2nd Ag - A Belgian Pale Ale

[petesbrew]

Been having some fun with beertools, so here's an idea of my next one.
Also been flicking back and forth through Brewing Classic Styles.

Any comments?
Cheers
Pete


--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Belgian Pale
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

General
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Category: Belgian and French Ale
Subcategory: Belgian Pale Ale
Recipe Type: All Grain
Batch Size: 23 liters
Volume Boiled: 30 liters
Mash Efficiency: 72 %
Total Grain/Extract: 5.50 kg.
Total Hops: 44.0 g.
Calories (12 fl. oz.): 198.1
Cost to Brew: $27.81 (USD)
Cost per Bottle (12 fl. oz.): $0.43 (USD)

Ingredients
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
5 kg. Australian Pale Malt
.200 kg. Melanoidin Malt
.3 kg. Belgian Cara-Pils
35 g. Styrian Goldings (Pellets, 4.6 %AA) boiled 60 minutes.
9 g. Styrian Goldings (Pellets, 4.6 %AA) boiled 0 minutes.
Yeast: DCL Yeast S-33 SafBrew Ale

Notes
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
90 min bol

Vital Statistics
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Original Gravity: 1.050
Terminal Gravity: 1.011
Color: 5.82 SRM
Bitterness: 21.8 IBU
Alcohol (%volume): 5.1 %

--
Results prepared by BeerTools.com
http://www.beertools.com/

 

[Adamt]

... Yeast: DCL Yeast S-33 SafBrew Ale ...

A Belgian without a proper yeast is like an APA with no flavouring/aroma additions...

 

[braufrau]

Is there a reason you used Australian Pale Malt and not pilsener?
Otherewise it looks good to me! Apart from the yeast thing .. it wont be a belgian without belgian yeast, it'd be more like an english bitter.

 

[kabooby]

I would swap the Ale malt for Pilsner malt and use a Belgian yeast. The yeast is one of the biggest influences on belgian beers

Kabooby

 

[petesbrew]

Re: yeast, as grabbed off the fermentis site
"S33 - A robust ale yeast able to tolerate high alcohol conditions (up to 11.5% v/v). Used to produce a wide range of beer styles including Belgian wheat and Trappist beers. Available in 10g sachets."
But 3 calls in a row on the yeast. Fair enough. Might take another trip to Dan's and try to reculture some proper belgian yeast.

Reason for the pale ale malt was just that I have it, and didn't want to go buy more grain at the moment. If it really calls for it (which it does!), maybe it's worth delaying this recipe.

 

[bconnery]

Re: yeast, as grabbed off the fermentis site
"S33 - A robust ale yeast able to tolerate high alcohol conditions (up to 11.5% v/v). Used to produce a wide range of beer styles including Belgian wheat and Trappist beers. Available in 10g sachets."
But 3 calls in a row on the yeast. Fair enough. Might take another trip to Dan's and try to reculture some proper belgian yeast.

Reason for the pale ale malt was just that I have it, and didn't want to go buy more grain at the moment. If it really calls for it (which it does!), maybe it's worth delaying this recipe.

Pilsner malt is more widely used but I don't think and ale malt wouldn't work. I could be wrong.

S33 is reported to be usable for belgians but I have seen very mixed reports, with most tending towards the negative.
t-58 dried would be a better bet, but you can't go wrong with a good belgian liquid in this case.

 

[warrenlw63]

Is there a reason you used Australian Pale Malt and not pilsener?
Otherewise it looks good to me! Apart from the yeast thing .. it wont be a belgian without belgian yeast, it'd be more like an english bitter.

Swiped without permission from the BJCP site.

Pilsner or pale ale malt contributes the bulk of the grist with (cara) Vienna and Munich malts adding color, body and complexity. Candi sugar is not commonly used as a high gravity is not desired. Noble hops, Styrian Goldings, East Kent Goldings or Fuggles are commonly used. Yeasts prone to moderate production of phenols are often used but fermentation temperatures should be kept moderate to limit this character.

