Good Base Goo For A Belgian?

[Interloper]

The recipe says the alc level should be about 9.4% which is a little high, so maybe add an extra litre or so if youre gonna do it...

NAHHHHHH, that's just perfect for Friday night after a long week!

So how long are the boil times on your grain? When are you adding hops?

Oh and a 750ml of the Chimay Blue is over $20 from last time I was looking at it I think??

 

[bconnery]

One of the liquid yeasts, and I can't remember which, I believe is reputed to be the Chimay strain?
Regardless there are plenty of good choices in the Belgian yeast area without resorting to culturing.

As for the approach of using extract and grains. Definitely.
This was my preferred method of brewing for a while.
Plenty of good specialty grains for use in belgians...
If you look at any AG recipe for a belgian you can then start with extract approximately equivalent to the base malts and add in the same sort of specialty grains from there.

The other good place to look is US homebrew sites, including stores, for recipes, as extract brewing is much more common. You can easily find loads of extract based recipes for belgians there...

http://www.beerrecipes.org/findrecipe.php, for example

 

[reviled]

NAHHHHHH, that's just perfect for Friday night after a long week!

So how long are the boil times on your grain? When are you adding hops?

Oh and a 750ml of the Chimay Blue is over $20 from last time I was looking at it I think??

The book I got the recipe out of says to bring the grain and the hops to the boil and rolling boil it for 20 mins, allthough, a steep would prolly work better from what people on here say, so maybe just put the grain in water at 70degrees for 20-30mins...

Use the hops as bittering hops, so simmered for at least 20 mins, all other ingrediants would be boiled for about 15 mins...

And yeah, the Chimay Blue is definately not cheap, over here it goes for about $14 a 750ml (but we dont pay as much tax as you), but you could make it more cost efficient by making like 8-10 starters out of the one bottle... Allthough, the cost of it is even more reason to make it I guess...

 

[Interloper]

One of the liquid yeasts, and I can't remember which, I believe is reputed to be the Chimay strain?
Regardless there are plenty of good choices in the Belgian yeast area without resorting to culturing.

As for the approach of using extract and grains. Definitely.
This was my preferred method of brewing for a while.
Plenty of good specialty grains for use in belgians...
If you look at any AG recipe for a belgian you can then start with extract approximately equivalent to the base malts and add in the same sort of specialty grains from there.

The other good place to look is US homebrew sites, including stores, for recipes, as extract brewing is much more common. You can easily find loads of extract based recipes for belgians there...

http://www.beerrecipes.org/findrecipe.php, for example

Thanks for the link, now I just need to figure out what half the ingredients are and then convert pounds to kilos

 

[0M39A]

Fantastic beer aye, the recipe says that if you dont get a yeast starter going from a Chimay bottle then the final product will be inferior...

So what better excuse to go and buy a nice 750ml bottle of Chimay Blue

But the yeast in chimay blue bottles isnt the primary strain... its a bottling strain.

 

[Interloper]

But the yeast in chimay blue bottles isnt the primary strain... its a bottling strain.

Ahh so unlike Coopers which claim they use the same strain in both primary and bottling there are 2 yeasts in the Chimay?

Yeast is a fascinating thing, how can they all be so different? Perhaps the scientists can explain how it is bred and mutated and controlled?

 

[0M39A]

Ahh so unlike Coopers which claim they DO use the same strain in both primary and bottling there are 2 yeasts in the Chimay?

correct.

for best results, get a real belgian liquid yeast.

 

[reviled]

Incorrect, the chimay yeast is the same for primary and bottling, they use the same yeast for their white red and blue as well...

Its Duvel that use a different yeast for bottling...

Edit : This may help : Website which is handy http://www.nada.kth.se/~alun/Beer/Bottle-Yeasts/#BrDeKluis

Quote : Chimay
General
Apparently the same strain in all three versions. Appears to be primary strain. Several have had good results. Solvent and banana flavors at high fermentation temperatures or bad yeast health? Same as Wyeast 1214 Belgian Abbey?
Red
{1} Good alcohol tolerance. Balanced phenolics. Decent attenuation

 

[0M39A]

Incorrect, the chimay yeast is the same for primary and bottling, they use the same yeast for their white red and blue as well...

Its Duvel that use a different yeast for bottling...

Really?

I always remember being told that they use a different yeast for bottling as they wanted to keep their primary yeast private. doing some reading around now and some are saying it is, some are saying it isnt. most of what im reading leads me to believe that it is the primary yeast, but people have a hard time culturing it due to the high alcohol content of chimay blue (in particular) and its mutating.

now im dissapointed that ive been wasting so much good yeast i could be culturing think i have a red and blue in the fridge atm, might have to give it a go!

