Kölsch-Style Beer – Classic German Ale

60 Second History

In a beer-Mecca like Germany you can’ t possibly talk about The National Drink without to some extent getting into the general history of the country. And the city of Köln (or “Kölle” as the locals call it) along with the beer which bears its name – Kölsch – is a living example of just such a relationship. The city’s English name “Cologne” still bears witness to it’ s roots over 2000 years ago as a Roman Colony. A thousand years later the Vikings frequented these shores of the Mighty Rhine conducting trade with our beloved Kölners, and earning the city the prestigious title “Hansa-Stadt”, member of the Hanseatic League.

As beer production turned into a trade which could support a family, both the Church and State became increasingly concerned with being able to control the power (and tap into the profit) that this trade would generate. Many decisions in the realm of beer where therefore resultant from the pressures these two groups would continue to place upon the City’ s brewers. This along with severe pressure from the imported “Keutebier” (a dark Wheat Beer) in the late middle ages brought Köln’ s brewers together into the city’ s first Guild, which was formed in the early to mid 1200’ s, but was not officially incorporated until 1396. The purpose of this Kölner-Brauerei-Verband was of course to protect the interests of the local Getränk, against the imports, as well as against the constant pressure from the City and the Church. To this day the Verband dictates the exact definition of what is Kölsch. Throughout the 1400’ s and 1500’ s their Bavarian cousins to the south slowly mastered the art of lagering (without actually realising it, which is another story in itself), and it was during this time that the first Lager Revolution swept across Europe. A line was unknowingly drawn in the sand in 1553 when Bavarian rulers – not knowing the cause for the lower quality of beer brewed in the summer – completely outlawed summer brewing, essentially declaring (though not in so many words) that only Lagers could be brewed. In 1603 Köln retaliated by enacting a law allowing only the brewing of top-fermented beer – otherwise known as Ale – as an attempt to fend off this first Lager Revolution. These two proclamations divided the German peoples into Lager in the South, and Ale in the North, and would seal Köln’ s fate as a centre of German Ale brewing.

Later in the mid 1800’ s Kölsch was to survive a 2 nd Lager Revolution, this time brought on in the form of a Bohemian Pilsner, the world’ s first Light Lager, and Mother of all to follow. Most folks don’ t know that the German name (there is also a Czech name) “Urquell” of this Archetype literally translated means “Original Source”. Very few brewers were able to resist this wave, even more so than the last. Perhaps it was their physical separation from the rest of the Continent that allowed the UK to retain their old brewing traditions. To this day, Ales are dominant in that part of the world. Even though the Light Lager revolution swept through and eventually devoured most of the rest of Europe, there was one small pocket of obstinate brewers around the Köln and Düsseldorf area who refused to let the old ways die. Thus came to be the Cousins of German Ale : Kölsch, brewed in Köln and Alt (literally "old", as in "still brewed the old way"), brewed primarily (though not exclusively) in and around Düsseldorf. Both of these beers could be considered hybrids between Ale and Lager, because they are fermented relatively warm, and then lagered for extended periods at near-freezing temperatures.

In a country where the word “proud” has fallen into disfavour because of it’ s overuse by you-know-who, perhaps only outsiders like myself could say that Köln is a very proud city. And deservedly so. With such an impressive history so intricately woven into the fabric of time, who wouldn’ t be pleased with their accomplishments? And thank goodness for us they take pride in their beer!

Introduction

Having lived for 2 years in Köln, I can testify that it is almost ironic that the beers from Köln and Düsseldorf would be considered very close cousins. The two cities have a centuries-old (today mostly friendly) rivalry between the two cities which culminates yearly during the week of Karneval, just prior to the Catholic Lent. You would be ill-advised at any point in the year to plonk yourself down in a Stammkneipe in Cologne and tell a local that the beer he drinks is similar to that drunk in Düsseldorf. If you were foolish enough to do this during Karneval, you should consider yourself lucky to escape with being thrown out on your ear.

Kölsch is the lighter of the two Cousins of German Ale. It's an extremely delicate style which in most regards has the characteristics of a Light Lager. The hopping is very light and exacting, the colour is golden, and the alcohol content is in the 4 to 5 percent (by volume) range. The high attenuation gives rise to a dryness which gently accentuates the Noble German Hops. The big factor separating a Kölsch is the subtle yet distinct fruitiness, which would be unacceptable in any Light Lager. Alt has a much darker colour, and a more assertive hopping. Both are brewed with as much as 20% of their grist as Wheat Malt, though in the case of Kölsch the use of wheat is very much the exception, and not the rule. An e-friend of mine who is a brewmaster at one of the Kölsch breweries in Cologne tells me he only knows for certain of one brewery which uses it.

