Chris's Kolsch - Wednesday, July 12, 2017 - Tossed Out One Carboy

11 Gallons - carboys

22 lbs. UCM
2 lbs. Munich 6
WLP029
28.35 g Magnum - 13.2% AA @ 60 min.
56.70 g Hallertauer - 3.8% AA @ 0 min.

O.G. - 1.047
F.G. -
% -
SRM - 3.7
BU - 21 -

I am still working on the hop profile to where I want it using Bru'n Water plus RO water. Either too little hop bitterness and aroma or too much. I'll get it sooner or later I guess. Totally different than my usual recipes from the last 5 years or more. Waiting on the wort to cool in the fridge. Summer temps + well water not as cold as winter water for sure. Stopped early, like on day 4. Gravity is at 1.015 which surprised me. I added a tsp of amyalse enzyme to one carboy but won't do the other one unless needed. I don't want to change the beer into something dry and tasteless. I did rack to a secondary on top of Amy, so we will see how it goes. Sample tasted good, green beer for sure. A good aroma hop taste and lots of BU which I wasn't expecting since it is only 21. Nice SRM though, seemed to be a bit darker than my lager which is the same recipe except the yeast. I have lots of time to get this ready for the Big 6.The hop schedule seems to be where I like it. Will brew this again but will use some yeast nutrient and a bigger starter. I need to go to 1 million/cells/ml instead of .750. Seems to work better/more. Using RO water and minerals for the first time, so, yea the beer will always be different in some way. Will let it sit on bench until the end of the month and toss in some gelatin and hopefully get clear beer. My lager has had gelatin in it since June 19 and it is still not clear. Finally cleared and it took only a month. Good grief!! This seems to be done and it will kegged soon as to give it a head start to clear.

                                       Taste On Kegging Day

Not good. It was a week ago, but not now. Tastes like cookie whisky. WTF? I need this beer for later on in August, but I doubt this will turn around. I wonder why? I stepped up the starter as to not stress the yeast, so what part of my brewing did this? I did use Amylase Enzyme in one carboy as it had a high gravity. It was worse, but the other carboy had a similar taste. I tasted a small sample from the cold keezer from both of them. The non-amy beer I think will be okay. The other one " may " be okay. I have 3 weeks for this beer to improve so I definitely won't toss it. I used 2 ozs. at " 0 " min. and taste nothing or very little. I can dry hop which I am thinking on doing. 1 oz. though. Added 1 oz. on Monday, July 31. Remove 4 days later. Removed it 2 1/2 days later. Sucks balls. It was acceptable, but still didn't like it. The AMY carboy was tossed, along with the bottle of AMY. Starting Jan 1, 2018 I will be on a mission to fill 10 cases of empties in my basement of "good" beer so I won't have to buy any or maybe even brew any beer next summer. Brewing once a month will be nice. I guess a Pilsner or Kolsch if I can get the water profile to where the beer tastes good.