Kolsch Beer is not a complicated beer to brew, but it rewards attention to detail. Pilsner malt forms the base of the mash here, and Spalt Select 4.5% carries the hop character through to the glass.
Recipe at a Glance
Recipe at a Glance
| Style | Kolsch Beer |
| Batch Size | 5 gallons (19L) |
| Boil Time | 60-90 minutes |
| Original Gravity | 1.044-1.052 |
| Final Gravity | 1.008-1.012 |
| ABV | 4.5-5.2% |
| IBU | 25-40 |
| SRM | 4-14 (pale gold to copper) |
| Difficulty | Intermediate (hybrid fermentation) |
Brew Day, Step by Step
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1
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Mash · ~60 min Mash the grain bill, led by Pilsner malt , at a steady temperature to build the fermentable sugars this style needs. Sparge slowly so you do not lose efficiency. |
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2
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Boil · ~60-90 min Bring the wort to a boil and work through the hop schedule, starting with Spalt Select 4.5%. This is also where you will add any fining agent for a clearer finished beer. |
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3
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Ferment · 18C (64F) Pitch Wyeast 2565 Kölsch once the wort has cooled to fermentation temperature and hold it steady. Primary fermentation is the most active week, do not rush it. |
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4
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Condition · 3 weeks at 12C (54F) Rack to secondary (or leave in primary if your recipe calls for it) and let the beer round out at a cool, steady temperature. This step does more for the final flavor than people expect. |
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5
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Package · 1 day, then wait Bottle or keg once gravity has held steady for a few days in a row. Give it time to carbonate and, for bigger styles, additional time to mellow before your first taste. |
That’s the shape of brew day and the weeks after it. For the exact grain bill, hop schedule, and full step-by-step instructions with amounts, use the recipe card below.
What You Will Need
Sourcing your own ingredients locally is always fine, but if you want to skip a homebrew store trip, here is what’s in stock in our shop right now:
- Base and specialty grain: Grains & Adjuncts (e.g. Briess BJ-5U8M-8RRM Chocolate Malt 1 lb., Brown)
- Bittering and aroma hops: Brewing Hops (e.g. Magnum Hop Pellets 1 oz)
- Yeast: Brewing Yeast (e.g. Safbrew T-58 (3 Count 11.5 g Packs))
- Secondary fermenter for conditioning: Fermenters & Carboys (e.g. FASTFERMENT Floor Stand for FastFerment 7.9 Gallon Conical Fermenter)
- Priming sugar for bottling: Priming Sugar (e.g. Mr Beer Homebrewing Carbonation Drops)
- General kit and tools: Homebrew Equipment (e.g. Monster Brew Home Brewing Supplies Home Brew Ohio Complete Beer Equi)
- Pour it right when it’s ready: a tulip glass shows off the color and holds the aroma better than a straight pint glass
Serve It Right
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A Kolsch Beer is best served in a stange, it fits the body and carbonation of this style better than a straight pint glass. Here is one from our shop: |
Ingredients & Gear for This Batch
Grain / Adjuncts |
Hops |
Yeast |
Fermenter |
Priming Sugar |
Equipment Regular 5/16″ Auto Siphon 24″ Length with 8 feet of Tubing, clear |
Full Recipe: Grain Bill, Hops, and Instructions
Kolsch Beer
Equipment
- 1 Mash tun or large pot
- 1 Brew kettle
- 1 Fermentation vessel
- 1 Airlock or blow-off tube
- 1 Hydrometer or refractometer
- 1 Thermometer
- 1 Wort chiller
- 1 Brewing spoon or paddle
- 1 Brewing burner or stove
- 1 Siphoning equipment (racking cane, tubing)
- 1 Sanitization solution or sanitizer
- 1 Clean and sanitized bottles or keg
- 1 Bottle capper or kegging system
- 1 Carbonation method (priming sugar or CO2 tank)
- 1 Brewing software or recipe calculator (optional, but helpful)
Ingredients
For the Mash – Liquor 11.25 Litres (20 Pints) – Mash Time 1 hr – Temperature 65°c/149 °F
- 8.13 lb Pilsner malt Quantity 4kg
- 1.2 lb Carapils malt Quantity 500g
For the Boil – 27 Litres (47½ Pints) – Boil Time 1 hr – 10 mins
- 1½ oz (Hops) Spalt Select 4.5% When to add – At start of boil (IBU 22.8)
- ¾ oz (Hops) Tettnang 4.5% When to add – For last 5 mins of boil (IBU 2.2)
- 1½ oz (Hops) Tettnang 4.5% When to add – At turn off (IBU 0.0)
- 1 tsp Protofloc Other – When to add – For last 15 mins of boil
To Ferment – 18°C (64°F) – Conditioning 3 weeks at 12°C (54°F)
- 1 Wyeast 2565 Kölsch
Instructions
Mash Preparation:
- In a large pot or mash tun, combine 11.25 Litres (20 Pints) of water with the Pilsner malt and Carapils malt.
