Bad Lands Kölsch
A couple years ago I visited South Dakota with my family, and my favorite part of the trip was when we went to Bad Lands National Park (see Badlands National Park Pictures on the blog).
In 2015, we were talking about possibly meeting family in South Dakota, which brought up memories of the previous trip for me. I thought I would brew a beer to bring if we ended up going. If we didn't I could still drink it and reminisce about good times.
Since the Bad Lands are hot and dry (at least in August when we went), I wanted a light refreshing style. Plus, since the people we would be meeting are light beer drinkers, I didn't want anything that would shock their taste buds.
I had never brewed a Kölsch, and it seemed a great style for the occasion.
A Kölsch, being a subtle beer has a light grainy Pilnser aroma and flavor with a bit of malt sweetness up front, but finishing crisp and dry enough to be a drinkable thirst quencher.
There is not much hop character, but what is in there is a soft and floral. It has only enough bitterness to balance the sweetness.
It isn't real fruity, and sometimes can be mistaken for a lager, being fairly clean.
It is low enough in alcohol to allow a few pints in any one sitting, but not so low that you would (necessarily) call it a session beer.
Overall it is a pleasant drinking experience. Perfect for satisfying thirst on hot days with friends and family.
Several years later in June of 2026, I thought it would be fun to update the recipe and brew it in the Anvil Foundry.
| Bad Lands Kölsch --- Batch 2 (393) |
| Style | Kölsch | Batch Size | 5.50 gal | |||
| Type | All Grain | Boil Size | 6.60 gal | |||
| Brewhouse Efficiency | 65.00 | Boil Time | 60 minutes |
Recipe Characteristics
| Recipe Gravity | 1.047 SG | Estimated FG | 1.011 SG | ||||
| Recipe Bitterness | 23.9 IBUs (Rager) | Alcohol by Volume | 4.7 % | ||||
| BU : GU | 0.507 | ||||||
| Recipe Color | 3.5 SRM |
|
|||||
| Measured OG: | 1.050 | Measured FG: | 1.008 | ||||
| ADF: | 83 | Measured ABV: | 5.5 |
Ingredients
| Amt | Name | Type | # | %/IBU | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.39 gal | Denver, Colorado | Water | 1 | - | - |
| 4.00 g | Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) (Mash) | Water Agent | 2 | - | - |
| 2.00 tsp | Lactic Acid (Mash) | Water Agent | 3 | - | - |
| 9 lbs 12.0 oz | Pilsen (Proximity) (1.8 SRM) | Grain | 4 | 90.7 % | 0.76 gal |
| 1 lbs | Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM) | Grain | 5 | 9.3 % | 0.08 gal |
| 0.500 oz | Magnum [11.50 %] - First Wort 60.0 min | Hop | 6 | 17.7 IBUs | - |
| 0.500 oz | Magnum [11.50 %] - Boil 15.0 min | Hop | 7 | 4.3 IBUs | - |
| 1.000 oz | Hallertau [3.50 %] - Boil 10.0 min | Hop | 8 | 2.0 IBUs | - |
| 1.0 pkg | Colorado Kolsch (Propagate Lab #MIP-511) | Yeast | 9 | - | - |
Mash Profile
| Name | Description | Step Temperature | Step Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saccharification | Add 29.55 qt of water at 156.5 F | 150.0 F | 45 min |
| Heat | Heat to 156.0 F over 10 min | 156.0 F | 20 min |
If steeping, remove grains, and prepare to boil wort
Recipe Notes
Make a starter a day or two before brew day.
4g gypsum in the mash water. This should bring Denver water profile (as defined by BeerSmith) to
Ca=65,Mg=8,Na=21,SO4=131,Cl=23,HCO3=104
Mash and boil as instructed.
Cool to below 65 degrees F. Maintain this temperature for a day or two, then let the yeast rise as it wants.
Ferment for 2 weeks. Keg and carb to about 2.5 volumes.
Brewing Record
| Brew Date: | Strike Temp: | |||||
| Mash Temps: | ||||||
| Pre-boil OG | (1.043 SG) | Pre-boil Vol | (6.60 gal) | |||
| Actual Mash Efficiency | Pitch Temp | |||||
| Fermentation | ||||||
| Day 1: | ||||||
| Day ... | ||||||
| Day ... | ||||||
6/2/2026 I am updating this recipe for the Anvil Foundry. Think I may actually brew this coming weekend.
6/4/2026 Bought ingredients at Tom's. Will probably brew this weekend.
6/8/2026 Brew day yesterday went well. Overnight mash. Up around 5:30. Done around 8:35. 1.050 OG is higher than expected. Fermentation took off pretty quick and is rocking today.
6/9/2026 Still going ... Temp strip says 70 degrees. Probably should have controlled the temperature a little longer, but oh well ... we'll see how it turns out.
6/10/2026 Fermentation seem pretty much done. No bubbling. Not much krausen left on top. Temp strip says 68. Could clarify a little, but might actually keg soon.
6/11/2026 Looks pretty clear. I think this is ready to keg, although I think I want Ground Hog first, and there isn't room for both right now.
6/18/2026 Kegged. Crazy how flocculent this yeast is. Harvested a pint. Went into keg extremely clear. Yummy sample. FG 1.008, which is lower than expected. 5.5% abv. Chilling in kegerator.
6/22/2026 After weekend camping came back yesterday and realized I should have connected the gas. Still tried a couple pints. Pretty clear. Obviously needs carbonation. Nice malt flavor. Gas is on now.
6/23/2026 Nice beer. Homebrew clear ... Not bright. Carbonation better but not 100%. Nice beer. I think the malt bill is fantastic. I think this Colorado Kölsch yeast has a good ester flavor. Not quite as clean as I remember this beer from 2015. 😎