 

[Interloper]

think i have a red and blue in the fridge atm, might have to give it a go!

If you have any trouble getting that pesky Chimay alcohol off of your yeast just sing out, I'll help you get rid of it so you can get to the yeast.

 

[reviled]

The book I got that recipe out of swears that if you dont get a chimay yeast going it just wont taste the same, but if you do, then it will taste almost 100% identical...

Allthough according to that website that Wyeast is the same stuff...

I have about 6 bottles of chimay blue which ive drunk, but the yeast is still in there, theyve been like that for about 6 months, was planning to try and use them all to culture some yeast, reckon it will still be sweet? I resealed it with a cork...

 

[0M39A]

The book I got that recipe out of swears that if you dont get a chimay yeast going it just wont taste the same, but if you do, then it will taste almost 100% identical...

Allthough according to that website that Wyeast is the same stuff...

I have about 6 bottles of chimay blue which ive drunk, but the yeast is still in there, theyve been like that for about 6 months, was planning to try and use them all to culture some yeast, reckon it will still be sweet? I resealed it with a cork...

almost certainly no.

there would be a possibilty if you resealed with a cap and the bottle was only open for a few seconds, but even that would be pushing it.

with a cork though...

 

[reviled]

almost certainly no.

there would be a possibilty if you resealed with a cap and the bottle was only open for a few seconds, but even that would be pushing it.

with a cork though...

Feck So are we talking infection here? Or just dead yeast? And I resealed with the cork cos you cant cap those 750ml bottles... I have champagne stoppers for when I reuse them...

 

[goomboogo]

Reviled, would you be able to tell us the name of the book that contains this recipe for Chimay Blue?

 

[0M39A]

Feck So are we talking infection here? Or just dead yeast? And I resealed with the cork cos you cant cap those 750ml bottles... I have champagne stoppers for when I reuse them...

Nothing stopping you from making up a starter with it and doing the simple taste/smell test.

if it smells/tastes sour or anything, then dont use it, simple.

total loss if its off? some water and a little malt extract.

 

[reviled]

Reviled, would you be able to tell us the name of the book that contains this recipe for Chimay Blue?

Sure thing, its Brewing Crafts By Mike Rodgers Wilson, its based mainly at K&K brewers, as in there are absolutely no all grain recipes in there, but ive found some of them to be awesome, the Corona Extra recipe is spot on...

 

[stevenk]

Hey interloper

i have a tin of coopers canadian blonde ready to be brewed just out of curiousity would a morgans pale malt ( liquid 1.5Kg ) go ok with this beer may be some extra hops thrown in too ??

cheers.

 

[Interloper]

Hey interloper

i have a tin of coopers canadian blonde ready to be brewed just out of curiousity would a morgans pale malt ( liquid 1.5Kg ) go ok with this beer may be some extra hops thrown in too ??

cheers.

That sounds excellent. Good malt for the style, not too dark.

If you are going for the Belgian feel you might want to add in some candy sugar (lots of info here) to up the alcohol content and use a Belgian Ale yeast and some late hops as you want the floral/spicey notes without adding too much bitterness.

I used 15gms of Tettnanger hops for 10mins at the end of the boil and another 10gms dry hopped into the fermenter.

I used the safale T-58 which has added a very nice flavour, heaps better than what comes with the Canadian blonde kit. This is one of the best beers I've brewed using Kits and Bits - very popular with my mates!

 

[Jamz]

I've seen some people mention using golden syrup in Belgians because its an invert sugar. This is certainly cheaper than buying and a bit easier than making candi sugar. However having never made (or tasted) a Belgian brew, I'm curious as to how the it benefits from making/using candi sugar instead?

 

[Interloper]

I've seen some people mention using golden syrup in Belgians because its an invert sugar. This is certainly cheaper than buying and a bit easier than making candi sugar. However having never made (or tasted) a Belgian brew, I'm curious as to how the it benefits from making/using candi sugar instead?

Candy sugar with a bit of citric acid is pretty easy and cheap to make.

I use 500gms of table sugar ($1 or less) and 500gms of Dextrose ($2 or less) and a teaspoon of citric acid. Stir until pale golden/dissolved and then pour out onto foil to cool. It keeps cooking after you take it off the heat, so don't go too dark or it will taste burnt.

Let it set, then stick it in the fridge until you need it and just chuck it in the boil with your other fermentables when you come to brew day. I think golden syrup would be a bit too honey like, but haven't ever used it in a brew.

Loads of posts here just recommend straight up 1kg of table sugar and don't bother with all the faffing about - might try that next time!