Belgian Ale

[ploto]

I put down a Belgian Ale of sorts today, first time I have steeped grains and done a bittering boil.

Type: Extract
Batch Size: 23.00 L
Boil Size: 3.00 L
Boil Time: 60 min

Ingredients
Amount Item Type % or IBU
0.30 kg Wheat Dry Extract (8.0 SRM) Dry Extract 6.7 %
1.70 kg Wheat Liquid Extract (8.0 SRM) Extract 37.8 %
1.50 kg Pilsner Liquid Extract (3.5 SRM) Extract 33.3 %
0.25 kg Special B Malt (180.0 SRM) Grain 5.6 %
15.00 gm Goldings, East Kent [5.80%] (60 min) Hops 4.0 IBU
30.00 gm Styrian Goldings [5.00%] (60 min) Hops 6.9 IBU
30.00 gm Motueka (B Saaz) [8.60%] (15 min) Hops 5.9 IBU
0.75 kg Cane (Beet) Sugar (0.0 SRM) Sugar 16.7 %
1 Pkgs SafBrew Specialty Ale (DCL Yeast #T-58) Yeast-Ale

Beer Profile
Est Original Gravity: 1.059 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.015 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 5.7 %
Bitterness: 16.9 IBU
Est Color: 13.2 SRM

Plan to ferment at 18C rising to 20C toward the end.

The 1.7kg wheat extract is a can of Coopers Wheat Beer and the 1.5kg Pilsner extract is Morgans extra pale malt extract. I'm guessing the Coopers wheat has nothing or little in the way of bittering added to it and whatever spices (orange, coriander?) seem to be very mild based on a straight wheat beer I have previously made.

I plan to add the 750g of sugar incrementally over the next 5 - 7 days, I under-filled the fermenter to allow for each hit of sugar dissolved in 100 - 200ml of water. Didn't bother taking an original gravity reading as can't see the point if it will be changing with each sugar addition.

Hops I wasn't sure about, I included the 15g of EKG to up the bittering based on the 3l boil, not sure if it will be enough but I guess I'll find out I am resisting the temptation to add dry hops, thought I ought to let the malt & yeast show through. Besides which the last and next brews are American pale ales with plenty of dry hops.

This is only my 6th brew and all my previous ones have been pretty much straight kit + extract + a few hops, so I am quite looking forward to this one.

 

[ploto]

It's been in for 12 days and looks like it has another week or so to go.

Interesting to see the colour change from top to bottom as the brew gets darker, hasn't been so noticeable in past brews.

 

[Josh]

I still take an OG reading. Then when you add your sugar, you can use some basic maths to work out the actual OG.

Say your volume into fermenter on day 1 was 22L and your OG was 1.048.

Then over a few days you add your sugar up to 23L.

Cane sugar has a potential extract of 45 gravity points per pound per gallon * Source

750g = 1.6535lb
23L = 6.076gal

45 * 1.65 / 6.076 = 12.25 gravity points added by the sugar.

If OG of 22L was 1.048, diluting by 1L gives you 48 * 22 / 23 = 45.913 ~ 1.045913 OG of your wort.

So final OG is 1.045913 + 0.01225 = 1.058

As far as the rest of it goes. I like where your head's at. Keep up the experimenting.

 

[ploto]

Hats off to you for taking the time, especially on the metric - imperial conversion!

fwiw Beersmith gives an estimated OG of 1.047 without the sugar addition and 1.059 with the sugar so you are spot on.

I should have taken an OG reading anyway, but was a bit rushed at the time and calculations took a back seat to cleaning up ahead of SWMBO's demands to have her kitchen back!

I am patiently waiting for the ferment to settle down so I can take a clean sample, not so much for the SG reading but I am dying to have a taste!