Emancipation Kölsch-Style Ale

DIRECTIONS
Mill the grains and do a Hochkurz step mash: Start at 144°F (62°C) and rest 30 minutes; raise to 158°F (70°C) and rest 30 minutes; then raise to 168°F (76°C) for mash out. Recirculate until the runnings are clear, then run off into the kettle. Sparge and top up as necessary to get about 6 gallons (23 liters) of wort, depending on your evaporation rate.

Boil for 60 minutes, adding hops and finings according to the schedule. After the boil, chill the wort to 60°F (16°C), aerate, and pitch the yeast. Ferment at 60°F (16°C) until fermentation is complete. Test for diacetyl or allow it to free rise for a few days for a diacetyl rest. Once gravity has stabilized and fermentation is complete, cold crash and lager for a few weeks, until the beer is clear, or longer.

Package and carbonate to about 2.7 volumes of CO2. Serve in 200ml stangen for the optimal experience!

BREWER’S NOTES
Mashing: For more about the benefits of a Hochkurz step mash, see Short and High: The Hochkurz Mash. Don’t be intimidated by the multistep mash. It’s not a requirement, but our goal here is a very dry beer. If you’re unable to do a multistep mash, you can still get great results from mashing at 148–150°F (64–66°C) for at least 60 minutes.

Ingredients: German malts are traditional for the style, but we love the beautifully complex character we get from Sugar Creek Malt. As a bonus, they’re local to us. Same with the Mackinac hops, which are locally grown and lend a touch of unique citrus-melon-spice without moving our Kölsch out of the traditional flavor profile.

Totally Optional: Kölsch is great because it’s delicate, and that allows small changes to shine through. Switch up later hop additions for a subtle tweak, substitute wheat malt for the Vienna, or go nontraditional and condition on some fresh lemon zest (one lemon’s zest per gallon works well) for a tasty, dry, shandy-like treat.