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Kolsch tasting.


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#1 SchwanzBrewer

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Posted 17 July 2016 - 09:07 AM

My buddy brought 4 kolschs back from Germany so we tried them last night.

4. Gaffel...decent pils malt character, but it was overwhelmed by sulfur in the aroma and flavor.

3. Kuppers... soft mouthfeel and pils malt character, low to no aroma except a hint of bubblegum.

2. Fruh... nice pils malt character and a hint of sulfur.

1. Reissdorf... soft mouthfeel, pils malt character, very slight Ester in the aroma, very very pleasant beer. This one is closest to my kolsch. I think the 2565 yeast may be from this brewery based on flavor.

My kolsch seemed hoppy in comparison to all of these. Almost 2x as bitter. I think I need to knock down the bitterness in all my beers. I also need to soften the water more somehow. I'm thinking of moving the bittering addition up and removing the 20 min addition. Also thinking about cutting the Munich malt to 8% of the grist. Finally I'm gonna ferment a couple degrees cooler.

This will be the first overall of my recipe in 2 years.

#2 MyaCullen

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Posted 17 July 2016 - 09:30 AM

Perhaps aninvestment in either an RO or DI filter system is in order.

Another thought; where's your sulfate level?

#3 HVB

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Posted 17 July 2016 - 10:22 AM

I think Gaffel was my least favorite over there. Fruh, Scion and Peter's were my favorites. Very low bitterness and not much Munich as I could tell. I think Peter's would have some as it was a bit darker and a bit more complex than the others.

#4 SchwanzBrewer

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Posted 17 July 2016 - 12:48 PM

Perhaps aninvestment in either an RO or DI filter system is in order.

Another thought; where's your sulfate level?


I don't remember. I always add CaCl and acid to help the malt and get the PH right. Makes me realize what Ken is talking about with the softness he desired. I'm gonna have to work on this.

I think Gaffel was my least favorite over there. Fruh, Scion and Peter's were my favorites. Very low bitterness and not much Munich as I could tell. I think Peter's would have some as it was a bit darker and a bit more complex than the others.


I doubt any of the ones I tasted had any appreciable Munich in them.

I had one of those Ah ha! moments when I drank the reissdorf.

#5 MyaCullen

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Posted 17 July 2016 - 01:17 PM

I know this may seem odd, but I've been experimenting with 33 percent Hydrochloric acid to knock out bicarbonates and put in chloride in one easy step.

#6 neddles

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Posted 17 July 2016 - 02:20 PM

I know this may seem odd, but I've been experimenting with 33 percent Hydrochloric acid to knock out bicarbonates and put in chloride in one easy step.

Whats your source for food grade 33% HCl?

#7 MyaCullen

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Posted 17 July 2016 - 02:31 PM

Whats your source for food grade 33% HCl?

food grade? I knew someone was gonna call me out :( I used harware store muriatic acid

#8 neddles

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Posted 17 July 2016 - 02:39 PM

food grade? I knew someone was gonna call me out :( I used harware store muriatic acid

Oof.

#9 MyaCullen

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Posted 17 July 2016 - 02:43 PM

Oof.

Doubt I'm gonna die. I also use hardware store O2, and hardware store sodium metasilicate.

#10 shaggaroo

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Posted 17 July 2016 - 02:47 PM

Doubt I'm gonna die. I also use hardware store O2, and hardware store sodium metasilicate.

Gotta start calling you the helpful hardware man!



#11 MyaCullen

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Posted 17 July 2016 - 02:53 PM

Gotta start calling you the helpful hardware man!

you're the chemist, what disk is posed by using the hardware store muriatic @ 5ml per 10 gallons of water?

#12 armagh

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Posted 17 July 2016 - 04:16 PM

The Gaffel must have been skunked.  Drank it many times when I lived in Koln and sulfur was never part of the equation.  Used to be available here by the bottle and I never got that taste.  Same with Fruh. 

 

Reissdorf is not truly considered a Kolsch any more because they moved the brewery to Rodenkirchen, which is not in sight of the cathedral as, by fiat, a true Kolsch must be.  It's a kraut thing.  Whatever.

 

The best Kolsch is Mals Mueller, but they don't bottle so you just have to go there.

 

Based on what you're describing, I'm thinking these beers were old or they just don't travel well, which is not unusual.   YMMV.


Edited by armagh, 17 July 2016 - 04:17 PM.


#13 shaggaroo

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Posted 17 July 2016 - 06:03 PM

you're the chemist, what disk is posed by using the hardware store muriatic @ 5ml per 10 gallons of water?

I'm fairly certain that amount will not harm you. There might be metal contamination, but I think the way it's produced minimizes that. At any rate, that's a dilution of about 1 in 7500. If I can find time to get into the university tomorrow, I'll see what a standard bottle has contamination-wise. 



#14 SchwanzBrewer

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Posted 17 July 2016 - 07:17 PM

The Gaffel must have been skunked. Drank it many times when I lived in Koln and sulfur was never part of the equation. Used to be available here by the bottle and I never got that taste. Same with Fruh.

Reissdorf is not truly considered a Kolsch any more because they moved the brewery to Rodenkirchen, which is not in sight of the cathedral as, by fiat, a true Kolsch must be. It's a kraut thing. Whatever.

The best Kolsch is Mals Mueller, but they don't bottle so you just have to go there.

Based on what you're describing, I'm thinking these beers were old or they just don't travel well, which is not unusual. YMMV.


The fruh was fresh. The gaffel was old.

#15 Poptop

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Posted 18 July 2016 - 01:46 PM

Oddly enough I just grabbed another 4 pack of Reissdorf today. To me a very highly quaffable summer time sensation. I have my sights set on making a Kolsch once my new/old kegerator gets to the house this week. Now. If I only had a nice Kolsch recipe. One that's been made here on the forum so I can ax questions and get feedback... Hmmmmm..... Shamelessly plugging....... :)

#16 denny

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Posted 18 July 2016 - 02:27 PM

I had one of those Ah ha! moments when I drank the reissdorf.

 

Never been to Germany, so take this with a grain of salt, but the Riessdorf flavor is what I think of when I think of kolsch.



#17 Brauer

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Posted 18 July 2016 - 03:50 PM

I find Reissdorf to be a nice beer, but it has too much yeast character for my taste. I prefer the milder Früh and Sünner to be more pleasant to drink. When I've made Kölsch with WLP029, it has tasted just like Reissdorf. I hoped that WY2565 was cleaner, but I guess not.

#18 shaggaroo

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Posted 18 July 2016 - 04:53 PM

I find Reissdorf to be a nice beer, but it has too much yeast character for my taste. I prefer the milder Früh and Sünner to be more pleasant to drink. When I've made Kölsch with WLP029, it has tasted just like Reissdorf. I hoped that WY2565 was cleaner, but I guess not.


I too enjoy Früh and Sünner

#19 SchwanzBrewer

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Posted 19 July 2016 - 05:22 AM

I find Reissdorf to be a nice beer, but it has too much yeast character for my taste. I prefer the milder Früh and Sünner to be more pleasant to drink. When I've made Kölsch with WLP029, it has tasted just like Reissdorf. I hoped that WY2565 was cleaner, but I guess not.

 

My beer wasn't as clean as the reissdorf. I think part of that has to do with a packaging issue because the flavor has changed on this batch.



#20 HVB

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Posted 19 July 2016 - 05:23 AM

My beer wasn't as clean as the reissdorf. I think part of that has to do with a packaging issue because the flavor has changed on this batch.

I am just curious as I am not sure what is available in FLA but can you find Reissdorf and Fruh in stores down there?




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