Recipe sharing - not just for hippies anymore

[Rob DeNunzio]

BeerGuide wrote a post on his blog that described a scenario that I'm sure many of us have come across. Ever read some homebrewer's description of their mostest awesomest batch of brew in the wholest widest world, only to have them cite trade secrecy when you ask them for the recipe? Even good craft brewers will give you their shopping lists (but maybe not the proportions, or techniques) if you ask them politely enough. Let's be nicer than that here. I'll open the circle of love with this quick n' easy partial mash kölsch recipe that I used for one of the beers at my best friend's summer wedding as "the refreshing one." I also used it as the basis for some yummy Picon biere cocktails that we were pouring. (And yes, I use ProMash mainly so I can be a total dork and list my local tap water profile.)

Carrie's Kölsch

Batch Size (Gal): 5.00 Wort Size (Gal): 5.00
Total Grain (Lbs): 7.50
Anticipated OG: 1.047 Plato: 11.65
Anticipated SRM: 5.1
Anticipated IBU: 30.4
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75%
Wort Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Grain/Extract/Sugar
% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
46.7 3.50 lbs. Pilsner LME 1.035 7
33.3 2.50 lbs. Pilsener Germany 1.038 2
6.7 0.50 lbs. Cara-Pils Dextrine Malt 1.033 2
6.7 0.50 lbs. Vienna Malt Germany 1.037 3
6.7 0.50 lbs. Wheat Malt Germany 1.039 2

(Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon)

Hops
Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
1.00 oz. Saaz Pellet 3.30 16.3 60 min
0.50 oz. Hallertauer Mittelfruh Pellet 4.00 8.8 45 min
1.00 oz. Tettnanger Tettnang Pellet 2.80 3.7 15 min
0.50 oz. Hallertauer Mittelfruh Pellet 4.00 1.6 0 min

Extras
Amount Name Type Time
large pinch Irish Moss Fining 20 Min.(boil)

Yeast
White Labs WLP029 German Ale/Kolsch

Water Profile: Marin County, CA

Profile known for:
Calcium(Ca): 12.0 ppm
Magnesium(Mg): 10.0 ppm
Sodium(Na): 15.0 ppm
Sulfate(SO4): 17.0 ppm
Chloride(Cl): 13.0 ppm
biCarbonate(HCO3): 74.0 ppm
pH: 8.31

Mash grains at 149 for 60 minutes.

[BeerGuide]

Good to know I'm not just a hippy.

I like that you've listed your water profile. Water profile is something that not many people in my area talk about, unless they are reasonly hardcore brewers with HERMS etc..
I know what my profile is, but due to a difficulty in buying salts have never tried to modify my profile despite me knowing how much of an impact in can have on the final flavour - if only it were easier to buy salts here.

Your recipe sounds like a great refresher and were we not leaving our warmer months behind us I'd have a crack at it. I'll have to keep it in mind for later on in the year. Just a quick question, how long should it condition (keeping in mind I bottle) for it to be at its peak when drinking?

[Rob DeNunzio]

Alas! Earth's damned tilted axis always screws with bi-hemisphere recipe sharing. This brew's a real quick fermenter if you get a nice starter going ahead of time. One week primary, two weeks secondary, bottle and off you go.

I'm surprised to hear that buying salts is difficult for you. Maybe you just need to make friends with your local high school chemistry teacher...

[BeerGuide]

I've thought about teaming up with a local chemist... except then world domination and nasty things enter my brain...

The word on the street is a lot of the salts can be purchased through Ethnic supermarkets, eg: Greek etc.. but again none of them exist in the area.

Its like buying wood for smoking (eg: hickory, apple etc.) in Australia we haven't caught up yet.