📝 About This Recipe
Originating from the 16th-century town of Goslar and popularized in Leipzig, the Gose is a refreshingly tart wheat ale that defies conventional brewing norms. This unique style balances a bright lactic acidity with a subtle herbal punch of coriander and a distinctive saline finish that mimics the mineral-rich waters of the Gose River. It is a crisp, effervescent masterpiece that captures the perfect harmony of sour, salt, and spice, making it the ultimate thirst-quencher for warm afternoons.
🥗 Ingredients
The Grain Bill
- 5 lbs German Wheat Malt (provides the characteristic hazy body)
- 4 lbs German Pilsner Malt (the base for crisp fermentability)
- 0.5 lbs Rice Hulls (to prevent a stuck mash due to high wheat content)
- 4 oz Acidulated Malt (helps lower pH during mashing)
Hops & Spices
- 0.75 oz Hallertau Mittelfruh Hops (low alpha acid for subtle bitterness)
- 0.75 oz Indian Coriander Seeds (freshly crushed; look for the citrusy variety)
- 0.5 oz Sea Salt (non-iodized; high quality Mediterranean or Himalayan)
Fermentation & Souring
- 1 pouch Lactobacillus Plantarum (for the kettle souring process)
- 1 pouch German Ale Yeast (Kolsch or Alt) (clean fermenting profile)
- 4.5 oz Priming Sugar (for bottle conditioning)
- 7 gallons Filtered Water (treated to remove chlorine)
👨🍳 Instructions
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1
Mashing: Heat 3.5 gallons of water to 162°F. Mix in your milled grains and rice hulls to achieve a mash temperature of 152°F. Hold this temperature for 60 minutes to convert starches to sugars.
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2
Lautering: Sparge with 170°F water until you have collected approximately 6 gallons of wort in your brew kettle.
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3
Pre-Sour Boil: Bring the wort to a brief boil for 5 minutes to kill any wild bacteria, then quickly cool the wort to 100°F.
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4
Kettle Souring: Pitch the Lactobacillus Plantarum into the 100°F wort. Purge the headspace of the kettle with CO2 if possible and seal it with plastic wrap to prevent oxygen contact.
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5
The Wait: Maintain the kettle temperature between 90°F-100°F for 18 to 36 hours. Taste periodically; proceed once the wort has a sharp, lemonade-like tartness (pH 3.4-3.6).
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6
The Main Boil: Bring the soured wort to a rolling boil. This stops the souring process. Boil for a total of 60 minutes.
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7
Hop Addition: Add the Hallertau Mittelfruh hops at the 60-minute mark (the start of the boil) for a very mild bitterness.
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8
Spicing: With 10 minutes remaining in the boil, add the crushed coriander seeds and the sea salt.
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9
Cooling: Rapidly cool the wort to 65°F using an immersion chiller or ice bath.
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10
Pitching Yeast: Transfer the wort to a sanitized fermenter, aerate vigorously, and pitch the German Ale Yeast.
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11
Primary Fermentation: Ferment at 64°F-68°F for 10-14 days until the final gravity is stable (typically around 1.008-1.012).
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12
Bottling: Dissolve priming sugar in a small amount of boiling water, add to the beer, and bottle. Let the bottles condition at room temperature for 2 weeks to carbonate.
💡 Chef's Tips
Always use crushed coriander rather than pre-ground for a vibrant citrus aroma rather than a 'celery' taste. Don't over-salt! You want a subtle mineral finish that enhances the fruitiness, not a mouthful of seawater. If kettle souring feels intimidating, you can add 88% Lactic Acid to the finished boil to taste, though the flavor is less complex. Ensure your sanitation is flawless, especially after the souring step, to avoid contaminating future batches of beer. For a pink hue and fruity twist, add 2 lbs of fresh raspberries to the secondary fermenter.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
Serve in a traditional tall, cylindrical Stange glass or a tulip glass to concentrate the aromas. Pair with fresh seafood like steamed mussels or oysters to complement the saline notes. Excellent alongside goat cheese salads with a lemon vinaigrette. In Leipzig, it is traditionally served with a dash of raspberry syrup (Himbeersirup) or woodruff syrup (Waldmeistersirup) if the tartness is too intense. Try it with spicy Thai or Mexican dishes; the acidity cuts through heat beautifully.