In my role with Newburyport Brewing, I post occasional blogs on their website. I wrote this post about the brewery’s latest year round beer, Das Kölsch. We tried it for the first time at the release party at the Port Tavern in Newburyport, and I loved it! Light, crisp with a low floral flavor balanced by a light bready malt flavor, it is a beer anyone can enjoy.
discoverering a german legend, das kölsch!
Kölsch is a style I really enjoy. It’s a style I’ve brewed a couple of times before I started the blog. The flavor is so delicate any off flavors become evident. The challenges I’ve always run into brewing kölsch is fermenting in the low 60s and then lagering.
The cold fermentation temperatures ensure the clean and crisp flavor. Even though kölsch is an ale, traditional examples are lagered at cold temperatures. This helps reduce sulfury flavors that can be produced when a beer is fermented at cold temperatures.
Kölsch is supposed to have brilliant clarity. The traditional German Ale strains don’t floccuate well either. Without cold crashing the beer before packaging, there is no chance that the finished beer will have the clarity it should.
Until I have the ability to brew a kölsch and get it right, Das Kölsch will be here for me!
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