# La Trappe Questions



## j1gsaw (31/1/10)

Hi all.
I was in D Murphys last week, just casually having a stroll around getting a few things, when i noticed the La Trappe 4 pack complete with trappist glass, i couldnt help myself a bought a pack.
The 4 beers in the pack consisted of Quadruple, Blonde, Dubbel, and Tripel.
All were nice beers, but the blonde stood out for me, very nice balance of sweetness and generally enjoyable.
Does anyone have any idea on what hops they might use? Im planning a Belgian blonde soon, but if it got close to their beer, id be a very happy man.
Cheers.


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## manticle (31/1/10)

I know they grow perle hops at the monastery but whether or not it's used in that beer is unclear. Everybody's favourite reference on Belgian beer was no help either except to suggest 14 IBU and OG 1061.


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## j1gsaw (31/1/10)

manticle said:


> I know they grow perle hops at the monastery but whether or not it's used in that beer is unclear. Everybody's favourite reference on Belgian beer was no help either except to suggest 14 IBU and OG 1061.




Hmmm interesting... never thought of Perle...
Was thinking something like Magnum and some EKG, but could be worth an experiment with some Perle. Cheers mate.


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## MarkBastard (31/1/10)

How much was the pack?


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## Flash_DG (31/1/10)

I got that very same pack for Christmas and drank them all on the day, was very very gone by the time I finished the Quad.
I also like the Blonde but for me the stand out was the tripel. I would certainly give both a go.


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## Flash_DG (31/1/10)

Mark^Bastard said:


> How much was the pack?



when I bought mine it was $29 from 1st choice Cannon Hill that was in Nov '09


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## manticle (31/1/10)

j1gsaw said:


> Hmmm interesting... never thought of Perle...
> Was thinking something like Magnum and some EKG, but could be worth an experiment with some Perle. Cheers mate.



They produced a beer for their 125th anniversary called isid'or which used german hallertau and homegrown perle but how similar that beer is to the blond I'm not sure. With such a low ibu level and in keeping with other trappist beers I'd take a stab and suggest there's a noble hop in there. The only thing the website suggests about the blond is that there is more than one hop and some hop aroma (so some late hopping, maybe with hallertau?).

La Trappe has been my least favourite trappist I've tried but I might give them another shot soon. Even 'least favourite trappist' still means super beer though.


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## j1gsaw (31/1/10)

Flash_DG said:


> when I bought mine it was $29 from 1st choice Cannon Hill that was in Nov '09




Mine was 20 bucks! should have bought two now, the glasses are great


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## Flash_DG (31/1/10)

j1gsaw said:


> Mine was 20 bucks! should have bought two now, the glasses are great



Nice! maybe I will go have a look too and get another glass, though I did get a few odd looks from the family drinking beer out of that glass :lol:


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## j1gsaw (31/1/10)

Flash_DG said:


> Nice! maybe I will go have a look too and get another glass, though I did get a few odd looks from the family drinking beer out of that glass :lol:



Yeah i get the odd queer glance from people too when i bring it out! They probably think im some posh bastard...
:lol:


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## manticle (31/1/10)

The other important factor will be the yeast.

Not sure what they use or what comes close but you can probably culture it from a bottle.

Otherwise any of the WY belgian strains are probably appropriate. 1214 is supposed to be chimay equivalent and chimay was brewed at the de Koningshoeven Brewery for a while (on contract). Chimay have supplied yeast to other trappists so maybe they have done similarly with de K. Pure speculation only on my part - just gives a starting place if you feel culturing yeast from a bottle is too problematic.


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## AndrewQLD (31/1/10)

From some reading I did a year or so ago I am sure it's EKG, although I am happy to be corrected. I'll have a look through some reference material I kept and try and confirm that tomorrow.

I bought the same 4 pack and tonight I have sampled the last 2 bottles, the triple which poured crystal clear was nice but had a slight alcohol presence with no head, and the quadruple poured cloudy and has a nice thin foam on top. Of all the beers I prefer the quad, nice malt balanced with the alcohol left a very drinkable and deceptive beer, some really lovely malt aromas and a nice spiciness from the yeast, awesome.

Andrew

Looks like it might be Styrian Goldings and Saaz.

