by Gabe Jackson

This recipe made the Gold Medal winning beer in the Kölsch style at the 2024 National Homebrew Competition, taking the top award out of 153 entries in the category. It was brewed by Tim Wang of Carlsbad, CA.  At The Beverage People, we have adapted his recipe into an all-grain beer kit, and this discussion is intended to prepare you for brewing this recipe yourself. I brewed this beer myself in January 2026 as a part of our launching of the recipe kit, and I hope these notes about the ingredients, processes, and my own experience with the beer will help you. With thanks to the recipe founder Randy Daniels, and the AHA, let’s get into the details!

Overview of the Style

Kölsch is a style that I believe is more well known amongst homebrewers than the general public. Germans surely know it---the style developed in the city of Cologne (Köln) and remains a beloved beer tradition there, even becoming a protected appellation with the Kölsch Kovention of 1986. It is a delightful, delicate, balanced and lightly fruity beer that has a profile similar to a Pilsener, yet it is easier and faster to produce as a brewer. When I first brewed this style over 15 years ago it was a real discovery for me. Pilsners are famously challenging to brew due to need for cold fermentation temperatures and long fermentation and aging times. But Kölsch can be produced in half the time, usually 3 weeks rather than 6 weeks for Pils, and ferments at warmer temperatures in the 55-65° F range. Many homebrewers and craft brewers discovered this style during the last couple decades of the craft beer movement, and American made commercial examples sometimes appear in pubs or stores. As a pale yellow lager-like beer, its exists somewhere on the beer style spectrum between “lawnmower beer” and premium European lager. It is a crowd pleaser because it exemplifies what most people think of when they generically imagine beer, yet is more flavorful and interesting than a domestic lager. It’s a great choice to brew and share with a crowd!

Key Ingredients to Be Discussed

The recipe is quite simple, which allows the distinctive yeast to play a leading role. This 2565 strain is not the only German Ale / Kölsch yeast out there in the world, but I believe it is the best one. It produces low levels of fruitiness and light sulfur notes, while maintaining a clean lager like profile. The result is an enjoyable aroma and easy drinking flavor with an identifiable German lager impression. Diacetyl production is low to none---this is good because the buttery flavor of diacetyl would certainly be an unpleasant flaw. This yeast strain does tend to stay in suspension. If you want a bright and clear appearance, consider using either Clarity Ferm or gelatin, or both.