Lobo's Belgian Golden Strong Ale

[lobo]

hi all, this will be a first for a couple of things, first time brewing a belgian strong ale, and first time brewing with candi syrip. any info on how to use/when to use it would be great.

here is the recipe. any of you belgian brewers care to help out?


lobo's belgian golden strong ale

A ProMash Recipe Report

BJCP Style and Style Guidelines
-------------------------------

18-D Belgian Strong Ale, Belgian Golden Strong Ale

Min OG: 1.070 Max OG: 1.095
Min IBU: 25 Max IBU: 35
Min Clr: 9 Max Clr: 15 Color in EBC

Recipe Specifics
----------------

Batch Size (L): 23.00 Wort Size (L): 23.00
Total Grain (kg): 7.00
Anticipated OG: 1.074 Plato: 17.95
Anticipated EBC: 8.7
Anticipated IBU: 26.2
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75 %
Wort Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Pre-Boil Amounts
----------------

Evaporation Rate: 5.00 L Per Hour
Pre-Boil Wort Size: 28.00 L
Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.061 SG 14.91 Plato


Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential EBC
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
85.7 6.00 kg. JWM Export Pilsner Australia 1.037 3
7.1 0.50 kg. Candi Sugar (clear) Generic 1.046 0
7.1 0.50 kg. Weyermann Pale Wheat Germany 1.038 4

Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
30.00 g. Styrian Goldings Pellet 4.80 18.4 60 min.
25.00 g. Styrian Goldings Pellet 4.80 7.8 30 min.


Notes
-----

yeast is 3655pc belgian schelde ale



should i boil for longer/ step mash etc?

i am aiming to get a quite dry beer, i would hate it to be too sweet and cloying. will prob mash at 63. i have just entered the 500ml candi syrup as 500g, is that right?

cheers,

Lobo

 

[manticle]

Still trying to knock out a belgian I'm happy with. Along the way I have learnt a few things though (and the beers are improving).

Some (I don't know about all) belgian brews are mashed very hot but long. I believe westmalle mash above 70 but for 90-120 minutes. This is something I've been playing with (although I only go as high as 68). Previous attempts were low mashes - resulting beer was thinner and drier than commercial examples.

As for the sugar - depending on how much is going in, I have been advised and agreed after trying it, that sugar should be added in stages after primary ferment has slowed to avoid development of too much hot alcohol.

I also believe that a lot of belgian brews are hopped a little higher than a lot of people seem to think but that is dependent on the brew and just my mind trying to discern flavours.

 

[lobo]

thanks for the info manticle, so what is the benefit of mashing longer? and do you just pour in part of the syrup into the fermenter? do you stir it in, etc?

lobo

 

[manticle]

As I said I'm still playing around with longer times and high temps. Maltiness and fermentability are the results of mash temp but they are also affected by mash time. As far as I understand (and I need to do much more reading and much more brewing) you can get different results by playing around. Mashing high gives less fermentable wort, mashing long gives more so it's a matter of fiddling for the right balance. No idea on the scientific explanation of effects on enzymatic activity though I'm sorry. I'm sure the info is out there somewhere.

I understand it's a common practice in English brewing and I believe some Belgians too (the aforementioned westmalle being one).

As for the syrup - I gently add it in (no splashing). No need to stir - it's basically fully fermentable. Give it a couple of days or wait till gravity stabilises then add in the next bit. If I were adding in 800g for eample (as I did in my currently conditioning tripel) I would add 200 to the boil, then 200 every 2 or 3 days after primary had stopped.

I am by no means an expert - this is just how I'm treating belgians at the moment based on bits and pieces of advice and my own limited experience showing that advice to be good.

 

[peas_and_corn]

When I saw the topic title I thought "Don't Lobo make cider??"

 

[hoohaaman]

My suggestion,would be use a good pils grain,no wheat.Enough pils to get OG 1.055.Mash around 66c
Styrian goldings@ 90 mins=26 ibu
Saaz@15 mins=6.3

Pitch with large healthy wy 1388 or equivalent @ 18c allow to rise to 28c over 7 days add enough table sugar after fermentation starts to subside to reach OG of 1.071.After reaching FG of around 1.008 or below,cold condition for minimum 4 weeks.

The Brewery apparently starts at 1.065 and finishes at 1.004,at home without such methods available to pro brewers 1.071-1.008 is easier to achieve.

Hope that helps,this is my most requested beer to brew.

 

[NDH]

I'm looking at making a partial Belgian Strong with 3711 saison after reading some threads suggesting it would work well. I am intereseted in the temperature ramp for the 1388 and if that would translate well to the 3711? Has anyone used this yeast for a strong in the past and is it necessary to ramp it up?

I'm planning on doing this and a plain APA this weekend and only have the one controlled environment for fermenting (chesty with an STC-1000). Will I get away with keeping it around 20 degrees so I don't freak out the Nottingham in the APA?

Cheers

NDH

 

[Nick JD]

I'm looking at making a partial Belgian Strong with 3711 saison after reading some threads suggesting it would work well. I am intereseted in the temperature ramp for the 1388 and if that would translate well to the 3711? Has anyone used this yeast for a strong in the past and is it necessary to ramp it up?

I'm planning on doing this and a plain APA this weekend and only have the one controlled environment for fermenting (chesty with an STC-1000). Will I get away with keeping it around 20 degrees so I don't freak out the Nottingham in the APA?

Cheers

NDH

Saison is a pretty broad style and a very characteristic yeast. It's not unusual to see them in the "strong" (8%+) SG region - and it's a very unique yeast - so you'd really be making a Saison if you use that yeast as it'll finish too dry and have very "saison" like flavours.

If you add Saison yeast to any wort you're making a saison.