Reckon this one is pretty wide open to base malt. I've only ever made two of them so I guess I'm speaking from limited experience. One had a combo Pils and Vienna as the base malt and the other was made mainly with Golden Promise (Ale Malt). Hint-Hint, Belgian Malsters Dingemans also make a Pale Ale Malt, so it must go somewhere?

Preferred the Golden Promise version hands down. While domestic Ale Malt is probably not 100% ideal it will still probably make a passable beer. Like most things Belgian you've got to rely on a bit of the yeast character to give it what you're looking for.

Also like a lot of things Belgian it's fairly open to interpretation. I'd just keep my parameters roughly to the guidelines and add a bit of individuality to the thing. Haven't used S33 yeast before either but hopefully that should give it the difference you're looking for from a regular English Pale Ale.

Unfortunately the vital ingredient to making a really nice Belgian Pale Ale is no longer in circulation. The Drunk Arab will probably agree with me here. Wyeast 3538 Leuven Pale Ale was a superb. It gave superb attenuation and just a nice touch of phenol in the finish.

I've emailed Wyeast several times to bring it back through their VSS series but no luck thus far.

Petesbrew your recipe looks really nice. I probably wouldn't change a thing.

Warren -

 

[petesbrew]

Pilsner malt is more widely used but I don't think and ale malt wouldn't work. I could be wrong.

S33 is reported to be usable for belgians but I have seen very mixed reports, with most tending towards the negative.
t-58 dried would be a better bet, but you can't go wrong with a good belgian liquid in this case.

Yeah, I've used the t58 3 times, and although they've turned out good, I thought I'd try a different yeast this time, flavourwise.

 

[petesbrew]

Thanks for the info, Warren.

I actually just picked up WLP500 Trappist Ale yeast from Dave's Home Brew. Plus the Styrian Goldings.
The S-33 I'll save for another brew.
As for the malt, I'll stick with the Ale malt for now.
Pete

 

[goomboogo]

With the grain and malt bills you've chosen, the choice of the wlp500 as opposed to s33 will produce a decidedly different beer. IMO, a considerably better beer. Don't be afraid to allow some temperature above 20c to bring out the esters.

 

[petesbrew]

Cool, here's my updated recipe, after getting some Pilsner malt off Krausen. Cheers.
I've thrown 50g choc in there for some colour, but might opt to leave it out.
Cheers
Pete


Belgian Pale
April 14, 2008

Category Belgian and French Ale
Subcategory Belgian Pale Ale
Recipe Type All Grain
Batch Size 23 liters
Volume Boiled 30 liters
Mash Efficiency 72 %
Total Grain/Extract 5.55 kg.
Total Hops 50.0 g.
Calories (12 fl. oz.) 200.7
Cost to Brew $28.29 (USD)
Cost per Bottle (12 fl. oz.) $0.44 (USD)

3.5 kg. Australian Pale Malt info
.200 kg. Melanoidin Malt info
.3 kg. Belgian Cara-Pils info
1.5 kg. German 2-row Pils info
.05 kg. English Chocolate Malt info
40 g. Styrian Goldings (Pellets, 4.6 %AA) boiled 60 min. info
10 g. Styrian Goldings (Pellets, 4.6 %AA) boiled 0 min. info
Yeast : White Labs WLP500 Trappist Ale info

90 min bol

Predicted Belgian Pale Ale Compliance
Original Gravity 1.051 1.048 - 1.054 100 %
Terminal Gravity 1.012 1.010 - 1.014 100 %
Color 12.32 SRM 8.00 - 14.00 SRM 100 %
Bitterness 24.9 IBU 20.00 - 30.00 IBU 100 %
Alcohol (%volume) 5.1 % 4.80 - 5.50 % 100 %
100 % overall


Apparent Real
Original Extract 12.55 Plato 12.55 Plato

Attenuation 76.5 % 62.0 %

Extract 2.95 Plato 4.77 Plato

% Weight % Volume
Alcohol 4.0 % 5.1 %

 

[glennheinzel]

:icon_drool2:

Looks good

 

[bindi]

Yeast : White Labs WLP500 Trappist Ale

You will love that yeast .

 

[petesbrew]

A few slight changes while measuring grain last night.

