Belgian Red help

[altone]

Ok. first things first - I've never made a Belgian beer before so forgive me if I'm way off the mark.

I'm looking at something akin to Leffe Radieuse - not a clone by any means.

Let me know where I'm stuffing up and any alternatives you suggest, I will stick with the WY 3724 and the candi although more or less is negotiable
Also many recipes suggest adding sugar to Belgian recipes part way through fermenting, is this for flavour or just to feed the yeasties and up the ABV?
If just food for yeast wouldn't invert sugar be better?

Anyway all and any feedback good to get before I commit next weekend.
belgian red Belgian Specialty Ale (16 E)


Type: All Grain
Batch Size: 18.90 l
Boil Size: 25.10 l
Boil Time: 90 min
End of Boil Vol: 20.90 l
Final Bottling Vol: 18.60 l
Fermentation: Ale, Two Stage
Date: 13 Sep 2016
Brewer: tamarisk brewery
Asst Brewer:
Equipment: biab 1
Efficiency: 70.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 74.7 %

4.0 Kg Pilsner UK
0.8 Kg Munich
0.1 Kg Melanoidin
0.2 Kg Dark Candi Sugar
40g Hallertauer Mitt 4.0% 60 mins
20g Saaz 3.75% 60 mins
WY 3724 Saison Yeast starter.


Est Original Gravity: 1.057 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.010 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 6.2 %
Bitterness: 30.6 IBUs
Est Color: 29.4 EBC
Mash Profile


Mash Name: BIAB, Medium Body
Mash PH: 5.20

Mash Steps
66.7C 75 min
75.7C 10 min




Cheers

Gerry C

edit: The candi is made using the alkaline method and has nice caramel and dark fruit flavours.

I'll be doing a few vids on how to make invert sugar, golden syrup and both hard candi and candi syrup of differing shades and using both acid and alkali methods soon.
I'll chuck up vid links here when they're done for anyone interested - I know there are a lot out there but some of their methods are just awful! - ie. NOT IN MY KITCHEN!!

 

[Reman]

Looks pretty much in order. I'd try and go the Belgian malts if you can eg. Castle. I find regional beers always tend to turn out better with the native maltings.

No water adjustments and youre still hitting a mash ph of 5.2?

Sugar is added in batches as its simple, this makes the yeasties process the maltose first before gorging on the simples and getting fat and lazy. But at about 4% candi sugar I don't think there'd be much chance of that. It's usually reserved for when you are going over 10%, closer to 20%.

 

[altone]

Looks pretty much in order. I'd try and go the Belgian malts if you can eg. Castle. I find regional beers always tend to turn out better with the native maltings.

No water adjustments and youre still hitting a mash ph of 5.2?

Thanks, so long as I've not missed something important I'll give it a whirl.

Actually that pH was what Beersmith popped out, I'll probably just use pH buffer to keep things simple for the first try.

Belgian brew on the weekend

 

[manticle]

Sugar part way through and incrementally stops yeast feasting to early oncsucrose then getting lazy and helps bump up abv without stressing yeast or creating hot alcohol or other unwanted flavours.

From my personal experience, it works.

Big yeast pitch, lots of conditioning time, start ferment cool then allow to gradually rise a few degrees.