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Styles · Kölsch

Beer style · BJCP 2021 5B

Kölsch

Pale Bitter European Beer

Published ranges These are the ranges the BJCP 2021 guidelines publish for this style.

Original gravity
1.044–1.050
Final gravity
1.007–1.011
Bitterness
18–30 IBU
Color
3.5–5 SRM (7–10 EBC)
Alcohol
4.4–5.2 % ABV

What it is

Cologne's pale ale, fermented warm with ale yeast and then lagered cold, which leaves a whisper of fruit under a crisp, gently bitter body. Everything about it is understated; balance and subtlety count for more than any single flavor. It should feel as clean as a lager but a shade softer.

Flavor

What a Kölsch should taste like, on the three wheels the studio scores every recipe against. The shaded ring is the style’s range on each axis, from 0 at the center to 5 at the edge.

Hops

Room for floral, herbal or spice.

Malt

Grainy, with room for sweet/honey or bready/biscuit.

Fermentation

Clean, with room for fruity esters.

Hops that suit it

The traditional choice

What Kölsch has classically been brewed with.

Also right on character

Varieties whose loudest notes all sit on this style’s hop wheel, best fit first. How much to use is the recipe’s question; these are the ones that taste right.

And 2 more hops whose character fits. These are the 24 that fit best.

Yeasts that suit it

Strains the lab made for beers like this one, whose fermentation character sits inside the style’s wheel. A strain sold by several labs is listed once; its page names the others.

And 56 more yeasts whose character fits. These are the 24 that fit best.

Style numbers, names and vital statistics are from the BJCP 2021 Beer Style Guidelines, where you will find the official descriptions. The descriptions and flavor wheels here are Beerwright’s own. Beerwright is not affiliated with or endorsed by the BJCP.