Kolsch is an ale that tastes a lot like a lager.  A Kolsch beer should have a soft mouthfeel and  there should be no malty aroma.  The finish should be dry. Any fruitiness in the beer should be subtle.

use rate:  100% of the grain bill

Kolsch is brewed exclusively by the breweries in Koln (Cologne) though Kolsch style brews are also produced in America. Like any German beer, the ingredients for this beer follow Reinheitsgebot. Kolsch typically uses Kolsch/German Pilsner malt and often with a mix of other pale malts including wheat or  Vienna malt.  Wheat shows in many home brew versions of the recipe, particularly if the home brewer has trouble sourcing Kolsch or German pilsner malts.

A typical recipe would be 

4.5kg (10lbs) Kolsch malt 4.5-5.5 /or German pilsner malt   2.7-3.5 EBC or a blend.

250gm (0.5lbs) German munich malt

Spalt or Perle hops as first choice.  Substitues can include Saaz, Hallertau and Tettnanger.

Yeast:  Safale dried ale yeast or liquid Kolsch yeast

Step 1: Mash the grain for 90 minutes at 150°F (65°C). This should give you a good fermentable wort. Sparge using water that is approx   77-78C.

Step 2: Boil the wort for 90 minutes. At the 60 minute mark, add your hops.

Step 3 Ferment the beer at 60°F (15°C) or as close as you can get to 60°F (15°C). Once the fermentation is complete, find a cold place to store the beer for a few weeks. A lagering period will help the beer if you can do it.

Bottle or carbonate as per your preferred procedure. 

This beer is great for those hot summer days.  It is often  referred to as the “lawnmower ale”. The traditional serving glass for Kölsch is a cylindrical 200 ml glass called a stange (pole). The serving temperature should be cellar temperatures (50°F/10°C).