Chris's Kolsch - Friday March 29, 2019
Chris's Kolsch
5.5 Gallons
Giving it another try since my last 2 or 3 were dumpers. Trying Escarpment Kolsch yeast again along with a new water profile. Same water profile as my Helles which is fermenting right now ( March 20 ). Using Vienna malt as per Kal's recipe. Will re-use the yeast if this turns out okay. I do find little difference between a Kolsch and a Helles if not using Pils malt.
RECIPE CHANGE
I changed the hops and hop schedule. I think it is no use to use Noble hops at 60 min as they always fade in time and I am not getting any hop aroma out of them. So, I may as well toss more hops in at 170 F during the chilling process. Worth a try before I can buy some Pils malt. Maybe off of the guy from London.
Ingredients
11 lbs. UCM - 95%
9.30 ozs. Vienna malt - 5%
17 g Magnum - 12.7% AA at 60 min.
56 g Hallertauer - 3.4% AA Hop Stand - 170 F.
Escarpment Kolsch yeast ( made a 1 L starter on Sat, March 23 )
O.G. - 1.046 - 81%
F.G. - 1.009
% - 4.7
SRM - 3.3
BU - 25
Water Profile - Kal's Recipe on the electric brewery
CA - 50
MG - 10
NA - 4
S04 - 70
CI - 70
PH - 5.30
I hope I get better attenuation this time around using this yeast. I got 1.018 the last time I used this yeast. Different recipe this time and different process along with using my Robobrew brewing this for the first time. Made a starter on March 23, so I should be good to brew on March 29. Will brew another one and dump new wort on yeast trub and toss it after that. Ordered Escarpment Munich Lager yeast and will do the same thing. Trying to get Pils malt, but the shop in London is closed.
When I drained the 3 L of sparge water from the tank, my level was lower than the element. I put 3 L back but then my water profile changed. I then bent the element down below the water level, but I already added the lactic acid. I really don't think it will change much, just something to work on in the future if I still want to go with 2 qts/water ratio in my mash. Will know more when I mash in and start the pump to see how that part goes. The 2 qts.lb ratio is working way better. I have the pump on full and no problems with the level so far. Not sure about using the Magnum hops. 90 - 100 grams of Saaz isn't all that much. 3 - 4 ozs. Most likely will switch back for the other half of this yeast to see what tastes better. I added a half gallon or so of sparge water by mistake and that is why my gravity is lower at 1.046. However, when I drained to my carboy, I got 5.5 gallons with nothing but sludge after that. Something to think about. I do like 11 lbs. of grain as I can get 5 batches to a 55 lb. sack. I have never really been a Vienna malt fan. I am not sure if it is in the taste here, or the Magnum hops. Magnum hops to me don't have much of a taste, kind of neutral. My final Kolsch with this yeast will use Munich malt to see the difference.
Yeast Pitched @ 12:30 pm.
Day 2
Going fine, no big krausen yet, but will be soon.
Day 3
Having problems with the temp controler. It doesn't want to kick in the freezer at the set temp. I had to set it for 3 C to get it to kick in and then re-set it for 17.7 C. Hard to get a steady temp with the cooler basement at the moment. Summer temps soon I hope. Right now a big snow storm on March 31st.
Day 4
Slowed down, just like the last time I used this yeast. It ended with a gravity of 1.018. I will re-use it when I toss new wort on the slurry, but that will be it if it finishes high. If I continue to make a Kolsch, I will go back to WLP092.
Day 5
On the bench at 68 F and it is way more active than at 63 F. Keeping it warm until it finishes. Hope to get a FG of around 1.010. Still going good.
Day 9
Sampled. No gravity check but it tastes real good. Kind of sweet, so it may have a higher FG. No surprise as the last one did with this yeast.
Day 17
Kegging it today. Need to know how it is before I dump new wort on this yeast cake. Will add a gallon of cooled, sanitized RO water to the carboy and drain it to my 5 L flask for tomorrow. If it sucks I will toss the cake and use my lager starter for a Helles. I hope it is okay as I used the same water profile as this Kolsch. It tastes good, very good at this point. Now, if I used Pils malt, I do think it would be even a better beer. Will know in 3 weeks.
KEGGED ON APRIL 15
Did not use gelatin. I don't like this beer. Bland with an odd taste. No flavour to it. No Saaz hop aroma at all. Will not make it again. I will make a lager in June for Les, but not this beer.
Taste on May 2
Seems to be getting a lot better than it was a few days ago. Of course it gets better with some sort of aging. Now to make lots more beer while I can and when the weather just sucks ( cool, gray and wet ).
FINAL NOTES
I guess the beer was okay, so don't blame it on the yeast. I do not like Vienna malt. I find it tastes kind of odd. I am going back to this yeast but not with the Vienna malt. I left it for my Cavan Uncommon.