Andrew


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## HoppingMad (31/1/10)

'Clone Brews' by Tess and Mark Szamatulski has a recipe for the La Trappe Quadrupel on p.119 that uses Brewers Gold for bittering, Styrian Goldings for flavour hop and Aroma hop. Additions of Curacao bitter orange peel and corriander seeds crushed at two thirds and late boil. IBU on the recipe is 24.

A different beer to the blonde though. But light hopping seems to be the way forward regardless of the beer from this brewery you're trying to replicate.

Hopper.


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## NZB (2/2/10)

The Brewing Network's Jamil show done a show on brewing Belgian Blondes. He reccons any noble hop will do, I think I ended up using Liberty as I couldn't get the one he reccomended. I made it a few weeks back and there were not really all that many hops in it, just the bittering addition from memory. Most of the flavour comes from the yeast. I used the reccomended Wyeast 1214 and from the samples of the beer I have had so far it seems like its on the right track.

It was Leffe Blond that got me onto making this style. I had one side by side with the La Trappe Blonde and they were very similar. The Leffe was a touch thicker and stronger tasting, like a higher gravity version of the same beer, both great. In about 18 days it will be ready for drinking and I can let you know how close Jamils recipe is to Leffe and La Trappe.


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## Supra-Jim (2/2/10)

NZB said:


> It was Leffe Blond that got me onto making this style. I had one side by side with the La Trappe Blonde and they were very similar. The Leffe was a touch thicker and stronger tasting, like a higher gravity version of the same beer, both great. In about 18 days it will be ready for drinking and I can let you know how close Jamils recipe is to Leffe and La Trappe.



If it's the Jamil recipe you've made, this one really comes into it's own after about a month or two of aging. I've made it twice and it both times got much better with age.

Cheers SJ (assuming you're planning on drinking it asap  )


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## j1gsaw (2/2/10)

Supra-Jim said:


> If it's the Jamil recipe you've made, this one really comes into it's own after about a month or two of aging. I've made it twice and it both times got much better with age.
> 
> Cheers SJ (assuming you're planning on drinking it asap  )




And the recipe is?? :beer:


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## Supra-Jim (2/2/10)

Here you go Jigsaw.

Cheers SJ 

View attachment belgian_blond_ale.pdf


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## MarkBastard (2/2/10)

Anyone got a double recipe?


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## j1gsaw (2/2/10)

Supra-Jim said:


> Here you go Jigsaw.
> 
> Cheers SJ




awesome, cheers mate


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## WarmBeer (2/2/10)

j1gsaw said:


> Mine was 20 bucks! should have bought two now, the glasses are great



I got a pack from 1st Choice in Port Melb just before Xmas for $16!

Now wish I'd bought 2...


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## NZB (2/2/10)

If you have time and can be bothered then I think that its good to listen to the podcast rather than just following the recipe. You get alot more of the whys rather than just the hows and then you are better equiped to change the recipe to get exactly what you want if you do a rebrew.


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## Flash_DG (2/2/10)

NZB said:


> If you have time and can be bothered then I think that its good to listen to the podcast rather than just following the recipe. You get alot more of the whys rather than just the hows and then you are better equiped to change the recipe to get exactly what you want if you do a rebrew.


And where would we get this pod cast?


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## Supra-Jim (2/2/10)

From iTunes or via the BrewingNetwork website. Try searching 'The Jamil Show'

Cheers Sj


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## chappo1970 (2/2/10)

Jiggy,
When you are back in BrisVegas call by Chappo Manor mate and i will give 2 slants of Belgian yeasts for a trappist. 




Mark^Bastard said:


> Anyone got a double recipe?



Yeah MB I will PM it to tonight, if I remember too?  Also have a Trappist in the ferment fridge ready to bottle this week for Perry Xmas in July. Been feeding it Belgian amber candy for 3 weeks now and dropped in some US-05 to finish it off on Sunday. It's about 12-13% and tasting luverly. I gave a sample from the hydro to some of the Brewer lads I had around on the weekend which was met favourably. I put a bottle aside for you and Jiggy. This brew has to be the most expensive I have done outside of an APA hop monster. Lots of fussing and farting about but if the hydro is any indication it was well worth it.

Chap Chap


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## MarkBastard (2/2/10)

Sounds good chap chap!


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