Franconian Beer Message Board

GBBF Meetup Thread
Posted by DonS on 2011-06-30 15:42:29
Srsly - Kölsch and Alt are quite closely related. The malt isn't really so much "different" for Kölsch, as Altbier uses pale malt blended with darker (Munich) malt, and (surprise surprise) the Alt brewed by Pinkus Müller in Münster is quite pale; Kölsch pretty much sticks with pale Pilsner-style malt. This isn't so different in the UK, either; Fuller's, for instance, has a pale golden ale called Discovery in its range. The yeast used for Kölsch is pretty much the same as the yeast used for Alt, too. The big thing that separates Alt and Kölsch from British ale is that period of cold-conditioning that follows primary fermentation - wait, isn't that lager? - which makes these beers hybrid styles. Your everyday Düsseldorf or Cologne beer drinker would probably blanch at the thought of their beers being more similar than they'd ever suspect, but brewmasters in both cities would probably acknowledge this, albeit grudgingly.