Introduction to Kölsch

This German beer style is generally pale, delicate, lower in alcohol, and designed for refreshment. Bready malt flavors with some honey notes, and some light bitterness with the aroma and flavor of noble German hops, such as light apple or pears mixed into the more earthy, floral, and herbal notes. It is exceptionally well-balanced and light. It is distinctive in its subtlety and would make an excellent introduction to well-crafted beer for anyone who enjoys a light lager.

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The Protected Origins of Kölsch

Only Cologne, Germany, can produce a Kölsch beer, similar to Champagne, France. It is the only beer in the world that is legally protected as a regional brand. The law, known as the Kölsch Convention, was enacted in 1986 as a German law and subsequently adopted as European Union Law. The Kölsch Convention states that Kölsch can only be brewed within the city limits of Cologne.

Cologne’s Historic Brewery Restaurants

The brewery restaurants that serve Kölsch are a tradition that goes back more than 500 years. In 1421, a decree of the magistrate of Cologne established a list of 21 breweries operated by professional guilds within the city. Some of the oldest breweries still in operation have been around almost as long, with the Brauhaus Sion on Unter Taschenmacher being the oldest, having opened in 1511.

Today, there are approximately 25 brands of Kölsch brewed in the city. Most serve delicious food, such as smoked sausages, beer-marinated pork knuckle, schnitzel, and roasted chicken, on their menus as well. The tasty, hearty fare pairs perfectly with their light and refreshing beer style, creating a wonderful experience.

Kölsch in the American Craft Scene

In American craft beer, the local beer of Cologne has inspired many Kölsch-style beers, making it easy for homebrewers to create these light and refreshing beers at home. Many restaurants and brewpubs in the United States offer Kölsch-style beers, paired with similar hearty foods or their American-style equivalents. The beer style also pairs well with almost any food, as its delicate flavor profile complements rather than contrasts with nearly any dish.

Brewing Kölsch-Style Beer

Ingredient Selection

For such a distinctive beer, Kölsch allows for considerable freedom and interpretation in its ingredients. Typically, a brewer would start with Pilsner and Vienna malts, with a significant share of Pilsner. They may go as high as 50/50, but it is usually more Pilsner-heavy, with a ratio of 70-30 or higher. A brewer should aim for about 25 IBUs or less of bitterness, and the hopping should focus more on achieving the desired aroma and flavor, while still maintaining a delicate approach. The beer is not a hop-forward style.

To add some stability in the keg and lighten the color, some brewers like to add a very small amount of acidulated malt. This will add a hint of lactic acid into the process, reducing the pH slightly. The effect on the flavor will be subtle, but it will help your Kölsch-style beer “pop”.

Water Chemistry

For water, the Cologne water has a distinct mineral taste in the water, which may be fine if a brewer’s water is generally mildly hard at home. Still, if the brewer’s water is not hard or they are starting from distilled, they will want to add some gypsum and/or calcium chloride to make their water a bit closer in flavor. It will not take much to affect this, just a few grams per 5 gallons. If your water is very hard at home, you may want to consider diluting it with distilled water during the brewing process, as excessive hardness can lead to over-bitterness in the hops.

Mashing Guidelines

Mashing should be done at 146–148°F (63–64°C) to maintain a light body and promote full fermentability. A single-infusion mash will work well for this style, making the mash process relatively simple. Mash for 60 minutes with a thinner mash to prevent oversparging, which can cause additional bitterness in the finished beer.

Boil and Hopping

The beer will boil for 60 minutes, with bittering hop addition at the beginning and flavor and hop aromas added in moderation at the end. The beer should not be heavy on hops at any of these additions, and the primary goal with hops is to balance the hops against the delicate malt flavors.

For clarity, it is a good idea to add a healthy amount of Irish Moss and maybe some gelatin to the boil, as the style is typically very clear. Additionally, brewers often cold-crash the beer to achieve further clarity.

Yeast and Fermentation

Kölsch-style can be brewed with several yeast strains, but some are more traditional and should be considered. White Labs has a specific strain called WLP029 German Ale/Kölsch, and Wyeast has Wyeast 2565 Kölsch. Both are excellent choices, but a brewer should aim for a low-ester profile when selecting this, one that can ferment fully over a wide range of temperatures.

