Wild Cow (sort of) Kölsch
Brewed: 5/2/2020 Kegged: 5/12/2020
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 --- Batch 1 (254) |
| Style | Kölsch | Batch Size | 6.00 gal | |||
| Type | All Grain | Boil Size | 8.23 gal | |||
| Brewhouse Efficiency | 70.00 | Boil Time | 60 minutes |
Recipe Characteristics
| Recipe Gravity | 1.044 SG | Estimated FG | 1.008 SG | ||||
| Recipe Bitterness | 21.5 IBUs (Rager) | Alcohol by Volume | 4.8 % | ||||
| BU : GU | 0.487 | ||||||
| Recipe Color | 8.7 SRM |
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| Measured OG: | 1.041 | Measured FG: | 1.008 | ||||
| ADF: | 80 | Measured ABV: | 4.3% |
Ingredients
| Amt | Name | Type | # | %/IBU | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 lbs | Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) | Grain | 1 | 75.3 % | 0.63 gal |
| 1 lbs 8.0 oz | Barley, Flaked (1.7 SRM) | Grain | 2 | 14.1 % | 0.12 gal |
| 1 lbs | Wheat, Flaked (1.6 SRM) | Grain | 3 | 9.4 % | 0.08 gal |
| 2.0 oz | Midnight Wheat Malt (550.0 SRM) | Grain | 4 | 1.2 % | 0.01 gal |
| 0.500 oz | Magnum [12.00 %] - Boil 40.0 min | Hop | 5 | 16.5 IBUs | - |
| 1.00 tsp | Yeast Nutrient (Boil 15.0 mins) | Other | 6 | - | - |
| 1.000 oz | Cluster [8.30 %] - Boil 5.0 min | Hop | 7 | 5.0 IBUs | - |
| 1.0 pkg | Kolsch Yeast (Wyeast Labs #2565) [124.21 ml] | Yeast | 8 | - | - |
Mash Profile
| Name | Description | Step Temperature | Step Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mash In | Add 13.28 qt of water at 159.1 F | 148.0 F | 75 min |
Batch sparge with 2 steps
(5.85gal, 0.34gal) of 168.0 F water
Make a 6 cup starter a day or two ahead of brew day.
Follow mashing and boiling times as directed in recipe.
After boil, chill to 58F.
Ferment two days at 60F. Let rise after 2 days.
After 2 weeks, keg and carbonate.
Enjoy.
Brewing Record
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| Pre-boil OG | (1.036 SG) | Pre-boil Vol | (8.23 gal) | |||
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