 volumes of Co2 then enjoy!
Extract option: Substitute the grains in the all-grain recipe with 5 lbs. (3.2 kg) Briess golden light liquid malt extract, 1 lb. (0.45 kg) Muntons wheat dried malt extract, and 1 tsp. (5 mL) 88% lactic acid.
Bring 6.5 gallons (24.6 L) of water up to a boil, adding the lactic acid and malt extract during the heating process. The target pre-boil gravity is 1.035. Boil 60 minutes. Follow the remaining portion of the all-grain recipe.
