Wild Cow (sort of) Kölsch Previous Recipes
This is the archive page for Wild Cow (sort of) Kölsch. For the most recent recipe click here.
Wisconsin's New Glarus doesn't export beer out of state, so I don't get it very often, but 
I do have relatives and friends in and around Wisconsin. And, quite often when I visit, I get beer from the brewery.
Probably their most popular beer is Spotted Cow.
I think Spotted Cow is stylistically unique.
I've seen it called a Cream Ale; a Farmhouse Ale; an Amber Ale; and a Kolsch.
It isn't really any of those.
But, regardless of what you call it, it is popular. And truth be told ... it is a great beer. Beer geeks can appreciate it, but it is also easy drinking enough for the BMC drinker to enjoy as well.
Last time I was in Wisconsin, I promised my Brother-in-Law that I'd brew a Spotted Cow Clone for my son's graduation party.
The whole COVID mess delayed my son's graduation, but close to the end of April, I still thought I'd brew something (sort of) like the beer.
I did some research. I checked out some homebrew clone books from the library. I googled. I found the Northern Brewer Speckled Heifer recipe and checked it out. Of course, I read what is on the New Glarus Spotted Cow web page.
I saw lots of recipes. And ... honestly, I don't think any of them are actually clones of the beer.
And ... honestly ... since I don't really follow clone recipes ... I don't really care.
I came up with my own recipe taking pieces from each that I thought made the most sense.
I don't really know how close I came. Actually, we may never know ... because I can't do a side-by-side comparison. New Glarus doesn't export out of state.
It was an awesomely easy drinking delicious beer. And that is all I need.
For more information about this beer, see Sheppy's Blog: Wild Cow.
| Wild Cow --- Batch 1 (254) |
| Style | Kölsch | Batch Size | 6.00 gal | |||
| Type | All Grain | Boil Size | 8.23 gal | |||
| Brewhouse Efficiency | 70.00 | Boil Time | 60 minutes |
Recipe Characteristics
| Recipe Gravity | 1.044 SG | Estimated FG | 1.008 SG | ||||
| Recipe Bitterness | 21.5 IBUs (Rager) | Alcohol by Volume | 4.8 % | ||||
| BU : GU | 0.487 | ||||||
| Recipe Color | 8.7 SRM |
|
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| Measured OG: | 1.041 | Measured FG: | 1.008 | ||||
| ADF: | 80 | Measured ABV: | 4.3% |
Ingredients
| Amt | Name | Type | # | %/IBU | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 lbs | Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) | Grain | 1 | 75.3 % | 0.63 gal |
| 1 lbs 8.0 oz | Barley, Flaked (1.7 SRM) | Grain | 2 | 14.1 % | 0.12 gal |
| 1 lbs | Wheat, Flaked (1.6 SRM) | Grain | 3 | 9.4 % | 0.08 gal |
| 2.0 oz | Midnight Wheat Malt (550.0 SRM) | Grain | 4 | 1.2 % | 0.01 gal |
| 0.500 oz | Magnum [12.00 %] - Boil 40.0 min | Hop | 5 | 16.5 IBUs | - |
| 1.00 tsp | Yeast Nutrient (Boil 15.0 mins) | Other | 6 | - | - |
| 1.000 oz | Cluster [8.30 %] - Boil 5.0 min | Hop | 7 | 5.0 IBUs | - |
| 1.0 pkg | Kolsch Yeast (Wyeast Labs #2565) [124.21 ml] | Yeast | 8 | - | - |
Mash Profile
| Name | Description | Step Temperature | Step Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mash In | Add 13.28 qt of water at 159.1 F | 148.0 F | 75 min |
Batch sparge with 2 steps (5.85gal, 0.34gal) of 168.0 F water
Recipe Notes
Make a 6 cup starter a day or two ahead of brew day.
Follow mashing and boiling times as directed in recipe.
After boil, chill to 58F.
Ferment two days at 60F. Let rise after 2 days.
After 2 weeks, keg and carbonate.
Enjoy.
Brewing Record
| Brew Date: | Strike Temp: | |||||
| Mash Temps: | ||||||
| Pre-boil OG | (1.036 SG) | Pre-boil Vol | (8.23 gal) | |||
| Actual Mash Efficiency | Pitch Temp | |||||
| Fermentation | ||||||
| Day 1: | ||||||
| Day ... | ||||||
| Day ... | ||||||
Brewing Notes (apparently I accidently deleted these before archiving this batch)