Maggie Kolsch - July 1, 2019
Conical
My annual Big Six brew. Get it right. This is a pretty simple recipe and I have lots of time to make it. 3 weeks in the primary? Fine, whatever it takes.
INGREDIENTS
22 lbs. UCM
18.5 ozs. Munich I
113.4 g Hallertauer
Escarpment Labs Kolsch
O.G. - 1.047
F.G. - 1.010
% - 4.8
SRM - 3.5
BU - 25
Making a 3.5 - 4 L starter with this yeast and fermenting it at 62 F. I am having a hard time with my stir bar. The 2 inch one keeps falling to the side after like 10 years of use. I have to use the one inch bar and it works though, just not as good as the longer one.
FERMENTATION NOTES
Next Day - Very slow to get going. If I stepped up the starter, this would not be an issue. But being
short of time as usual I skipped that step. Hopefully it will get me good attenuation.
Day 2 - Steady and a little more aggressive.
Day 3 - Same.
Day - 5 Bubbling every 15 seconds. Not sure if it is done, or stuck or just slow. No matter I will let
it go as long as it wants. Kegging it mostly likely around July 15 or after Detroit which will
take it to July 22. No matter as my next brew will not be ready in time for the big six anyway.
JULY 24
Today is kegging day. I let this completely finish as there is no activity at all and none in a week or so. Saving the yeast to use next week. Either that, or spend $35 on new yeast. Nope, no going to happen. I am going to use a spatula to get it all out in my 5 L flask and decant to my 1 gallon jug to toss in the fridge and use within 5 days.
TASTE ON KEGGING DAY
Okay beer. Quite different than wlp029. I will use whatever Kolsch tastes better for future yeast. If our local yeast is not up to snuff? Too bad. Very fruity beer. I hope it changes as I don't really like it. I am glad I have another keg of the previous Kolsch. Looks like I am going with WLP092 for now on. I will save it but most likely not brew with it. Will see, you never know how a beer turns out.
JULY 28
Still not that great. Have to use gelatin soon, I have lots of time, but need to do it now. I assume when I forgot to sanitize the ss aeration stone, it did something to this beer. Just getting worse every time I sample it. Yes, it will be way worse when I serve this on Aug 16. Pissed off for sure.
INFECTED?
All the other beers made in the conical were bad, so I fully expect this one to be the shits too. Using my carboys until I can get it clean. Oxiclean, PBW? Will work on it in Sept or Oct.
INFECTED? NOT YET
Racked on Aug 12. Seems to be okay, but very fruity. One keg is okay, the other one is not as good. WTF? How can that happen? Same beer, hmmm. Not infected, but does have a slight odd taste which I don't like, or I am sensitive to. Just like Bud or Keiths Pale Ale. I find them both infected, way worse than this. I got lazy and didn't boil the Conical valves, just rinsed with water and tossed in star san. Had company all weekend and paid a price for this for sure.
22 lbs. UCM
18.5 ozs. Munich I
113.4 g Hallertauer
Escarpment Labs Kolsch
O.G. - 1.047
F.G. - 1.010
% - 4.8
SRM - 3.5
BU - 25
Making a 3.5 - 4 L starter with this yeast and fermenting it at 62 F. I am having a hard time with my stir bar. The 2 inch one keeps falling to the side after like 10 years of use. I have to use the one inch bar and it works though, just not as good as the longer one.
FERMENTATION NOTES
Next Day - Very slow to get going. If I stepped up the starter, this would not be an issue. But being
short of time as usual I skipped that step. Hopefully it will get me good attenuation.
Day 2 - Steady and a little more aggressive.
Day 3 - Same.
Day - 5 Bubbling every 15 seconds. Not sure if it is done, or stuck or just slow. No matter I will let
it go as long as it wants. Kegging it mostly likely around July 15 or after Detroit which will
take it to July 22. No matter as my next brew will not be ready in time for the big six anyway.
JULY 24
Today is kegging day. I let this completely finish as there is no activity at all and none in a week or so. Saving the yeast to use next week. Either that, or spend $35 on new yeast. Nope, no going to happen. I am going to use a spatula to get it all out in my 5 L flask and decant to my 1 gallon jug to toss in the fridge and use within 5 days.
TASTE ON KEGGING DAY
Okay beer. Quite different than wlp029. I will use whatever Kolsch tastes better for future yeast. If our local yeast is not up to snuff? Too bad. Very fruity beer. I hope it changes as I don't really like it. I am glad I have another keg of the previous Kolsch. Looks like I am going with WLP092 for now on. I will save it but most likely not brew with it. Will see, you never know how a beer turns out.
JULY 28
Still not that great. Have to use gelatin soon, I have lots of time, but need to do it now. I assume when I forgot to sanitize the ss aeration stone, it did something to this beer. Just getting worse every time I sample it. Yes, it will be way worse when I serve this on Aug 16. Pissed off for sure.
INFECTED?
All the other beers made in the conical were bad, so I fully expect this one to be the shits too. Using my carboys until I can get it clean. Oxiclean, PBW? Will work on it in Sept or Oct.
INFECTED? NOT YET
Racked on Aug 12. Seems to be okay, but very fruity. One keg is okay, the other one is not as good. WTF? How can that happen? Same beer, hmmm. Not infected, but does have a slight odd taste which I don't like, or I am sensitive to. Just like Bud or Keiths Pale Ale. I find them both infected, way worse than this. I got lazy and didn't boil the Conical valves, just rinsed with water and tossed in star san. Had company all weekend and paid a price for this for sure.
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