Kölsch

I'm pleased with how my Kölsch came out. I wasn't too sure at first -- it was a little too fruity and definitely too cloudy -- but two months of cold-conditioning really seems to have done the trick.

Here're the vital stats:

OG 1.051 FG 1.011
AA 77.7% ABV 5.2%
IBU 24 SRM 3

93% German Pils
7% Wheat malt

16 IBU Tettnanger 60 mins
6 IBU Tettnanger 30 mins
0.5 oz Saaz 10 mins
0.5 oz Saaz flameout

Wyeast 2565 "Kölsch"

Next time I brew this I'll omit the wheat malt because, well, I don't like wheat anyway and I don't think it adds much. I think the gentle fruitiness of the yeast softens it out enough -- I don't need any wheat in there helping out.

I'm also tempted to brew this with White Labs 029 "German Ale/Kölsch" yeast. I suspect it'll be a little less fruity. I know others are satisfied with 2565, and I don't have any reason to think mine didn't come out just about spot-on, but what can I say, I like my yeasts crisp and clean.

Maybe I should just brew a damn lager instead and not expect Kölsch to be something it's not...

The problem with this style (and lagers, certainly) is that I don't have a dedicated lagering fridge, so any beer that needs to cold-condition must do so in my kegerator, and therefore take up valuable beer space. I just don't know that I have the patience to stick something in there for two months and not touch it when I could have a keg there that's ready to be consumed.

Extra fridge, anyone?

More on Kölsch:

From the German Beer Institute
From the BJCP (via Wyeast)