5.5 Gallons
Giving it another try since my last 2 or 3 were dumpers. Trying Escarpment Kolsch yeast again along with a new water profile. Same water profile as my Helles which is fermenting right now ( March 20 ). Using Vienna malt as per Kal's recipe. Will re-use the yeast if this turns out okay. I do find little difference between a Kolsch and a Helles if not using Pils malt.
RECIPE CHANGE
I changed the hops and hop schedule. I think it is no use to use Noble hops at 60 min as they always fade in time and I am not getting any hop aroma out of them. So, I may as well toss more hops in at 170 F during the chilling process. Worth a try before I can buy some Pils malt. Maybe off of the guy from London.
Ingredients
11 lbs. UCM - 95%
9.30 ozs. Vienna malt - 5%
17 g Magnum - 12.7% AA at 60 min.
56 g Hallertauer - 3.4% AA Hop Stand - 170 F.
Escarpment Kolsch yeast ( made a 1 L starter on Sat, March 23 )
O.G. - 1.046 - 81%
F.G. - 1.009
% - 4.7
SRM - 3.3
BU - 25
Water Profile - Kal's Recipe on the electric brewery
CA - 50
MG - 10
NA - 4
S04 - 70
CI - 70
PH - 5.30
I hope I get better attenuation this time around using this yeast. I got 1.018 the last time I used this yeast. Different recipe this time and different process along with using my Robobrew brewing this for the first time. Made a starter on March 23, so I should be good to brew on March 29. Will brew another one and dump new wort on yeast trub and toss it after that. Ordered Escarpment Munich Lager yeast and will do the same thing. Trying to get Pils malt, but the shop in London is closed.
When I drained the 3 L of sparge water from the tank, my level was lower than the element. I put 3 L back but then my water profile changed. I then bent the element down below the water level, but I already added the lactic acid. I really don't think it will change much, just something to work on in the future if I still want to go with 2 qts/water ratio in my mash. Will know more when I mash in and start the pump to see how that part goes. The 2 qts.lb ratio is working way better. I have the pump on full and no problems with the level so far. Not sure about using the Magnum hops. 90 - 100 grams of Saaz isn't all that much. 3 - 4 ozs. Most likely will switch back for the other half of this yeast to see what tastes better. I added a half gallon or so of sparge water by mistake and that is why my gravity is lower at 1.046. However, when I drained to my carboy, I got 5.5 gallons with nothing but sludge after that. Something to think about. I do like 11 lbs. of grain as I can get 5 batches to a 55 lb. sack. I have never really been a Vienna malt fan. I am not sure if it is in the taste here, or the Magnum hops. Magnum hops to me don't have much of a taste, kind of neutral. My final Kolsch with this yeast will use Munich malt to see the difference.
Yeast Pitched @ 12:30 pm.
Day 2
Going fine, no big krausen yet, but will be soon.
Day 3
Having problems with the temp controler. It doesn't want to kick in the freezer at the set temp. I had to set it for 3 C to get it to kick in and then re-set it for 17.7 C. Hard to get a steady temp with the cooler basement at the moment. Summer temps soon I hope. Right now a big snow storm on March 31st.
Day 4
Slowed down, just like the last time I used this yeast. It ended with a gravity of 1.018. I will re-use it when I toss new wort on the slurry, but that will be it if it finishes high. If I continue to make a Kolsch, I will go back to WLP092.
Day 5
On the bench at 68 F and it is way more active than at 63 F. Keeping it warm until it finishes. Hope to get a FG of around 1.010. Still going good.
Day 9
Sampled. No gravity check but it tastes real good. Kind of sweet, so it may have a higher FG. No surprise as the last one did with this yeast.
Day 17
Kegging it today. Need to know how it is before I dump new wort on this yeast cake. Will add a gallon of cooled, sanitized RO water to the carboy and drain it to my 5 L flask for tomorrow. If it sucks I will toss the cake and use my lager starter for a Helles. I hope it is okay as I used the same water profile as this Kolsch. It tastes good, very good at this point. Now, if I used Pils malt, I do think it would be even a better beer. Will know in 3 weeks.
KEGGED ON APRIL 15
Did not use gelatin. I don't like this beer. Bland with an odd taste. No flavour to it. No Saaz hop aroma at all. Will not make it again. I will make a lager in June for Les, but not this beer.
Taste on May 2
Seems to be getting a lot better than it was a few days ago. Of course it gets better with some sort of aging. Now to make lots more beer while I can and when the weather just sucks ( cool, gray and wet ).
FINAL NOTES
I guess the beer was okay, so don't blame it on the yeast. I do not like Vienna malt. I find it tastes kind of odd. I am going back to this yeast but not with the Vienna malt. I left it for my Cavan Uncommon.
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