- Maintain a mash temperature of 65°C (149°F) for 1 hour.
- Stir occasionally to ensure even heat distribution.
Boiling:
- After the mash, transfer the liquid (wort) to a brew kettle with a capacity of 27 Litres (47½ Pints).
- Bring the wort to a boil and maintain it for 1 hour and 10 minutes.
- At the start of the boil, add 1½ oz of Spalt Select hops (4.5% alpha acid) for bitterness (IBU 22.8).
- During the last 5 minutes of the boil, add ¾ oz of Tettnang hops (4.5% alpha acid) for flavor (IBU 2.2).
- At the end of the boil, add 1½ oz of Tettnang hops (4.5% alpha acid) for aroma (IBU 0.0).
- Add 1 teaspoon of Protofloc at the 15-minute mark to aid in clarity.
Fermentation:
- Cool the wort to a temperature of 18°C (64°F).
- Transfer the cooled wort to a clean and sanitized fermentation vessel.
- Pitch the Wyeast 2565 Kölsch yeast into the fermenter.
- Seal the vessel with an airlock or blow-off tube to allow carbon dioxide to escape.
- Ferment the beer at a controlled temperature of 18°C (64°F) for approximately 28 days.
- After primary fermentation, proceed to conditioning.
Conditioning:
- Transfer the fermented beer to a secondary fermentation vessel or a clean and sanitized keg.
- Condition the beer for 3 weeks at a temperature of 12°C (54°F).
- During this time, the beer will further mature and develop its flavors.
Packaging:
- After the conditioning period, the beer should be ready for packaging.
- You can either bottle the beer using sanitized bottles, caps, and a priming sugar solution or keg it for serving on tap.
Enjoyment:
- Once bottled or kegged, allow the beer to carbonate for a few days or follow the appropriate carbonation method for your chosen packaging.
- After carbonation, chill the beer to your preferred serving temperature.
- Pour into a glass, and savor the clean, floral, and subtly hoppy flavors of your homemade Kölsch Beer!
Get the fermentation temperature right on Kolsch Beer and most of the rest of the process takes care of itself.
What Makes Kolsch Beer the Style It Is
There is nothing exotic about the roots of Kolsch Beer, it grew out of practical brewing choices, local ingredients, and the tastes of the people drinking it.
What you get in the glass is a beer that leans on pilsner malt and spalt select 4.5%, with a finish shaped by Wyeast 2565 Kölsch. Get the fermentation temperature right and the rest of the process is mostly patience.
Style Characteristics at a Glance
- ABV: 4.5-5.2%
- Bitterness: 25-40 IBU
- Color: 4-14 (pale gold to copper)
- Serving temp: 40-45F (4-7C)
- Glassware: a stange
- Food pairings: light appetizers, sausage, soft pretzels
Common Questions
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes, the grain bill and hop schedule scale linearly with batch size. Just make sure your equipment, mash tun and boil kettle both, can actually handle the volume you are scaling to.
What is the biggest mistake homebrewers make with this style?
Rushing the schedule. Pulling a beer off yeast too early or skipping conditioning time is the most common way to shortchange a recipe like this one.
Can I substitute a different yeast strain?
You can, but expect the flavor profile to shift. Stick close to the same yeast family (English ale, American ale, Belgian, lager, etc.) if you want a result close to what this recipe is aiming for.
Keep Exploring
Once you have this one down, here are a few more homebrew recipes worth trying next:
Browse the full homebrew recipe collection for more styles, or if you are just getting into the hobby, start with one of our homebrewing starter kits for new brewers.
This recipe is for adults of legal drinking age. Please brew and drink responsibly, and always sanitize your equipment thoroughly to avoid infection.
