Blonde Kolsch on Rye Brew Session

Brew Session Info

Brew Date 12/3/2016

Notes (Include any important notes from brew day until tasting)

target 1.044-1.046 OG. first runnings: 3 gals at 1.078 refractometer. 1.078 hydrometer. Got much better efficiency this time with batch sparging. Hit 1.060 after the boil! Needed to adjust the recipe and add more sterilized water to the fermenter to lower the ABV. pitched batch of washed yeast 8 pm Sat Evening (after rocking/shaking wort for several minutes in carboy). Placed in garage overnight (58F). Fermentation started slowly late Sunday evening. Brought back into basement (66F) and by monday morning, fermentation was well underway. Moved back to garage for primary fermentation around 58F temps for first 4 days. Diluted with sterilized water to gather 6.0 gallons. will yield adjusted calculated 1.053 OG. Guess I'll need to bottle some since I'll have more than will fit in a keg. got messy during fermentation since fermenter was full: required blow off tube! Initial fermentation temps averaged mid to upper 50's and fermentation was vigorous through the week. Raised to low 60s for second week as fermentation finished. placed in 33F cooler at 3 weeks for last week before racking to kegs.

Water Infusion

Brew Session Specific

Grain Weight

12.1875 lb kg

Grain Temp

60 °FC

Target Mash Temp

150 °FC

Mash Thickness

1.5 qt/lbl/kg

Total Boil Time

90 min.

Wort Into Fermenter

5.5 gals liters

Equipment Profile

Grain Absorption

0.15 gals/lb liters/kg

Sparge Grain Absorption

0.01 gals/lb liters/kg

HLT-MT Heat Loss

°FC

Mash Tun Loss

0.25 gals liters

Brew Kettle Trub Loss

0.5 gals liters

Boil Loss

1 gals/hour liters/hour

Wort Shrinkage

0.2 gals liters

Calculated Totals

Total Water Needed

9.65 gals liters

Mash Tun Capacity

5.55 gals liters

Mash/Strike Volume

4.82 gals liters

HLT Temperature

161.38 °FC

Strike Temperature

161.38 °FC

1st Runnings

2.99 gals liters

Sparge Volume

4.83 gals liters

Total Runoff

7.70 gals liters

Mash / Boil

Mash

Mash PH

Mash Start Temp

151 °FC

Mash End Temp

144 °FC

Mash Time

300 minutes

Boil

Pre-Boil Gravity

1.045 1.044 (estimated)

Boil Volume

7.25 gallons liters 7.70 (gallonsliters estimated)

Boil Time

90 minutes minutes (90 minutes estimated)

Post-Boil Volume

6.1 gals liters

Gravity Estimates

Based on boiling 7.25 gallonsliters at 1.045 for 90 minutes, this will decrease your wort by 1.50 gallonsliters, bringing your after boil OG to 1.054.

You wanted an OG of 1.055. It looks like it will be under.

Fermentation

Volume in Fermenter

6 gallons liters 5.75 (gallonsliters estimated)

Original Gravity

1.055 (1.055 predicted)

Final Gravity

1.006 (1.006 predicted)

Conditioning

Condition Date

12/31/2016

Bottle/Keg

Keg PSI

10 PSI

Tasting Notes (2)

Tasted on 2/11/2017 by mpt2222

Notes:

Shared on tap during ski weekend. Received comments like "nailed the German flavor" and "you could sell this stuff!". Very pleased with how this mellowed with plenty of cold aging in the keg. Even though it's strong, it isn't overpowering and has a balanced rye flavor with the german hops. Spicy character remains with some lingering tartness. If I were to brew this again, I'd just remove a bit of rye and .5 lbs or so of Pilsner malt to lower ABV a bit.

Tasted on 12/3/2016 by mpt2222

Notes:

Wort had quite a different flavor compared to the usual two-row base malt worts. The rye really added a bready, spicy character and I was surprised how sweet it was (the unexpected efficiency and thus, higher than anticipated OG would explain that). Tasted great as an unfermented barley sweat tea! I think the hops balance will be just right for the kolsch style.

Recipe Facts

Blonde Kolsch on Rye

Kölsch

5.75 Gallons Liters Batch Size
7.30 Gallons Liters Boil Size
90 min Boil Time
1.055 OG
1.006 FG
20.5 IBU (tinseth) Bitterness
0.37 BG:GU
3.3° SRM Color
72% Efficiency
6.4% ABV Alcohol
181 per 12oz Calories

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