Kolsch Yeast
A hybrid strain: ferments as an ale at 15C with only a whisper of fruit, then cleans up completely with cold conditioning. Often throws sulphur early, which passes.
Apparent attenuation
73-77%
73% - 77%
Fermentation
13-21 C
13C - 21C
Flocculation
Medium
Drops reasonably over a week or two in the cold.
On a 1.050 wort
1.012-1.014
the finishing gravity its range implies, or 4.8-5.1% ABV
The same organism, different labels
Wyeast 2565
White Labs WLP029
Lallemand Koln
Labs do not confirm each other’s provenance and these are not guaranteed identical. They are close enough to plan a batch around, which is what the list is for.
Find this strainWhere it belongs
- Kolsch
- Blonde Ale
- Cream Ale
Pitching it
One fresh sachet or a healthy starter is enough for an ordinary-gravity ale. Above about 1.060, build a starter or pitch two: under-pitching produces fusel alcohol that no amount of conditioning removes.
Recipes on this site that use it
Other ale strains
American Ale
73-80%Clean and neutral, the workhorse for anything where the hops or malt should do the talking. Ferments reliably and drops reasonably clear.
California Ale V
70-76%The chalky, high-flocculating cousin of the standard American strain. Leaves slightly more body and drops so hard the beer is bright without filtering.
English Ale
68-75%Malty and lightly fruity, finishing higher than an American strain and leaving body behind. Flocculates hard, so it needs rousing if it stalls.
London Ale III
70-75%The hazy IPA strain: enormous stone-fruit esters, low flocculation, and a slick body that suits a beer built on oats. Stalls if it gets cold, and sulks if you rouse it late.
Nottingham
77-82%Clean, fast, dry and almost unreasonably tolerant of low temperatures: it will ferment respectably at 13C, which makes it the cheapest way to fake a lager.
Yorkshire Ale
67-72%The Timothy Taylor strain: a soft, stone-fruit character and a very low attenuation that leaves a bitter tasting full at 4%. Needs rousing or it stops early.