One other important difference between the two is that where anyone can brew an Alt beer (Alt is brewed to a much lesser extent in a few other places within Germany other than Düsseldorf), the city of Cologne enjoys an EU-wide legally binding appellation controllee (or in German : geschützte Herkunftsbezeichnung) over the term "Kölsch", so that only breweries within city limits – and a select few just outside the city which were brewing it before the Herkunftsbezeichnung came into effect in 1986 – can legally call their beer "Kölsch". In my relatively short 2 year stint living in Cologne, I came to gain a tremendous amount of respect for the people and their customs and traditions, and came to admire the appreciation they have for the beer which bears their name. For this reason, I personally choose to honour the terms of the Herkunftsbezeichnung, and refuse to call my beer "Kölsch". It may be splitting hairs, but out of respect for these people and their traditions, I prefer the term "Kölsch-Style" or more recently have been using the shorter "Kölschy" - or actually since Canada day 2003 "Koelsch-eh". In fact, contrary to common conjecture I’ ve seen tossed about in on-line brewing forums over the years, during our many email exchanges my friend the Kölsch Braumeister politely yet plainly pointed out to me that the word “Kölsch” means something very specific, and what went unsaid but was understood even though he knows I’ m only a homebrewer was that I should not be calling my beer “Kölsch”. This opinion was echoed many times by the Kölsch brewmasters I interviewed during my trip there in the summer of 2000.

As a result of the geschützte Herkunftsbezeichnung, there are of recent a number of breweries outside of Cologne brewing Kölsch-Style beer, but under a different name. For example, in the nearby city and former Capital of Bonn, there is a beer brewed called – somewhat mockingly – Bönnsch. I also know a German homebrewer living in the Polish city of Warsaw (in German - Warschau), who calls his Kölsch Style beer "Warschäusch". Perhaps the humour is lost if you don't speak German. There are presently 24 breweries in and around Köln which produce their beer called Kölsch. Somewhat out of place there is also the Weissbräu, which calls itself Germany’ s northern-most Hefeweizen brewery. Even if you only count the ones actually within city limits, this gives Köln by far the greatest number of breweries of any city in the world.

The Culture

It should be noted that the particular dialect spoken in Cologne bears the same name as the beer : Kölsch. As is typical within Germany, different regions have very different ways of speaking, and without the standard “Hochdeutsch” Germans quite literally would have great difficulty understanding each-other. Kölsch (the language) is recognized with it’ s generous amount of Dutch, due to Cologne’ s proximity to the Dutch border – less than an hour drive. Of note as well is that in Cologne, any German word with a “g” in it, is read as though the “g” where a “j” (or an English “y”).

Of particular interest here is that the word “Kölsch” itself “op Kölsch” (or “in the Cologne dialect”) is actually more like “Gölsch”. Anyone with a linguistic background knows that “K” and “G” are actually the same sound except that “K” is unvoiced and “G” is voiced (“voiced” means that your throat gets involved in making the sound). Just like “T” and “D”, which is why most people in English actually say “wadder” and not “water”. Anyway, Kölners generally (though not always) use a voiced “K”, which is a “G”.

What follows are a few terms which help define the beer-culture in Köln, and therefore also help define Kölsch itself. For pronunciation tips, see that section of my homepage.

Alaaaf! – Not strictly a beer term, it’ s a nonsensical phrase often shouted during Karneval celebrations. Normally one person will shout “Kölle”, and the next will shout “Alaaaf”. Typically a sign that both parties have been enjoying a few Kölsch.

Jakob – A Köbes answers to this name (where the “J” is like English “Y”), much like the use of the word “Buddy” on the East-Coast of Canada.

Jecke – A slang term for someone who participates in Karneval celebrations

Halve Hahn – literally “half a chicken”, it’ s actually nothing but a piece of Rye bread with Dutch cheese (mittelalter Holländer) on top, that is often eaten as “munchies” with Kölsch.

Karneval – Though not exactly a beer term, one cannot possibly go to Cologne without knowing a bit about Karneval. If you’ ve ever heard of Karneval in Rio, this is the same thing at the same time of year. It takes place the week before Catholic Lent, and was originally a massive week-long party and celebration to get everything out of your system before the 40 day fast of Lent. Cologne is well-known throughout Germany as party-central when it comes to Karneval (or “Fasching”, as it’ s called in Southern Germany). Many businesses in Cologne completely shut-down during Karneval, since they know their employees won’ t be showing up for work anyway. And if you are booking a hotel for the festivities, you might want to do so at least a year in advance. The “official” Karneval season in Cologne actually starts in early November (11.11. at 11:11 a.m.), and from this time on to late February you can see costumed Jecken on busses and subways, heading off to their weekly Karneval meetings or “Sitzungen”. I had the pleasure to be present for 2 consecutive Karnevals.

