Chimay Brewing Temp?

[hazard]

BTW - I was most impressed that the Monks use the cash from the beer to help people from Zambia, Sudan ...and Wales :huh: .

And why would you not want to help people from Wales? Do you have some prejudice against them? :icon_offtopic:

 

[bcp]

And why would you not want to help people from Wales? Do you have some prejudice against them? :icon_offtopic:

My org works in both Zambia and Sudan... i'm not sure why we're not working in Wales. The beer is pretty ordinary in the first two places.

 

[Nick JD]

And why would you not want to help people from Wales? Do you have some prejudice against them? :icon_offtopic:

Yes. Anyone who uses that many "Ls" in their place names deserves no help from a generous Belgian Monk. None at all.

 

[manticle]

A couple of thoughts on the fermentation temperatures given in BLaM compared to those you are using. First, how are they measuring the temp and how are you - they are probably measuring in the liquid with a thermowell. If you measure externally you'll need to account for that. Also, I heard on one of the Brewing Network shows recently that there is suppression of ester formation in large scale brewing production. The depth of the fermenter and so the higher pressure on the yeast mean fewer esters are produced. So potentially to match the esters they produce you may have to aim for a lower temp than they are using. Worth trying a few different temps and see what works best for your system.

Nick, yes, it should be the same yeast and best to go for the lower alcohol beer as that should have the least damaged yeast (depending on travel time, treatment etc).

Very interesting. Just been reading the websites of westmalle and orval which both go into reasonable detail in regards to the brewing process. The Orval one is particularly helpful even to the point of suggesting which hops they use and at what points (seems Orval is dry hopped) and barvarian hallertau and Slovenian (Styrian) Goldings are most often used as well as Strisselspalt. Both of those breweries ferment at lower ends - orval gives a range between 15 and 23 with a 4 day initial ferment and a 3 week secondary at which point the brett and secondary hops are added. Westmalle suggests a primary temp of 19-20, a conditioning temp of 10 degrees (airtight) for 2 weeks for dubbel and 5 for tripel. Westmalle uses fresh hop cones only.

I realise this is about chimay but the others have plenty of aroma and flavour and complexity brewed at standard ale temps. Worth a go at trying both I guess.

One other thing I found interesting was that both the youtube Chimay video and the two brewery websites I visited, describe crushing the malt to a fine flour.

 

[Stuster]

One other thing I found interesting was that both the youtube Chimay video and the two brewery websites I visited, describe crushing the malt to a fine flour.

I guess they have mash press filters.

I agree with you that going with a more standard ale temp should be fine but it does depend on the particular yeast. Will have to have a look at those breweries' sites. :icon_drool2: