Belgian Dark Strong Ale

[barfridge]

Tonight I brewed the biggest beer I've ever done. It's a belgian dark strong, in the style of rochefort 10, not a direct clone per se. I was aiming for the magical 1.100, and almost got there, being a bit under gravity and a bit over on volume (was working off a 20 litre batch). Oh well, it'll still light a fire in your belly :beerbang:

This was pitched onto the yeast cake from the light 'starter' beer, a 1.075 OG golden strong ale, which managed to get down to 1.008. This yeast is just amazing, it just eats everything in sight. I pitched at 20 degrees, and slowly raised temps up to 26, which from what I've read really helps the attenuation.

Rochefort 10 style, Nov 2006

A ProMash Recipe Report

BJCP Style and Style Guidelines
-------------------------------

18-D Strong Belgian Ale, Belgian Strong Dark Ale

Min OG: 1.065 Max OG: 1.098
Min IBU: 25 Max IBU: 40
Min Clr: 14 Max Clr: 39 Color in EBC

Recipe Specifics
----------------

Batch Size (L): 21.50 Wort Size (L): 21.50
Total Grain (kg): 8.40
Anticipated OG: 1.094 Plato: 22.36
Anticipated EBC: 57.0
Anticipated IBU: 34.6
Brewhouse Efficiency: 73 %
Wort Boil Time: 75 Minutes


Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential EBC
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.4 0.20 kg. CaraAroma 64.92 400
72.6 6.10 kg. Pale Ale Malt (2-row) Australia 80.07 5
11.9 1.00 kg. Munich Malt Australia 82.23 12
4.8 0.40 kg. Candi Sugar (clear) Generic 99.55 1
5.4 0.45 kg. Candi Sugar (amber) Generic 99.55 148
2.4 0.20 kg. Chocolate Malt America 62.76 690
0.6 0.05 kg. Carafa Special Germany 64.92 1182

Potential represented as % Yield, Fine Grind Dry Basis.


Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
30.00 g. Hallertau Northern Brewer Pellet 8.00 32.1 75 min.
20.00 g. Styrian Goldings Pellet 5.00 2.5 10 min.


Yeast
-----

WYeast 1762 Belgian Abbey II

 

[blackbock]

Tonight I brewed the biggest beer I've ever done. It's a belgian dark strong, in the style of rochefort 10, not a direct clone per se. I was aiming for the magical 1.100, and almost got there, being a bit under gravity and a bit over on volume (was working off a 20 litre batch). Oh well, it'll still light a fire in your belly :beerbang:

This was pitched onto the yeast cake from the light 'starter' beer, a 1.075 OG golden strong ale, which managed to get down to 1.008. This yeast is just amazing, it just eats everything in sight. I pitched at 20 degrees, and slowly raised temps up to 26, which from what I've read really helps the attenuation.

Start me up! Looks mighty fine. When do you plan to start drinking it? :super:

 

[neonmeate]

could turn out pretty roasty with all that choc malt and carafa. i usually like to get to the same sort of colour using nothing darker than cara-aroma, building up from the bottom (lots of amber, melanoidin, cara-munich III, etc as well). but i'm sure it will be tasty.

 

[Stuster]

This yeast is just amazing, it just eats everything in sight.
WYeast 1762 Belgian Abbey II

Belgian yeasts seem to have amazing attenuation rates. There's an interesting thread on Northern Brewer on the topic of Belgian yeasts and high mash temps. A guy called JoeFleischman mashed at 163F which is 73C to prove that the body might not be dependent on mash temp (or at least that Belgian yeasts can eat anything). Went from 1073 down to 1006 using Wyeast 3787. Linky thing.

barfridge, looks a nice recipe. As blackbock asked, when do you think it will be ready to drink?

neonmeate, I would have agreed with you, but at our last club brew day laurent brought along a beer which was sort of an Imperial Belgian stout if there was such a style. I liked it. :chug:

(BTW, if you are reading this laurent, how did you make that?)

 

[barfridge]

It should be in the bottle within a month, but I'd say good to drink sometime in winter. At 11% or so, it won't be a lawnmower beer.

 

[Adamt]

Making something similar next week too. Don't have beersmith on this pc but here goes anyway!

2.5kg Wey Pils
2.5kg Wey Munich I
0.2kg Wey Caramunich I
0.2kg Wey Carawheat
0.2kg Wey Caraaroma
1kg "Home"-brand Candi Sugar

30g EKG 60 mins
20g EKG 20 mins


For a 17L batch (I dont want it spurting out the airlock ) it should be around 1.095ish. I'm going to use T-58 as I'm lazy and am gonna try and candi my own sugar. I understand you just put the sugar in a saucepan with enough water to cover and boil the living faeces out of it for an hour or so.

Come to think if I'm not sure why I'm using Carawheat, but what the hey? I'm sure it makes it unique!

 

[neonmeate]

i do like belgian imperial stouts - one of the best beers i've ever had is this one:

http://www.ratebeer.com/Beer/ellezelloise-...ule-stout/6701/

these two weren't so great though:

http://www.ratebeer.com/Beer/scheldebrouwe...terstout/16920/
http://www.ratebeer.com/Beer/de-dolle-extr...rt-stout/31936/

 

[Voosher]

This was pitched onto the yeast cake from the light 'starter' beer, a 1.075 OG golden strong ale, which managed to get down to 1.008. This yeast is just amazing, it just eats everything in sight. I pitched at 20 degrees, and slowly raised temps up to 26, which from what I've read really helps the attenuation.