Köbes – The gentlemen in blue and white who deliver Kölsch to your table. In English a “waiter”. This term won’ t get you very far in other parts of Germany, by the way.

Kölsch Kaviar – Don’ t let the name fool you, this is another “munchie” often eaten with Kölsch, and is actually a type of blood sausage.

Kranz – the circular tray-with-a-basket-handle on which Stangen are delivered to your table.

Schwemme – There has been much debate over this term, and this author has for a long time been on the incorrect side of the debate. Literally something like "awash", the “Schwemme” is the busy area in front of the bar (Theke) where the Köbes picks up the Kranz full of Stangen to deliver to your table. I asked a lot of German friends, and even a Kölsch Braumeister was unfamiliar with the term. It seems it only applies within the one establishment PJ Frueh. Elsewhere the term also has a meaning which is not often used these days. It refers to any place where there is lots of drinking going on. Figuratively in English the closest term I can think of would be “watering hole”.

Stange – The tall, narrow glass in which Kölsch is served. Literally it refers to a long stick or poker. The glasses are usually 200ml, but nowadays you also find 250ml, 300ml and 400ml versions. One can often see men in a bar (or Kneipe) walking about with a Stange full of beer in their shirt pocket. Just don’ t forget to remove it when you bend over to tie your shoes! Lee Valley actually sells these.

St Andreas – The Patron Saint of Cologne Brewmasters (honestly!)

A Definition

The following description was shamelessly swiped without permission from the old Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) Styles Guide. The new guidelines can be found at http://www.bjcp.org/styles04/Category6.html#style6C. I served on the 3 man committee which drafted the new guidelines.

Kölsch

A pale-coloured German ale and an appellation of the Köln area. Lightly fruity in the nose with a soft palate and a delicate dryness in the finish from German hops. Brewed at ale temperatures then cold-conditioned for several weeks. Light to medium gold. Light bodied. COMMERCIAL EXAMPLES: PJ FRUH, MALZMUHLEN, PFAFFGEN, SION, BIERHAUS' GOLDEN, ZUNFT, KUEPPER’ S.

The following description was equally shamelessly (and without permission) stolen from Tim Dawson's style guide, which seems to have since disappeared from the web. Which is too bad since it was a great page on beer styles.

Technically, this style can only be brewed in the area of Köln (Cologne), Germany. The Kölsch Convention, signed in 1985, protects the definition of Kölsch and designates the shape of a glass and the region in which the beer may be produced. Kölsch is a light to dark gold beer with a light to medium body. Light, fruity, acidic, wine like brew. Some are dryish others are slightly sweet. One distinctive note of the better Koelsches is that they have a very grainy nose, almost like the smell of spent grain. Low hop flavor and aroma and low to medium bitterness. Has a soft palate and a delicate finish that can be dry or sweet. Can be as pale as a Pilsner, but with a light fruitiness of an ale. Kölsch is noted for its delicacy rather than for any robust distinctiveness. Kölsch has a conventional gravity and strength, a fine bead, and is clean-tasting (all-malt), very well attenuated, soft and drinkable, only faintly fruity (often in the aroma and the beginning of the palate), with a slight acidity and a restrained but definite hoppy dryness, often slightly herbal-tasting in the finish. Can use ale or lager yeast or both. Sometimes up to 15% wheat is used to give added complexity to the fruitiness, to provide paleness of color, and to enhance head-retention and lacework. Bottle conditioned examples may be called "wiess".

Perhaps a better way to define the beer, however, would be to get the information straight from the horse’ s mouth, as it were. What follows has been pieced together from Email conversations I’ ve been having over the past couple of months with a Braumeister in Köln. Mixed in are details from various sources in and around Köln and the Kölsch-Verband.

Most simply stated : “Es ist ein helles, obergäriges, hopfenbetontes Vollbier.” (Kölner-Brauerei-Verband website) Or in English : “It is a light, top-fermenting beer, characterised by the hops”. The Verband is very proud of the fact that “Kölsch is Kölsch. There is no ‘ Premium-’ or ‘ Ur-‘ or ‘ Original’ - (Kölsch)”. That is to say, if it has “Kölsch” on the label, then you already have your guarantee that the beer inside adheres to the very strictest standards. No other designation is required.

