Wild Cow (sort of) Kölsch
Brewed: 5/2/2020 Kegged: 5/12/2020
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 (sort of) Kölsch --- Batch 2 () |
| 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 | 1.046 SG | Estimated FG | 1.011 SG | ||||
| Recipe Bitterness | 23.4 IBUs (Rager) | Alcohol by Volume | 4.6 % | ||||
| BU : GU | 0.508 | ||||||
| Recipe Color | 6.4 SRM |
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| Measured OG: | Measured FG: | ||||||
| ADF: | Measured ABV: |
Ingredients
| Amt | Name | Type | # | %/IBU | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.89 gal | Denver, Colorado | Water | 1 | - | - |
| 2.00 g | Calcium Chloride (Mash) | Water Agent | 2 | - | - |
| 1.00 g | Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) (Mash) | Water Agent | 3 | - | - |
| 1.00 tsp | Lactic Acid (Mash) | Water Agent | 4 | - | - |
| 8 lbs | Base Malt 2 Row (Proximity) (2.0 SRM) | Grain | 5 | 74.4 % | 0.63 gal |
| 1 lbs 8.0 oz | Barley, Flaked (1.7 SRM) | Grain | 6 | 14.0 % | 0.12 gal |
| 1 lbs | Wheat, Flaked (1.6 SRM) | Grain | 7 | 9.3 % | 0.08 gal |
| 4.0 oz | Crystal 120L (Proximity) (120.0 SRM) | Grain | 8 | 2.3 % | 0.02 gal |
| 1.000 oz | Magnum [11.50 %] - Boil 35.0 min | Hop | 9 | 20.1 IBUs | - |
| 1.000 oz | Cascade [7.00 %] - Boil 5.0 min | Hop | 10 | 3.3 IBUs | - |
| 1.0 pkg | Colorado Kolsch (Propagate Lab #MIP-511) | Yeast | 11 | - | - |
Mash Profile
| Name | Description | Step Temperature | Step Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mash In | Add 13.44 qt of water at 162.9 F | 150.0 F | 75 min |
Fly sparge with 4.53 gal water at 168.0 F
Recipe Notes
Make a starter a day or two before brew day.
Salts in the mash water. This should bring Denver water profile (as defined by BeerSmith) to
Ca=93,Mg=8,Na=21,SO4=95,Cl=99,HCO3=104
Acid to lower pH below 5.4
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: | |||||
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| Pre-boil OG | (1.042 SG) | Pre-boil Vol | (6.60 gal) | |||
| Actual Mash Efficiency | Pitch Temp | |||||
| Fermentation | ||||||
| Day 1: | ||||||
| Day ... | ||||||
| Day ... | ||||||