Khrïstmäs Kölsch
Source: Northern Brewer
Recipe
- 1 lb Pilsen dry malt extract (60 min)
- 6 lbs Pilsen malt syrup late addition(15min)
- 1 oz Tradition (60 min)
- 1 oz Hersbrucker (30min)
- WYEAST 2565 KÖLSCH
| Brew date | late November |
|---|---|
| Primary Fermentation | early December (7 days total) |
| Secondary fermentation | mid-December to early January (3 or 4 weeks) |
| Bottled | early January |
| Original gravity | Wrote it down somewhere… |
| Final gravity | Might have written it down somewhere… |
| Sample #1 | February 15, 2010 |
Summary
What I liked: Clarity, carbonation, head color
What I didn’t like: No flavor distinctive enough to bring me back
Notes
Serving temperature: 63 degrees (because I was impatient and had just put a bottle in the fridge half an hour ago). An aggressively poured glass yields a pillowy white head. Pour it down the side and you’ll get very little head. Halfway through, there is a small amount of lacing on the pint glass which pretty much matches the amount of head that’s left. Softly carbonated, only used half a package of priming sugar.
This beer was the most clear beer I’ve ever made. Not totally sure why though… the yeast clings to the bottom of the bottles like no other, which might be part of it. Maybe I just did a good job siphoning.
Aroma
Not at all hoppy. The fragrance is subtle and won’t offer much unless you really stick your nose in and inhale deeply. Honestly, when I inhaled deeply, I smelled a little bit of scotch but that was about it.
Flavor
Initially taste is sweet but not overly so. Finishes mildly bitter with a bready sort of aftertaste. Hops aren’t really present. No single component stands out, the beer has a very subtle flavor profile. Would work best as a summer session beer, a.k.a. a Lawnmower Beer.
Next Steps
If drinkability was a word, it would apply to this beer. I’d like to try the same basic recipe, but much more heavily hopped. With a distinctive flavor added to this mix—keeping the same solid flavor foundation in place—this could be a really fine summer ale.