OG (Stammwürze) : 1.043 to 1.046
FG : 1.007 to 1.009 (relatively dry)

Grains – Naturally you would ideally want to use a good German Lager malt. Fortunately for us the regular Canada Malting 2-Row which is so widely available in Canada makes an exceptionally good Kölsch-style beer. Up to 20% Wheat Malt is permissible, but this is very-much the exception and not the rule. My e-friend the Braumeister says he only knows for sure of one brewery which uses wheat.

Hops – just about any good German hop can be used to brew a Kölsch-style beer. In particular Tettnanger and the various types of Hallertauer are most often seen. In contradiction to the otherwise great article from Brewing Techniques, my source says that Kölsch absolutely should not display hop aroma, and that all hop additions should therefore be early in the boil. 20 to 24 IBU is your target for bitterness. However, of the 20 or so brands we've personally tasted, 3 or 4 definitely had a lively hop aroma.

Water – A very soft water similar to that required for a Czech Pilsener is ideal for brewing a Kölsch-style beer.

Yeast – Most good high-attenuating Ale yeasts can be used to make a decent Kölsch-style beer. Wyeast 2565 is specifically designed for Kölsch-style beer, as is White Labs Kölsch (reportedly from PJ Früh). 1007 German Ale is another good choice, and even 1338 European Ale or Chico 1056 can be used. Basically anything that can ferment very clean at room temperatures – strong esters are verboten in Kölsch – and can attenuate in the 80-85% range.

Mash – as many of us have heard, fewer and fewer German brewers nowadays do a decoction mash, and this is true in Cologne as in the rest of the country. The Kölsch brewery I’ ve been in touch with mashes-in at 63C, then brings it up to 70C and finally mash out at 78C. They say that exact times are a trade secret, though it is widely known that Kölsch brewers mash on for a good hour after a positive test for conversion, in order to achieve the high attenuation required by the style.

Fermentation – The normal fermentation temperature is 1 week at 20C to 25C. One brewery in Cologne chooses 20C. This seems to contradict the commonly accepted knowledge that one should ferment down closer to 15C. After a week at what amounts to room temperature, the beer is then Lagered for 3 to 4 weeks at 0C. It should be noted that German breweries (and even most German homebrewers) ferment their beer under pressure.

Attenuation - Kölsch-style beer is attenuated extremely high: 80-85%

Recipe

What follows is my own personal favourite recipe for a Kölsch-style beer. Again I state that I do not call by own beer “Kölsch”, simply out of respect for the Herkunftsbezeichnung. I personally do a single-infusion mash generally at 150 to 151. I also break the golden rule and add some Saaz at the end of the boil because I personally prefer to have a bit of hop aroma in my beer. This goes against the spirit of a true Kölsch-Style beer, but if I can’ t brew beer the way I like to drink it, then damn-it I shouldn’ t be brewing beer in the first place. I also like to boil my wort for 15 minutes before adding hops. I’ ve read that this can be beneficial, but to be honest I’ ve never actually done any experimentation to verify one way or the other. With the extract recipe you actually want a more processed honey, and you want to boil it for a while, specifically to reduce or ideally eliminate any honey flavour in the final beer. For both recipes a suitable yeast and fermentation regime as given above is assumed.

Johnny Davidson Ale - All-Grain

Ingredients for 40 litres :

15-18 lb 2row (will depend upon your extraction)

1.5 lb Wheat

2.0 oz Tettnanger Leaf (imported by myself from Tettnang, Germany. 5.5% alpha)

0.5 to 1.0 oz Saaz pellets (3.2% alpha)

Procedure :

0:00 mash-in at 151F

1:15 check for conversion, bring the mash up to 165F

1:30 begin runoff

2:10 pour off 27 litres into boil-kettle, turn on heat

2:45 end runoff, pour-off remaining 27 litres into boiler

3:15 boil commences

3:30 add 2.0 oz Tettnanger @ 5.5%

4:30 turn off heat, add Saaz

stir, immediately begin to chill

Johnny Davidson Ale - Extract

Ingredients for 20 litres :

2 kg Light or Extra Light Malt Extract (ideally of German origin)

500g to 1kg Light Clover Honey (the more processed, the better. E.g “Billy Bee”)

1.0 oz Tettnanger

Procedure :

Bring 10 litres water to boil

Dissolve malt extract, boil 15 minutes

Add 1.0 oz Tetts

Boil 50 minutes

Add honey

Boil 10 minutes

Chill

This article was originally given in the form of a lecture at the spring 2000 meeting of CABA, the Canadian Amateur Brewers' Association.