Biere De Garde

[n00ch]

Hi all.

I'm attempting to formulate my first recipe for a Biere de Garde (ok so i have been reading farmhouse ales) and need some input on what i have come up with. I have never brewed one before so please forgive me if i am no where near this style....

I was thinking of doing something along the lines of this:

5.50 kg Pilsner (2 Row) Bel (3.9 EBC) Grain 74.5 %
1.10 kg Munich Malt (17.7 EBC) Grain 14.9 %
0.30 kg Vienna Malt (6.9 EBC) Grain 4.1 %
0.03 kg Black (Patent) Malt (985.0 EBC) Grain 0.4 %
45.00 gm Fuggles [3.80%] (60 min) Hops 16.0 IBU
20.00 gm Hallertauer Mittelfrueh [4.20%] (30 min) Hops 6.1 IBU
0.50 items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
0.45 kg Corn Syrup (2.0 EBC) Sugar 6.1 %
1 Pkgs European Ale (Wyeast Labs #1338) Yeast-Ale

Batch Size: 23.00 L
Estimated OG: 1.074 SG
Estimated Color: 17.5 EBC
Estimated IBU: 22.1 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.0 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Please be brutally honest as i really don't have much experience with this style.

Thanks

 

[Doc]

Ok, I'll be brutal (in a nice way).
Lose the Corn Syrup, Black Malt.
Drop the Munich back to about 0.8kg and the Vienna to 0.5-0.6 kg
Add some CaraMunich II 0.5 and CaraAroma 0.10kg for flavour and colour.
Finally some Melanoidin for body; say 0.14 kg.
Make one hop addition at around 60 minutes to about 26 IBU.

That Euro Yeast does a good job, but does lack a few of the Belgian flavours.
Be prepared to let it sit in the keg for a month to develop as well.

Beers,
Doc

 

[n00ch]

Ah ok well i might revise it then, thanks for the honest input.

Just a few questions though. Just running through farmhouse ales and it states that most small breweries use Kiln black (hence the black malt), around 15% Munich, up to 8% sugar and also a bittering hop and a late hop addition at 20 - 30 mins. From your experience brewing them ( as i can see you have done a few) do you think these are not neccesary? I was going to go with some melanoidin but unfortunately i can't get my hads on some.

Cheers

 

[Doc]

I've read the Farmhouse Ales book too, but haven't based any recipes on it (other than Saisons).
The tips I gave you are from what I've brewed and what I've tasted of other personal brewers BdG's and their recipes.
So I don't want to say they are necessary, but I haven't used them personally.

Beers,
Doc

 

[n00ch]

Thanks for that. I think i'll take your advise and change it around to fit your suggestions. I also think i may CC it for about 4 - 6 weeks and also bottle this one ( only the second time i have done so) so not to use up my limited amount of kegs and leave it for a few months to condition.

Thanks again for help.