This kölsch recipe is one of my favorites, and I have brewed it annually since 2023. The recipe is pretty dialed in, except for the fact that on this brew I misread it and added a half pound of Munich II when assembling my grain bill. Oops! I anticipated it would up the maltiness a bit in a way that’s outside the norm for this beer (and style), which was indeed the case.

My supply of Edelweiss hop blend (business closed) and Köln Kölsch-style yeast (discontinued by manufacturer) is dwindling. I need to start thinking about my next iteration of the recipe. The hops are manageable, but it still is a bummer that I don’t yet know of a good dry yeast alternative! K-97 takes waaaay too long to clear and has a vinous character I don’t quite care for in some cases.

Snowdrop Kölsch

• 9.5 lb. pilsner malt (Rahr)
• 0.5 lb. Munich I malt (Weyermann)
• 0.5 lb. Munich II malt (Weyermann)
• 0.5 tsp. BrewTanB (mash)
• 1 oz. Edelweiss hop pellets (5.8% alpha), 45 minute boil
• 0.5 tsp. BrewTanB, 10 minute boil
• 1 Whirlfloc tablet, 5 minute boil
• 2 oz. Edelweiss hop pellets (5.8% alpha), 5 minute boil
• 1 pkg. Köln Kölsch-style yeast (Lallemand)
• 1 oz. Biofine Clear (added to keg)

Target Parameters

• 1.048 s.g., 1.011 f.g., 25 IBU, 4 SRM, 4.9% abv
• Full volume mash, 60 minute mash at 152°, 10 minute mash-out at 168°
• RO water with added minerals to hit target of 50 ppm Ca, 5 ppm Mg, 6 ppm Na, 54 ppm SO4, 72 ppm Cl, 0 ppm HCO3, -38 ppm RA

Procedure

• Starting with 7.25 gallons of RO water, I added 0.4 g of sea salt, 1.4 g of epsom salt, 1.7 g of gypsum, and 3.6 g of calcium chloride, in order to reach my target water parameters.
• I heated the strike water to 158° before adding the BrewTanB, grains, and 1 tbs. of 10% phosphoric acid (for pH adjustment).
• I held the mash at 152° (with recirculation) for 60 minutes, and then heated the mash to 168° for a 10 minute mash-out, before pulling the grains.
• In total, I collected 6.6 gallons of runnings with a gravity of 1.041, for 68% mash efficiency.
• I brought the runnings to a boil, adding hops and finings per the recipe. After 60 minutes, I chilled the wort to 66° and transferred to the fermenter. I pitched the yeast during the transfer.
• During fermentation, I held the temperature at 62°.
• I brewed this beer on 17 February 2025. Starting gravity was 1.049.
• I kegged the beer on 9 March 2025, using a closed transfer. It was pretty hazy at this point in the sample glass and will likely take awhile to drop clear.
• Final gravity was 1.011, for 5.0% abv.
• I added BioFine Clear on 24 March 2025, and put the beer on tap on 26 March 2025. It was brilliantly clear by this point! I had overshot the carbonation a bit, so it took some time to work things down. I used the pressure release valve on the keg and also served without the gas line connected, which over the course of a few days got it closer to “pouring without a massive dose of foam.”

Tasting

• Appearance
  • Pours with a low yet very persistent white head. The beer itself is brilliantly clear and light yellow. This is probably the best looking kölsch I have ever made! The Biofine Clear definitely came through.
• Aroma
  • Lightly fruity yeast character with a red apple quality. Low hop and malt character; slightly floral hops.
• Flavor
  • Moderate level of maltiness and medium bitterness. Slightly fruity yeast character. The malt flavor is not quite as grainy as I personally would like in a kölsch–it’s more of a down-the-middle malty quality–but still nice. It’s a very drinkable beer!
• Mouthfeel
  • Medium-light body, medium-high carbonation, smooth finish, crisp.
• Would I Brew This Again?
  • This is a great recipe! The malt flavor is not quite as delicate as I would prefer (hence the 9/10 instead of 10/10), but that’s my fault for messing up the grist. I overcarbonated the beer just a little too, but that will amp down over time.
• Overall
  • 9/10

Kölsch is a simple style in so many ways, but a hard one to do well. After a few iterations, I perfected a recipe that works well for me. I first brewed Snowdrop Kölsch in 2023, and it’s a definite winner. I made a batch earlier this year, but it unfortunately (and frustratingly!) got infected, so I did a deep cleaning in the fermenters for my second attempt. This one succeeded!

Other than slight changes in malt brand (Rahr pilsner instead of Viking) and building up my water from scratch, this is identical to the 2023 edition of the recipe. There is no sense in messing with perfection! Sadly, Lallemand has discontinued their German ale yeast, so I will have to search for a different strain in future years. This is a shame, because I quite like it! I suppose it’s back to liquid yeast whenever my dry yeast supply runs out.

Snowdrop Kölsch

• 9.5 lb. pilsner malt (Rahr)
• 0.5 lb. Munich I malt (Weyermann)
• 0.5 tsp. BrewTanB (mash)
• 1 oz. Edelweiss hop pellets (5.8% alpha), 45 minute boil
• 0.5 tsp. BrewTanB, 10 minute boil
• 1 Whirlfloc tablet, 5 minute boil
• 1 oz. Edelweiss hop pellets (5.8% alpha), 5 minute boil
• 1 pkg. Köln Kölsch-style yeast (Lallemand)

Target Parameters

• 1.046 s.g., 1.010 f.g., 24 IBU, 4 SRM, 4.6% abv
• Full volume mash, 60 minute mash at 152°, 10 minute mash-out at 168°
• RO water with added minerals to hit target of 50 ppm Ca, 6 ppm Mg, 6 ppm Na, 54 ppm SO4, 72 ppm Cl, 0 ppm HCO3, -39 ppm RA

Procedure

• Starting with 7.25 gallons of RO water, I added 0.4 g of sea salt, 1.4 g of epsom salt, 1.7 g of gypsum, and 3.6 g of calcium chloride, in order to reach my target water parameters. I heated the water to 157° before adding the grains and holding the mash at 152° (with recirculation) for 60 minutes. Next, I heated the mash to 168° for a 10 minute mash-out, before pulling the grains.
• In total, I collected 6.6 gallons of runnings with a gravity of 1.041, for 73% mash efficiency.
• I brought the runnings to a boil, adding hops and finings per the recipe. After 60 minutes, I chilled the wort to 78°, let it settle for a bit, and transferred to the fermenter. I chilled the wort to 60° in the fermentation chamber before pitching the yeast, and fermented at 64°.
• I brewed this beer on 23 June 2024. Starting gravity was 1.048.
• I kegged the beer on 12 July 2024, using a closed transfer.
• Final gravity was 1.009, for 5.2% abv.

Tasting

• Appearance
  • Exceptionally clear, light yellow beer with somewhat persistent white head. It is pretty in the glass!
• Aroma
  • Grainy sweet aroma, light fruity character. Very subtle floral hop note.
• Flavor
  • Light malty character, medium-low bitterness. Slight fruitness, of the pear/apple variety (but not strictly apple; it has more depth than that!). Slight floral hop quality.
• Mouthfeel
  • Medium-light body, moderate carbonation, smooth and pleasant finish.
• Would I Brew This Again?
  • This is a very good kölsch! I don’t know that it’s my best–the hop aroma is a little more subdued than last year’s version–but this one still hits the notes!
• Overall
  • 9/10