Black Coal Kolsch

This session went pretty well. As you can see from the ProMash report, I was somehow able to get 100% efficiency from my system. Based on what I know of the scientific method and what I ended up with in my Advanced Chemistry class in high school (how was I able to extract caffeine from 7-Up? Answer: I wasn't.) it must have been an error in measurement somewhere. 

At any rate, most of the variables were held pretty consistent: mash temperature was good, fermentation temperature was pretty close to optimum, lag time was minimized by a monster 3-step starter. I think I had one of the biggest fermentations to date, and after a week in the conical with 4 days of consistent gravity readings, I moved the beer into carboys to lager. 

The timing of this beer couldn't have been better as Jamil Zainasheff has an article on kolsch in the May-June issue of BYO. I'm holding the beer at around 40°F and will keep it there for about a month as recommended in the article. I do have more airlock activity, so I may be able to drop the beer a bit further and get better attenuation from the yeast. It is, however, about 3 years old, hence the 3-step starter to get it going again. I have not yet resorted to the second addition of yeast to finish a beer, but that day may soon come.

Next up is the Oberon clone. Maybe Memorial Day weekend will be the time to do that so it's ready with the kolsch.

05-09-2009 Black Coal Kolsch 

A ProMash Brewing Session Report
Brewing Date: Saturday May 09, 2009
Head Brewer: Mike Ring
Recipe: Black Coal Kolsch

BJCP Style and Style Guidelines
08-A Koelsch & Altbier, Koelsch-Style Ale
Min OG: 1.040 Max OG: 1.048
Min IBU: 16 Max IBU: 30
Min Clr: 4 Max Clr: 5 Color in SRM, Lovibond

Recipe Specifics
Batch Size (Gal): 7.00 Wort Size (Gal): 7.44
Total Grain (Lbs): 11.38
Anticipated OG: 1.044 Plato: 10.98
Anticipated SRM: 3.3
Anticipated IBU: 21.8
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75 %
Wort Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Actual OG: 1.044 Plato: 10.98
Actual FG: 1.014 Plato: 3.57
Alc by Weight: 3.09 by Volume: 3.96 From Measured Gravities.
ADF: 67.5 RDF: 56.2 Apparent & Real Degree of Fermentation.

Actual Mash System Efficiency: 100 %
Anticipated Points From Mash: 44.11
Actual Points From Mash: 59.05

Raw Pre-Boil Amounts - only targeted volume/gravity and evaporation
rate taken into account:
Pre-Boil Wort Size: 8.75 Gal
Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.035 SG 8.85 Plato

With sparge water, mash water, additional infusions, vessel losses, top-up
water and evaporation rate recorded in the Water Needed Calculator:
Water Needed Pre-Boil Wort Size: 9.77 Gal
Water Needed Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.032 SG 7.95 Plato

Formulas Used
Brewhouse Efficiency and Predicted Gravity based on Method #1, Potential Used.
Final Gravity Calculation Based on Points.
Hard Value of Sucrose applied. Value for recipe: 46.2100 ppppg
% Yield Type used in Gravity Prediction: Fine Grind Dry Basis.

Additional Utilization Used For Plug Hops: 2 %
Additional Utilization Used For Pellet Hops: 10 %

Grain/Extract/Sugar
% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
68.8 7.82 lbs. Pale Malt(2-row) America 1.036 2
12.5 1.42 lbs. Wheat Malt Belgium 1.038 2
12.5 1.42 lbs. Vienna Malt Germany 1.037 3
6.3 0.71 lbs. Cara-Pils Dextrine Malt 1.033 2

Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.
Hops
Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
1.17 oz. Hallertauer Mittelfruh Pellet 5.20 14.3 60 min
0.67 oz. Spalter Select Whole 5.00 3.9 30 min
1.17 oz. Hallertauer Mittelfruh Pellet 5.20 3.6 20 min
0.66 oz. Hallertauer Mittelfruh Pellet 5.20 0.0 0 min

Yeast
WYeast 2565 Kolsch

Mash Schedule
Mash Type: Single Step
Heat Type: Heat Exchanger/HERMS 
Grain Lbs: 11.38
Water Qts: 19.54 Before Additional Infusions
Water Gal: 4.89 Before Additional Infusions
Qts Water Per Lbs Grain: 1.72 Before Additional Infusions
Tun Thermal Mass: 0.25
Grain Temp: 68 F Before Additional Infusions

Rest Temp Time
Dough In: 166 0 Min
Saccharification Rest: 150 60 Min
Mash-out Rest: 168 10 Min
Sparge: 170 0 Min

Total Mash Volume Gal: 5.80 - After Additional Infusions

Runnings Stopped At: 1.010 SG 2.56 Plato

All temperature measurements are degrees Fahrenheit.







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