ale

Helga's Cool Kolsch Recipe

Apr 26, 2017

Helga's Cool Kolsch (23 Litres)

Modelled on a traditional German Golden Ale, typically served in a tall, narrow glass called a “Stange”; this month’s recipe is a cool fermented ale that carries a subtle malt character, with low residual sugars that leaves a slightly dry and crisp finish. This brew displays subtle fruitiness with floral, herbal noble hop character. Soft and rounded malt flavours with a hint of fruitiness while finishing dry.

Ingredients

1.7kg Canadian Blonde
500g Light Dry Malt
500g Brew Enhancer 2
50g Helga Hop Pellets
11.5g Safale US-05 Dry Yeast (or Kölsch yeast)
250g Dextrose Corn Sugar or Carbonation Drops

Features:

Colour: Pale Gold
Body: Medium
Bitterness: Medium
Approx. Alcohol Level: 4.6% ABV
Naturally Carbonated: Natural

Instructions:

Step 1: Mix

In a good sized pot (around 8 litres) bring about 500g of Light Dry Malt to the boil with 3 litres of water. Add half of the Helga Hops and boil for 10min. Now add the remaining Helga Hops and boil for a further 10min then remove from the heat. Set the pot in a cold/ice water bath to cool then strain into a fermenting vessel. Add the Canadian Blonde and 500g of Brew Enhancer 2, stir to dissolve then top up with cool water to the 20 litre mark and stir thoroughly. Check the brew temperature and top up to the 23 litre mark with warm or cold water (refrigerated if necessary) to get as close as possible to 18C. Sprinkle the dry yeast or stir in liquid yeast, fit the lid .

Step 2: Brew

Try to ferment at 16C - 18C. Fermentation has finished once the specific gravity is stable over 2 days. It should finish in the range of 1006 – 1010. A cooler brew temperature may extend fermentation time by several days.

Step 3: Bottle

Bottle the brew with a priming rate of 8g per litre (2 carbonation drops per 750ml bottle).

Step 4: Enjoy

Allow to condition for at least 2 weeks in the bottle. Store the bottles at or above 18C for at least two weeks to allow secondary fermentation to take place. Expect the alcohol content to be around 4.6% ABV.