Too much is never enough in today’s extreme world of double IPAs, salty tart Gose beers, and Russian imperial stouts. Creative brewers constantly push the envelope and develop beers designed to dazzle the palate. This array of choices makes it a great time to be a consumer or a homebrewer, but it’s all too easy to get jaded by the sensory overload. That’s why it’s good to recharge your taste buds once in a while with a lighter, refreshing beer. A session pale ale is a reasonable option but can seem watered down in comparison to its bigger brothers. Instead, I think that Kölsch is the ideal style to reach for at these times. Malty, but attenuated, with a light kiss of hops, Kölsch is simple and refreshing, but it’s still flavorful enough to satisfy your inner beer geek.
The one problem is that it can be hard to find a good commercial example of Kölsch outside of Cologne, Germany. The few that are exported overseas often lose their spark along their journey and never taste as fresh, while many of the craft offerings in the United States miss the mark by either overhopping or picking up too much ester character by using their house ale yeast. Of course, that makes Kölsch the perfect target for homebrewers. Can’t find it or travel directly to the source? No problem, we’ll brew it ourselves.
Pulling off a good Kölsch at home is certainly doable, but nailing the style is fairly challenging. The first hurdle is hitting the exquisite mélange of hops, malt, and yeast character, where none of these topple the balance. Next, because this is such a light beer, there’s not a lot there to mask any off-flavors. Diacetyl, graininess, or even the mildest infection will be exposed. The final difficulty is achieving the beautiful pale golden color.