Blonde Ale Help/crit

[Pennywise]

Ok, SWMBO bought me a heap of Coopers cans when they were on special a week or so ago, incuding some of the Blonde cans. Never having brewed a Blonde before I had a look at a few of the recipes in the DB and think I know what I'll be doing, so here it is,

22 Litre Batch
Coopers Blonde Ale
1.5kg LLME
1kg Pale Candied Syrup (boiled and cooled, added a few days into ferment)
T-58 Yeast

Hops wise I was thinking of a fair wack of Czech Sazz in the last 15 mins but I don't want to overpower the yeast so would say 20g be enough/too much. And do you think I'll need any bittering? I know the Blonde goop is quite low in bitterness, and the Saaz is not going to add much in that regard.

Spec grain wise I have no clue so any advice there would be appreciated.

I don't have a very reliable temp control to slowly raise temp but I do have a heat pad and a timer that I can set to go on and off every hour or so. I don't use heat pads under fermenters, so I was thinking maybe just leave the heat pad on all the time next to the fermenter and every few days move it a little closer to get more radiant heat which should (IMO anyway) bump it up a degree or so every time.

Any comments welcome and appreciated

Cheers, HB79

 

[kc_ksom]

G'day mate

I got a blonde in my glass right now, I would sugest no on the LME (as I done a brew enhancer) the sweetness just dosen't do justice with this style, (my opinion) but I would suggest just a kg of dex, and hop quite a bit, just 15g saaz or similar boil the last 10mins and throw 5-10g at flame out. the candy syrup I have no idea, but it sounds nice. What is it? I would buy Coopers blonde again for sure, I just would try just a kg of dex and fresh hops as above. , also note that I only went to 21ltr wort, maybe this is why it was a little sweeter.

Casey

 

[manticle]

Just a thought - doesn't have to be a blonde as you can use it as a base for something darker if that takes your fancy. Most specialty malts will be too dark for a blond except maybe for some of the lighter coloured crystals.

Bitterness it really depends on how much you usually like but if you prefer a bit more oomph and you know it's a low bittered tin a 30 or 40 minute addition probably wouldn't go astray. Could try a higher AA hop like sterling (supposedly a version or hybrid of saaz or something) if you don't want to do a 60 min boil.

 

[Pennywise]

Kc, I can see where you comming from with the "too sweet comment", I was hoping that the candied syrup (will be first time use also) would dry it out a bit and help attentuation thus keeping the balance in check (but as I said, never brewed a blonde [or blond for the correct term I just discovered]), the candied syrup/sugar as I understand it is completely fermentable and if added part way through ferment will help to dry out the beer whilst not stressing the yeast with such a high gravity at the start. Points taken, cheers.

Manticle, I did have a look at styles such as Dubbel, but I really do love the blond's :wub: , and pretty much decided that's what I'm doing with these cheap arse bitch's. The only malt I can think off that might do some justice in this case is some Aromatic malt which would need to be mashed (which isn't a problem, just though I'd make a point of it because of the section I posted in :icon_cheers: ), although with the small amount I'd be using would prolly just get away with a steep for flavour.
I did think about using some NB for a bit of bitterness, then aroma with the Sazz, but having a read of bits and pieces I have at home the use of Styrian Goldings is used commonly/or recomended by BJCP, and no spices (not that I'm after a perfect example or anything), and Sazz is a little on the spicy side, never used Sterling, I know it's supposed to resemble Sazz so maybe it might be a good idea to use it simply because it's higher in AA. Prolly looking at about 18-20 IBU.

 

[manticle]

18-20 isn't that high. Maybe go with one kit as you have it and see how it tastes.

Your assessment of the candi is pretty spot on and adding it part way through is good. Looks like you're going for a Belgian style? Styrian is appropriate with a bit of saaz to finish. Saaz is spicy but I think the guidelines are probably suggesting no spices as in 'no coriander' etc, that kind of thing.

I don't think the dme will be too sweet if you add in the candi as it will give it a nice dryness to balance the malt.

 

[kc_ksom]

I dont know if its the same shit, But I once used a liquid sugar from Kmart, or what ever BigW I think it was a brewiser or something brand, I used this part way through a brew once just to get the alc % up a bit, But I wished I diddnt because the aroma and flavour tainted this brew, but it was drinkable, and had awesome head retension (spelling) was good.

