What is a Kolsch Style

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Message Mangino beers 1027 º places 15 º 01:24 Sun 5/18/2008 Originally posted by rpattinson You really don’t get German styles at all do you? Saaccharomyces Cerevisiae does not = Ale yeast. What I do know about German styles and brewing was taught to me by German Brewmasters and Doctors while studying fermentation science in Munich. You still havent answered any of my questions? I’m waiting.... Originally posted by rpattinson That’s exactly it: the Germans can call their beers what they want. What American homebrewers think is 100% irrelevant. I find it kind of offensive you assume we are all just "American Homebrewers". Jeff (Erway) is a professional brewer, and Joe (Degarth) is the owner of a new brewery. Both are respected people here, and both have provided solid evidence that your assumption is incorrect. Cheers, Matt
Message sersdf beers 1038 º places 35 º 01:49 Sun 5/18/2008 Originally posted by ccbu Can someone descripe a Kolsch Style beer and What type of flavor/aroma does Hallertauer hops give beer? water
Message fly P beers 1490 º places 271 º 02:07 Sun 5/18/2008 I heard that kolsch is actually beer without dark hops.

Message Mangino beers 1027 º places 15 º 03:57 Sun 5/18/2008 Originally posted by SilkTork And I see little to be gained from asserting it is an ale yeast when it is making a product that presents as a lager! I ask again, answer my questions?
Message Sigmund beers 13373 º places 447 º 05:50 Sun 5/18/2008 Can’t we all just agree it’s a duck disguised as a cow?
Message User37895 beers 3085 º places 92 º 06:40 Sun 5/18/2008 Originally posted by SilkTork I have not been dogmatic in this discussion and said that Kolsch is a lager - I have said it appears to be a lager, it presents as a lager, it tastes like a lager, it is called a lager buy those who make it and drink it..... And I see little to be gained from asserting it is an ale yeast when it is making a product that presents as a lager! That pretty much sums it up for me. We can all recognize that by brewing technique it is probably closer to an ale vs. a lager, yet the tweaks made in the brewing techniques certainly produce a final product (altbier or koelsch) that is far and away lager. Any subsequent exercises of conversation on local linguistics hardly enlightens me, the beer drinker. I shall drink both "ales" as "lagers." Oh, and I can support the technical distinction from a lager, yet practical similarity as a final product by many conversations with my German friends in Dusseldorf AND Koln. Those that understand how they are made will acknowledge the ale yeast; those that just drink the stuff, order as and call it a lager. So, I ask you, what more is there to debate?
Message Cletus beers 6349 º places 233 º 09:08 Sun 5/18/2008 Originally posted by SilkTork I have not been dogmatic in this discussion and said that Kolsch is a lager - I have said it appears to be a lager, it presents as a lager, it tastes like a lager, it is called a lager buy those who make it and drink it. My thinking is that with that amount of over-whelming evidence there is room for us to call the Kolsch yeast strain a lager strain. And I see little to be gained from asserting it is an ale yeast when it is making a product that presents as a lager! The problem with that line of reasoning is that 1. A ton of evidence from German institutes and brewers point out clearly that kolsch is one of a handful of ales 2. I have not seen any evidence that there are large groups of people calling it a lager and 3. If something is lager like, that doesn’t make it a lager. Some Baltic Porters are very ale like and use lager yeast to be made. Just because they exhibit many ale like features does not make them ales.

Message BBB63 beers 6567 º places 146 º 09:50 Sun 5/18/2008 So what about a beer which has the hop additions and malt bill of a stout porter yet does use lager yeast and has lower temps to promote the activity of the yeast used? So what about a beer which uses BOTH lager and ale yeasts during it’s fermentation processes? The basic malt bill is that of a doppelbock yet it is not lagered. I know of examples of both I have had in the past year. Lastly, styles change or become something new. Who could have imaged DIPA’s, very hoppy stouts, or biggie sized traditional styles just a couple decades ago? The thought of what is a beer style is constantly moving due to creative brewers.
Message puzzl beers 3258 º places 138 º 11:13 Sun 5/18/2008 Originally posted by SilkTork Originally posted by puzzl Originally posted by puzzl Why do people care so deeply about this? Can’t we just call it a hybrid style and all get along? Not to downplay the importance of proper classification at all. I’m as much for guidelines and proper terminology as the next guy. However, this seems like a rather clear cut example of a hybrid to me, I just don’t see the point of the endless arguing that it has to be one or the other. I agree. However, much is gained by asking questions - people involved discover more. That is how we evolve. Not asking questions gives a more quiet life, but little progress is made. Certainly that is true, and I read a good 5 pages of this thread and learned a lot. However, the thread has basically deteriorated into a pissing contest (no offense intended), with one guy asking obscure chemistry questions he learned in college, one guy referencing books from the early 1900s, one guy referencing unverifiable conversations he’s had with brewers, etc etc. It’s clear no one is going to "win" here, because its clear people have drawn a different line between ale and lager. It does seem that some people involved (you) do seem to like a good, informed debate, and that is certainly commendable
Message aledrinkerLS beers 101 º 12:35 Sun 5/18/2008 Originally posted by puzzl Why do people care so deeply about this? Can’t we just call it a hybrid style and all get along? I guess what annoys me is that certain individuals here are stating misinformation (or outdated information) as fact, when they are clearly wrong. Doesn’t really help beer newbies trying to learn about styles, as no one should be presenting such blatantly incorrect information as fact. If anyone states that a Kolsch or Alt that uses ale yeast is in fact, a lager, they should be corrected.