That answers a question on my mind at the moment.
My first Belgian with this yeast started at 1073 and has stalled at 1034 despite rousing, warming and desperately even repitching. It tastes a little fusely as well so I'm not sure if that is an indication of the problem.
I probably just misjudged what's required for a high gravity beer. I'll give it another run soon and make sure it gets a bigger starter and a thorough aeration.

 

[newguy]

I'm going to use T-58 as I'm lazy and am gonna try and candi my own sugar. I understand you just put the sugar in a saucepan with enough water to cover and boil the living faeces out of it for an hour or so.

I just made some dark candi sugar a couple of weeks ago. If you're after the dark stuff, this procedure works very well. Don't know about light candi sugar as I've never made it before.

I put 2 cups of ordinary white granulated sugar in a fairly large SS frying pan along with 1/2 tsp citric acid crystals. I used the large stove burner, not the small one, and the heat was set to 3-4 (out of 10). The only secret is to stir like mad, and keep stirring.

Eventually the sugar will turn doughy, then it will melt into syrup. I let it go until it started to bubble a little. Then I poured the works into a cookie sheet that I had lined with aluminum foil.

It set up like cement......I guess I ended up with what they call "hard crack" sugar because it was hard as a rock. It turned out copper coloured, but it definitely wasn't burnt. It didn't taste sweet but instead had a definite rum-raisin quality. Samples from that batch have tasted fantastic so far.

Just be very careful when you make this stuff. If you get any on your skin, kiss it goodbye. If you have small kids, be sure they're safely out of harm's way just in case.

 

[Lindsay Dive]

Hi,

If you want some candi sugar, try your local Chinese Deli/Supermarket. I picked some of this rock sugar up and I can't see the difference between it and the real deal. I did not ask if they had any dark rock sugar though.
The cleaning up after making the cani sugar yourself just put me right off!!

Regards,
Lindsay.

 

[Stuster]

To save cleaning up after making your own candi sugar, you can just make it at the time and pour it straight into the kettle during the boil. I'm sure the rock sugar Lindsay mentions would be even easier though. :lol:

 

[warrenlw63]

Hi,

If you want some candi sugar, try your local Chinese Deli/Supermarket. I picked some of this rock sugar up and I can't see the difference between it and the real deal. I did not ask if they had any dark rock sugar though.
The cleaning up after making the cani sugar yourself just put me right off!!

Regards,
Lindsay.

Yep, gotta agree there Linsday. Cheap and nasty and really does the job. :beerbang:

Made one of my best Belgians with lump sugar.

Warren -

 

[colinw]

View attachment 10090

Do they also have Paper Sugar and Scissors Sugar? :unsure: :chug: :huh:

 

[neonmeate]

very humorous [appropriate emoticon]

 

[laurent]

This yeast is just amazing, it just eats everything in sight.
WYeast 1762 Belgian Abbey II

Belgian yeasts seem to have amazing attenuation rates. There's an interesting thread on Northern Brewer on the topic of Belgian yeasts and high mash temps. A guy called JoeFleischman mashed at 163F which is 73C to prove that the body might not be dependent on mash temp (or at least that Belgian yeasts can eat anything). Went from 1073 down to 1006 using Wyeast 3787. Linky thing.

barfridge, looks a nice recipe. As blackbock asked, when do you think it will be ready to drink?

neonmeate, I would have agreed with you, but at our last club brew day laurent brought along a beer which was sort of an Imperial Belgian stout if there was such a style. I liked it. :chug:

(BTW, if you are reading this laurent, how did you make that?)

Hi,

sorry, wasn't reading all the topics lately. Here's my procedure, it's a bit overboard though with quantities because it's my first time designing. All the people sneering will go to bed without beer!


=========

Belgian Dark Choco

1.5kg Golden Promise
400g Flaked Oats
3l water
--> Mash 1h 67-68C in warm oven - final temp 62C

150gr Brown malt
200gr Choco malt JW
300gr Crystal JW
2l water
--> Steep 1h and rinse with 1l of water. Use result to batch sparge mash

400gr home made inverted sugar. Quite dark
1.2kg DME
300gr Honey
--> That's about 6-7l of thick liquid to boil. Honey can be added at flameout

50gr Styrian Flowers 60'
20gr Saaz Pellets 0'
20gr Styrian Flowers 0'
--> Cool pot in sink filled with water. Takes about 5-6h (ish), or overnight.

--> Throw the lot in the fermenter, add water to 15l, add 1 sweet orange peel, 1/3 vanilla pod, WLP 500 yeast 3rd generation. Maybe, filter out the flowers, because they are a pain once in the fermenter.

1 week fermentation around 24-22C
2 weeks in cube
Bottled with coopers carb drops. 2/600ml.

=========

My 2 cents on this:
- It seems the brown malt needs to be mashed
- 2 weeks in cube did settle most of the yeast and it took a really long time to carbonation. Maybe add irish moss and 2 weeks fermentation, bottle straight after
- Never use flowers again
- Better after 2-3 month. Still quite sweet before this.
- More carbonation would be good


Bye,
Laurent