Anything like what your talking about ??

casey

 

[manticle]

What I'm talking about is homemade so flavour and colour is up to you.

Not sure if HB's version is store bought or not.

Basically my version of candi sugar loosely follows a recipe that's been linked here and the process and result is almost identical to toffee except you make it as light or dark as you like and add in an acid (citric is recommended but can use others - I have used white vinegar) to invert the sugar.

 

[Pennywise]

This is what I'll be using, http://www.grainandgrape.com.au/product_in...roducts_id=8762. Yep Manticle, trying for a Belgian Blond style, I'll go with the Styrian then Saaz. I haven't brewed a straight kit for quite some time now and I don't think I can push myself to do it. I'll have to clean out the mess in the computer room at home so I can get to the computer and put it all through BS, see how the GU/BU ratio looks, I just thought 18-20 looking at style guidlines but obviously that'll depend on gravity.

Cheers fellas :icon_cheers:

 

[petesbrew]

First time I did this kit was to a Coopers Recipe in a mailout called Buxome Blonde.
From a hazy memory it was:
Blonde Kit
BE2
500g Light Malt Extract
Goldings Teabag
kit yeast

It was just absolutely delicious to my untrained tongue, and I've used this kit as a base kit in my raspberry beers.

 

[Pennywise]

I try and steer clear of the BE's & teabags but looks like a tasty and simple brew. Might just give it a crack with one of the other blonde goop's, maybe use 1056 instead of kit yeast.


I think I'll be doing a rasberry beer with one of the others, I bought this, http://www.craftbrewer.com.au/shop/details.asp?PID=3394, haven't heard any opinions of it but thought I'd give it a shot.

 

[Bribie G]

Petesbrew's recipe sounds a lot better balanced unless you are looking for a beer into the 6% plus range and as a previous poster said if you add too much sugar you will have head retention problems.

You could do a couple of tweaks: steep 300g of Carapils, and for hops add 20g Styrian Goldings pellets for the last 10 mins of the boil.

 

[Pennywise]

Yeah BribieG, I'm looking for a strong one that I can keep for next winter, somewhere in the 7.5% range (which is quite scary for me cause most of my beers are 4-5%). Will add some Carapils to the recipe, actually haven't used it in quite a while either.

 

[Bribie G]

In that case how about using a toucan of the blonde as the base goop? I've currently got my toucan stout bottled which has a kilo of dex and a kilo of LDME and it's around 9 percent.

 

[Pennywise]

The tucan was considered, and still up for consideration. Might actually be the way to go cause appart from the Blond & rasberry beer I don't really have a use for the other cans. Ok, tucan it is.

 

[Pennywise]

Ok, this is what I ended up doing, kegged it yesterday.

21 Litres
Blonde kit
1kg Dry wheat
1kg Candied syrup (added on day 4)
200g Carapils
15g Saaz @ 15 & 0 mins
Rasberry fruit flavouring from CB http://www.craftbrewer.com.au/shop/details.asp?PID=3394 added at kegging
T-58 yeast fermented @ 20

Was a bit of an "" ahh f**k it" brew in the end. Never used T-58 before so should be interesting, didn't smell too crash hot out of the fermenter, not infected smell, just different I guess. See how it goes. Any ideas on conditioning time for this baby?

 

[Pennywise]

After kegging this I had enough in the fermenter to bottle two 500ml jobbies, without the rasberry flavouring though. Cracked one last night after 10 day in the bottle. Farkin' noice, deffinatly had that blonde ale feel I was going for, and smelt beautiful, could even go for a bit more Saaz. Was slightly sweeter than I'd anticipated so next time I'll bitter with something like NB, just a few grams should do the trick. Surprisingly the head wans't all that crash hot but retention of what head did pour was good. Can't wait to get room in the fridge for the rasberry keg.

 

[Pennywise]

Just poured a half pint of the keg, although it's only been in the fridge for a day and a half so it's still flat, it's good, but the flavouring I wouldn't bother with again, can hardly even tell it's there, has the smell of rasberry's though.