Belgian Pale
May 28, 2008

Category Belgian and French Ale
Subcategory Belgian Pale Ale
Recipe Type All Grain
Batch Size 23 liters
Volume Boiled 33 liters
Mash Efficiency 71.5 %
Total Grain/Extract 5.73 kg.
Total Hops 50.0 g.
Calories (12 fl. oz.) 206.4
Cost to Brew $28.87 (USD)
Cost per Bottle (12 fl. oz.) $0.45 (USD)

3.5 kg. Australian Pale Malt
.200 kg. Melanoidin Malt
.2 kg. Belgian Cara-Pils
1.8 kg. German 2-row Pils
.025 kg. English Chocolate Malt
40 g. Styrian Goldings (Pellets, 4.6 %AA) boiled 60 min.
10 g. Styrian Goldings (Pellets, 4.6 %AA) boiled 0 min.
Yeast : White Labs WLP500 Trappist Ale

90 min boil

Predicted Belgian Pale Ale Compliance
Original Gravity 1.052 1.048 - 1.054
100 %

Terminal Gravity 1.012 1.010 - 1.014
100 %

Color 9.99 SRM 8.00 - 14.00 SRM
100 %

Bitterness 25.1 IBU 20.00 - 30.00 IBU
100 %

Alcohol (%volume) 5.3 % 4.80 - 5.50 %
100 %

100 % overall

 

[THE DRUNK ARAB]

A few slight changes while measuring grain last night.

Belgian Pale
May 28, 2008

Category Belgian and French Ale
Subcategory Belgian Pale Ale
Recipe Type All Grain
Batch Size 23 liters
Volume Boiled 33 liters
Mash Efficiency 71.5 %
Total Grain/Extract 5.73 kg.
Total Hops 50.0 g.
Calories (12 fl. oz.) 206.4
Cost to Brew $28.87 (USD)
Cost per Bottle (12 fl. oz.) $0.45 (USD)

3.5 kg. Australian Pale Malt
.200 kg. Melanoidin Malt
.2 kg. Belgian Cara-Pils
1.8 kg. German 2-row Pils
.025 kg. English Chocolate Malt
40 g. Styrian Goldings (Pellets, 4.6 %AA) boiled 60 min.
10 g. Styrian Goldings (Pellets, 4.6 %AA) boiled 0 min.
Yeast : White Labs WLP500 Trappist Ale

90 min boil

Predicted Belgian Pale Ale Compliance
Original Gravity 1.052 1.048 - 1.054
100 %

Terminal Gravity 1.012 1.010 - 1.014
100 %

Color 9.99 SRM 8.00 - 14.00 SRM
100 %

Bitterness 25.1 IBU 20.00 - 30.00 IBU
100 %

Alcohol (%volume) 5.3 % 4.80 - 5.50 %
100 %

100 % overall

Looks the goods petesbrew. Definately one of my favourite styles to brew. :icon_drunk:
Make sure you report back on how it turns out.

C&B
TDA

PS Warren is correct on the Leuven yeast but alas it is no longer available

 

[petesbrew]

Finally I have a free weekend to brew this baby.
Bring on Saturday morning.

 

[petesbrew]

Well, I did the brew on saturday. Pitched the yeast last night. All went well despite a few mishaps along the way.
Will post some pic's later today. Work must be done now.
Oh, and the OG was spot on with my calcs - 1054. Copper colour, and bloody gorgeous flavour.
Got about 25-26 litres out of it too.

 

[petesbrew]

AG + K&K Double brewday pics

First casualty - glass jugs and 2L of 75c hot water don't mix. SWMBO not too happy, but you get that


The Simple setup... but it works.


The "I don't have a brewframe" kettle setup.

 

[petesbrew]

Pic's continued
Casualty no.2 - Quick trip to LHBS followed


A long time spent sparging


Lesson not learnt - don't turn your back on a boiling pot.... K&K stout

 

[MVZOOM]

Nice one bro - looks awesome! I brew in the garage, so the mrs can't see or hear the carnage. Busted stuff, burns, spills, more busted stuff and leaking taps.

Cheers - Mike