Both lager and ale yeasts can be used for Kölsch, offering a wide range of opportunities for experimentation and flavor variation. Therefore, brewers should choose one with a character they like and run with it, as long as the yeast is not too temperature-sensitive, since the beer ferments at a warm temperature for lagers and a cooler temperature for ales.

The Hybrid Nature of Kölsch

Finally, it’s important to note that Kölsch is a “hybrid” beer, meaning it ferments cooler than a typical ale, but warmer than most lagers. This should produce some light esters, but not enough to cover other flavors in the beer. Fermentation should be done at around 60°F (16°C). It should finish within two weeks, and then it can be packaged like any other beer.

Brewing this beer well will produce a delicious, light, and refreshing beer that is perfect for an after-work drink or a great introduction to a friend who doesn’t drink craft beer because the hops are too heavy. And, for convenience, a homebrewer can drop the “style” from “Kölsch-style” and just call it “Kölsch”, as I am pretty sure the European Union is not going to come after them over 5 or 10 gallons of beer they are sharing with their friends.

If you enjoy this recipe, share it with your friends or let us know how it goes in the comments!

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CraftBeerMe – Kölsch-Style Recipe (All-Grain)

Author: Benjamin Stange
Brew Method: All Grain
Style Name: Kölsch
Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 5 gallons (fermentor volume)

STATS

• Original Gravity: 1.047
• Final Gravity: 1.011
• ABV (standard): 4.73%
• IBU (tinseth): 22.45
• SRM (morey): 4.2

FERMENTABLES

• 5 lb – Pilsner
• 3.5 lb – Vienna
• 3 oz – Acidulated Malt

HOPS

• 1.25 oz – Hallertau Mittelfruh, Type: Pellet, AA: 3.5, Use: Boil for 60 min
• 0.75 oz – Hallertau Mittelfruh, Type: Pellet, AA: 3.5, Use: Boil for 15 min

OTHER INGREDIENTS

• 1 tsp – Irish Moss

YEAST

• White Labs – German Ale/ Kölsch Yeast WLP029

INSTRUCTIONS

Mash the grains at 147°F for 60 minutes. Sparge into your boil kettle and top up the kettle to six gallons and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add bittering hops.
After 45 minutes, add the flavor/aroma hops and Irish Moss.
After another 15 minutes, turn off the heat, stir very well or whirlpool, then chill as close to 60°F as possible.
Rack to fermenter and pitch yeast.
Ferment at 60°F for up to two weeks. Bottle or keg the beer and carbonate to 2.5 volumes of CO₂.

CraftBeerMe – Kölsch-Style Recipe (Extract)

Author: Benjamin Stange
Brew Method: Extract
Style Name: Kölsch
Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 5 gallons (fermentor volume)

STATS

• Original Gravity: 1.047
• Final Gravity: 1.012
• ABV (standard): 4.62%
• IBU (tinseth): 24.26
• SRM (morey): 4.2
• Mash pH: 3.78

FERMENTABLES

• 5.5 lb – Dry Malt Extract – Light (96.7%)
• 3 oz – Acidulated Malt (3.3%)

HOPS

• 1.25 oz – Hallertau Mittelfruh, Type: Pellet, AA: 3.5, Use: Boil for 60 min, IBU: 18.69
• 0.75 oz – Hallertau Mittelfruh, Type: Pellet, AA: 3.5, Use: Boil for 15 min, IBU: 5.56

OTHER INGREDIENTS

• 1 tsp – Irish Moss

YEAST

• White Labs – German Ale/ Kölsch Yeast WLP029

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat the water to 147°F and add the acidulated malt inside a grain sack. Steep the grain for 15–20 minutes, remove the specialty grain, and then bring to a boil. Once boiling, add bittering hops.
After 45 minutes, add the flavor/aroma hops and Irish Moss.
After another 15 minutes, turn off the heat, stir very well or whirlpool, then chill as close to 60°F as possible.
Rack to fermenter and pitch yeast.
Ferment at 60°F for up to two weeks. Bottle or keg the beer and carbonate to 2.5 volumes of CO₂.

Benjamin Stange

Based in Springfield, Missouri, Benjamin is our expert home brewer at Craft Beer Me. He’s been brewing since 2000 and is a proud member of The Zymurgists of the Ozarks Home Brewing Society. Passionate about recipe development and beer education, Benjamin has also written for leading sites like Kegerator and Brewer’s Friend.

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