Brü It Yourself | Northern Brewer Honey Kölsch
Author: Marshall Schott
Back in 2013, a few months before the launch of Brülosophy, I did something I’d been scared to do in the 10 years since I started brewing by making a proper lager. Prior to acquiring the gear for cool fermentation, as well as a fair amount of patience and courage, I made what I used to call “mock lagers” using ale yeasts that were marketed as producing lager-like qualities.
The style I determined to be closest to the pale lagers I so loved, but didn’t require all the fuss, was Kölsch – “a subtle, brilliantly clear, pale beer with a delicate balance of malt, fruit, and hop character, moderate bitterness, and a well-attenuated but soft finish.” Given its arguable simplicity in terms of character, I often used Kölsch as a based for experimenting with different ingredients like new hop varieties and certain specialty malts.
One thing I never paired with Kölsch is honey. During our July Patreon BrüDay, the conversation shifted to favorite recipes, and Patron Mike Rocca commented on how much he enjoyed the Northern Brewer Honey Kölsch recipe kit. I generally design my own recipes, but Mike’s adoration for this particular kit was enough to influence me to pick one up for myself.
| Making Northern Brewer Honey Kölsch |
The recipe for this Honey Kölsch isn’t too different from my house recipe with the exception of the addition of actual honey.
Northern Brewer Honey Kölsch
| Batch Size | Boil Time | IBU | SRM | Est. OG | Est. FG | ABV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.5 gal | 60 min | 18 | 3.5 SRM | 1.050 | 1.007 | 5.64% |
Mash
| Step | Temp | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | 148 °F | 60 min |
Fermentables
| Name | Amount | % |
|---|---|---|
| Pilsner Malt | 6.75 lb | 75% |
| Honey | 1 lb | 11% |
| Wheat Malt White | 1 lb | 11% |
| Honey Malt | 0.25 lb | 3% |
Hops
| Name | Amount | Time | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vanguard | 31 g | 60 min | Boil |
Yeast
| Name | Laboratory | Form |
|---|---|---|
| Dieter (G03) | Imperial Yeast | Ale |
Water Chemistry: Ca 50 | Mg 0 | Na 0 | SO4 62 | Cl 43
The night before brewing, I milled the grain and made sure to stow it away with the honey so I wouldn’t forget to use it.
As the water was heating up the following morning, I prepared that salts that would bring it to my desired mineral profile.
When the water to properly heated, I stirred in the grist.
I then checked to ensure it was at my target mash temperature.
When the mash step was complete, I removed the grains and boiled the wort for 60 minutes, adding hops as listed in the recipe.
Once the boil was finished, I quickly chilled the wort with my JaDeD Brewing Hydra IC.
A refractometer reading showed the wort was at a slightly higher than expected 1.050 OG.
I then transferred the chilled wort to a sanitized Delta FermTank.
The filled fermenter was connected to my glycol unit and left to finish chilling to my desired fermentation temperature of 66°F/19°C, at which point I pitched a pouch of Imperial Yeast G03 Dieter.
I then connected a line from the gas post on my fermenter to the gas post on a keg filled with sanitizer, then ran a line from the liquid post on the keg into a bucket, which would allow for the CO2 produced during fermentation to naturally purge the keg of oxygen.
With signs of activity absent after 4 days of fermentation, I took a hydrometer measurement showing FG had been reached.
At this point, I cold crashed the beer to 34°F/1°C overnight then added a dose of gelatin fining through the gas post on the fermenter.
Approximately 15 hours later, I pressure transferred the beer to the CO2 purged keg.
The filled keg was placed in my keezer and burst carbonated overnight before I reduced the gas to serving pressure. After a week of conditioning, it was clear, carbonated, and ready to drink.
| IMPRESSIONS |
As someone who views brewing as just much art as it is science, I enjoy the process of designing recipes and, for whatever reason, feel a little weird when brewing kits. Considering how simple Kölsch recipes tend to be, this weird feeling wasn’t intense at all, and I was excited see how effect the honey addition would have on the beer.
While we don’t collect actual data for Brü It Yourself beers, we do share the beers with our friends and do our best to keep track of the feedback. The first person I shared this Northern Brewer Honey Kölsch with was my buddy, Emilio Anguiano, during an early season Seahawks game. After his first tug, he said, “Daaaaamn, dude, that’s delicious.” The following evening, Timmy Tim Meisch stopped by on his way home from work and had his first pint, stating, “that’s pretty fucking good.” When I mentioned it’s a Honey Kölsch, both said they didn’t really taste the honey, but really enjoyed drinking the beer either way.
Part of the reason I don’t brew with honey very often is because, when I have in the past, the flavor doesn’t really come through in the finished beer, though it has a notable impact on OG and thus ABV. Like Emilio and Tim, I didn’t get any honey flavor from this beer, and honestly, I’m not sure that’s a bad thing. This beer was the definition of crushable – crisp and clean with a bit more strength than my standard Kölsch. While I might be inclined to simply increase the grain bill or use table sugar in the future, the honey worked out well enough, and I have to agree with Mike, the Patron who recommended this kit to me, that it’s great for those who have yet to become obsessed with craft beer.
If you have thoughts about this recipe or experience making something similar, please feel free to share in the comments section below!
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