Kolschbier

Tasting Notes

Kölschbier is a local style found in Cologne and is usually ordered simply as "Kölsch." Kölsch is very pale in color and is noted for its delicacy rather than for any robust distinctiveness. It is clean-tasting, light-bodied (very well attenuated), soft, and drinkable. These beers are faintly fruity (less than a Pilsner) and are slightly acidic, with a medium-hoppy dryness and often with a slightly herbal taste in the finish.

Ingredients

A highly attenuative ale yeast strain is used (attenuation approaching 85%), with low ester production. A faint fruitiness is considered integral for this style. The water in Köln is soft, with low levels of calcium, magnesium, and bicarbonates.

Brewing Techniques

Mashing is usually done by infusion or single-decoction. Temperatures during primary fermentation range from 14 to 18ºC and are then reduced to 8 to 10ºC before transferring the beer with its residual extract. Although ale yeasts are used, the maturation temperatures are similar to those employed for lager production.

The information on this page was provided by beer-brewing.com (http://www.beer-brewing.com).