Recently I have been seeking out Kolsch beers.  They are a nice light style that is a great change of pace from the bigger bigger bigger trend in the craft beer world.  With the addition of temperature control to my fermentation set up, brewing a Kolsch for myself is now within reach.  I decided that developing a good Kolsch recipe is my goal for this summer. I started my quest with the Kolsch book by Eric Warner.  Warner’s book is part of the Brewer’s Publication’s Classic Style Series.  It gives history, techniques and recipes for Kolsch beers.  After getting an understanding of the history of the Kolsch beer and consulting Brewing Classic Styles, I came up with the recipe below.   There was one change from my initial recipe to what you see below.  I planned to use Kolsch yeast, but my local homebrew shop was out.  I substituted the German Ale yeast as the closest alternative.

Recipe Specifications
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Boil Size: 7.22 gal
Post Boil Volume: 5.72 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.50 gal
Bottling Volume: 5.50 gal
Estimated OG: 1.049 SG
Estimated Color: 3.2 SRM
Estimated IBU: 24.7 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 85.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 85.0 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Ingredients:
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Amt         Name                                     %/IBU
8 lbs       Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (2.0 SRM)            94.1 %
8.0 oz      Wheat Malt, Ger (2.0 SRM)                5.9 %
1.00 oz     Hallertauer [4.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min     17.9 IBUs
0.25 oz     Perle [8.00 %] - Boil 40.0 min           6.8 IBUs
1.0 pkg     German Ale (Wyeast Labs #1007) [0.75L Starter]

Mash Schedule: Temperature Mash, 2 Step, Light Body
Total Grain Weight: 8 lbs 8.0 oz
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Name              Description                         Step Temp    Step Time
Protein Rest      Add 3.38 gal of water at 127.7 F    122.0 F      30 min
Saccharification  Heat to 148.0 F over 15 min         148.0 F      75 min
Mash Out          Heat to 168.0 F over 10 min         168.0 F      10 min

Sparge: Fly sparge with 5.58 gal water at 168.0 F

I wanted to start simple.  Starting simple allows for easier changes and in many cases achieves what you want without muddling the beer.  From here I intend to make changes one at a time until I have the beer I want.  Making small incremental changes will allow me to understand the effect of each change.  If I made multiple changes and the aroma got better, but the flavor was worse I may not be able to decipher what change to keep and which to revert back to original. The sample I tasted when I took my final gravity reading and transferred to the keg was nice and light.  There was a slight fruitiness that may be cleaned up as it sits.  It could be a byproduct of the German Ale yeast.  I will try this same recipe again with the Kolsch yeast to see if there is a difference there.