Kolsch kit

So I haven’t brewed in couple years, and thought that i need to start doing it again.I have three kit’s under my belt. Only one really turned out to be ok. So i chose the Kolsch kit. I’m interested to see if anyone else has tried this kit? Also what other kits have you tried

Welcome back to brewing! We’ve done these extract kits: Chinook Ale, Wee Heavy Scotch Ale, Off The Topper, Dead Ringer , and Speckled Heifer (partial mash). Of them all, the Scotch Ale and Speckled Heifer turned out the best followed by the Off the Topper. The Chinook was my first and I know we started the fermentation way too warm with the final product ending up so-so. I think the same thing happened with the Dead Ringer. (You’d think we’d learn faster… :slight_smile: ) Have fun!

Tell us why you don’t think the previous batches turned out well. Maybe we can troubleshoot so we can minimize the risk of that happening again.

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Most of the batches i felt were over carbonated. I felt the taste was off somehow as well.

I’ve done the kolsch kit several times and it is good. It’s really a faux kolsch because it uses(at least the ones that I got) us-05 and not a kolsch yeast. But it makes a good, easy drinking beer. If you like stone fruit esters, then ferment in the high 50’s to low 60’s. If you want it clean, try to keep it in the mid-60’s. I’ve done this kit both extract and all grain. If I were doing the extract, I would probably add about a cup of sugar to the boil just to help dry it out a bit. Also, I wouldn’t secondary this beer, I’d just leave it in the fermentor at least three weeks then bottle. Oxidation can really effect this beer since it is pretty clean, and less transfer usually means less oxidation.

As far as carbonation, I’d use NB’s calculator and weigh your priming sugar, don’t just use the amount they send–it’ll almost always be too much. Maybe even err on the low side of the calculator.

Cheers,

Ron

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Get those bottles carbed up and the place them in the fridge for at least a month to Lager.

I too would lighten the body a bit with some sugar.

I did order the carbed up tabs. So do you think they will work better?

Lots of mixed results reported with the carb tabs, I just use table sugar. Cheap and easy. Just dissolve it in boiled water, cool, and mix into bottling bucket. Never had a problem.

cheers,

Ron

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So i have never had a Kolsch beer. So what flavor am i looking for? Is this a low hoppy beer?

So you think table sugar would be better? I’m assuming that i would use the amount that the recipe says, right? Or should i try out the carb tabs and take the chance?

What do you mean you would lighten the body a bit with some sugar? Do i do this the same time i am using the carb tabs?

I usually use the priming sugar calculator that our host offers. With a kolsch I usually shoot for around 2.4-2.6 vols. But that is what works for me. With the carb tabs they may take longer to work and you can’t really zero in on a certain level of carbonation.

As for the sugar to lighten the body, that would be added in the boil, maybe around 10 minutes from the end of the boil. Extract brews are notorious for being a little less fermentable than all grain, so the added sugar will help boost the overall fermentability since it is 100% fermentable. That way the end product doesn’t end up a little sweeter than normal.

Cheers,

Ron

Ok thanks. How do i figure out how much sugar to add during the boil?

On the home page, hit the learn tab, then resources, under that will be priming sugar calculator. When they ask for beer temp, that’s the highest temp that the beer was at after fermentation–which for most ales I do will be room temp.

OK thanks

Just to clarify, priming sugar is added during bottling in lieu of the fizz tabs. The sugar discussed for drying out your beer is added during the boil. I don’t know how much you’d ad but @frenchie mentions a cup. Just wanted to be sure it was clear since both were discussed together above and adding fizz tabs and priming sugar might create bottle bombs.

To dry out a 5gal batch I would use 1/2 to 1lb of plain table sugar. As @frenchie said, add it to the boil.

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Just to make this clear. I should add 1/2 pound of sugar during the final boil. And do not use the fizz tabs.

The carbonation tabs are for producing carbonation when added to the bottle when bottling. Sugar added to the boil will be used by the yeast during fermentation. The sugar added to the boil will boost the ABV and give you a final product a little thinner in body with a drier finish.

I’ll throw this in. Using one Domino Dot per 12 ounce bottle will yield about 2.4 volumes of CO2. Each “Dot” is about 1/2 teaspoon of regular table sugar. Weight is 2.29 grams each. This is equal to using 3.78 ounces of table sugar to carbonate 48 12 ounces bottles. Cheaper than the carbonation drops. Not available in all grocery stores though.

EDIT: Domino Dots are 198 count per 1 pound box.

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If I bottled that’s how I would do it @flars. Would ensure consistent bottle conditioning.