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 |
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| Measured OG: | Measured FG: | ||||||
| ADF: | Measured ABV: |
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
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| Pre-boil OG | (1.043 SG) | Pre-boil Vol | (6.60 gal) | |||
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