Maggie Kolsch - Monday, October 9, 2023

I finally found some Kolsch yeast. Brewing this the rest of this year using Mr. Robobrew. Guelph only had one left so I had to grab it. Can buy some noble hops anytime after this brew. Low hop bitterness and aroma are the key to making up for my previous mess of a Kolsch. A very simple Kolsch recipe fermented at 62F. Will try to brew this and cpbf in my pet bottles which I have never used. After that will brew my stouts and bitters. I have 96 PET bottles and I want to fill them all. I can store bottles in the fridge with less space than kegs and that means a fridge that will not be on. Supposed to brew this soon but of course Urban Winery had problems getting it to me so this will be brewed after PEI.

Make a 1.75 L starter. Pitch 1.5 L after evaporation on the stove.. After it is done, save 500 ml in a jar for an over build. Stir well before removing 500 ml. That means getting all the trub and yeast off the bottom of the flask.

Use 170 grams of DME. That's it and brew on... 

Ingredients

11 lbs. Pils Malt

41 g Hallertauer at 60 min.

Escarpment Labs Kolsch ( removed 500 ml to a jar for an over build on Friday, Oct. 6 )

Mash Water - 5.25 gal

Sparge Water - 5 gal

Water Profile - David Heath 

CA - 37

MG - 7

S04 - 70

CI - 36

PH - 5.35

Mash Salts 

Gyp - 1.5 g

CI - 1.1 g

S04 - 1.4 g

Lactic Acid - 2.3 ml

Boil Salts

Gyp - 1.4 g

CI - 1 g

S04 - 1.4

Lactic Acid in Sparge - .2 ml

O.G. - 1.045

F.G. -

% -

SRM - 2.7

BU - 18

                                                                  BREW DAY NOTES

No issues yet. Been 6 months since I brewed with this system. Mr. Robobrew didn't want to turn on at first. Not sure what was going on there. Well, there is one thing. I don't have any oxygen. Will have to wait I guess until tomorrow. I used to buy it for $11. Now it is $22, christ, is everything sky high? Can Tire wants $25.00 This inflation is nuts!!

                                               KOLSCH YEAST PITCHED AT 3 PM OCT. 10

                                                              NEXT MORNING

Nothing going on. Temp 66 F. It should be fermenting. I assume something went wrong with my starter as it didn't have any krausen on top of it. No idea why that is. If this isn't going by tomorrow morning, I will add 42 grams of US-05. That means my over build is useless so out it goes. Brew your English Bob instead of more Kolsch. Either way I am tossing the over build as it will not be very viable yeast since this is a sluggish ferment. Dam you, dam you to hell... Now, this is weird. I added 33 grams of US-05 and it bloomed up like a cake in the oven. Blow off hose was blowing out air and some yeast. All I smell is bread yeast. It still has lots of bubbles coming up and NOTHING coming out of the blow off hose. Now that is just weird. Where is the C02 going? Will my carboy just explode somehow? I have a feeling this batch is destined for the back swamp. Closed the fridge door and walked away. My last Kolsch.

                                                                               DAY 3

Going okay on Thursday am. However, not a lot of \krausen on top which is unusual. I used a normal dosage of no foam in the boil and the carboy when I filled it. You have to. I realize it is old and I may not of shook it enough. If this beer is drinkable I will be surprised. Scheduled to brew my English Bob on Oct. 30.

                                                                              Day 4 

Slowed down a lot. Bubbling every 10 seconds or so. Most likely a dumper. Will keg in a week or so or whenever it is ready. Got lots of time but I do need this carboy by Oct. 30.

                                                                             Day 5

Same bubbling activity but a thicker head of krausen is evident. Not much bubbling going on. I do think this will be a funky kind of beer when it is done. Hopefully, it will ferment down to a respectable final gravity.

                                                                            Day 6

Same. Bubbles have almost gone away but krausen is still thick, about 2 inches. Turned off the fridge as I want it to finish dry. Waiting for it to finish as I am brewing a Stout next.

                                                                           Day 7

Stopped checking this mess of a brew. Keg before your next brew day and hope for the best. Stepped up my lagers. After my Stout I am going straight to lagers using  Escarpment lager yeast from TB. Hopefully it works better than the Kolsch. 

                                               KEGGED OCT. 30

Carbed up a 2 L pop bottle on Nov. 8 just for the hell of it. Will transfer and carb after Dorchester. I 

 didn't rack enough of the bottom drags and got a lot of gelatin in the sample. Tasted like crap. Broke my thumb tap. I will use my bottle wand instead. Checking for clarity on Nov. 13 and if clear, transfer to another keg and carb up. This keg will have to do for awhile. Still thinking that it is too fruity using the US-05 but I had to do something. The Kolsch yeast was dead on arrival. I am not ordering yeast ever again from Urban Winery.

                                              TASTE AFTER ADDING C02

Not that great. I did expect a funky beer as I started off with dead Kolsch yeast and had to use US-05 to at least finish it. This is just a beer that will be dumped soon. It will not be around for the wedding, it will be sleeping with the fishes before that. And good riddance. Yea, you can really tell it has a lot going on. I can still taste gelatin or something like it. Hate it.

                                              TASTE ON NOV. 19

The gelatin like taste seems to be gone. I really can't taste it that much. Surprised me though, I thought it would be a dumper as soon as new kegs were filled.