Style Of The Week 24/10/07 - Belgian Pale Ale

[Stuster]

Good call to round out the malts for a BPA. I'd aim to add a bit more calcium chloride rather than gypsum. The ratio is supposed to be balanced to chloride for a malt-driven beer, something like a 2:1 ratio of chloride to sulphate might be a good idea. But Antwerp water certainly seems fine to brew this kind of with as well.

 

[drsmurto]

Cheers Stuster!

 

[Swinging Beef]

This is the first pale beer i have brewed with rainwater which is balanced towards the malt.

Well if you are using the Ardennes yeast, I dont know how much malt is gonna shine thru.
It has a distninctive and amazingly good aroma.
Check your headspace. Last two ferments I did with this yeast had krausen 150% the size of the beer within 24 hours!

 

[Stuster]

There's certainly some malt in the McChouffe beer they make with (supposedly) this yeast though, SB. Good info on the krausen with that yeast. Hmm, I think I might have to re-visit this yeast when the weather gets warmer. :icon_cheers:

 

[Katherine]

Having a go at my first Belgian on the weekend

Your thoughts and what is the best way to use this yeast

Belgian Pale
Brew Type: All Grain Date: 16/11/2008
Style: Belgian Pale Ale Brewer: Rook
Batch Size: 25.00 L
Boil Volume: 33.60 L Boil Time: 90 min
Brewhouse Efficiency: 70.0 %


Ingredients Amount Item Type % or IBU
4.50 kg Pale Malt (Barrett Burston) (3.9 EBC) Grain 75.0 %
0.70 kg Munich II (Weyermann) (22.0 EBC) Grain 11.7 %
0.50 kg Vienna Malt (Weyermann) (7.0 EBC) Grain 8.3 %
0.30 kg Caraamber (Weyermann) (70.9 EBC) Grain 5.0 %
50.00 gm Goldings, East Kent [4.30%] (90 min) Hops 23.3 IBU
30.00 gm Styrian Goldings [2.00%] (15 min) Hops 3.0 IBU
1.00 gm Calcium Chloride (Mash 90.0 min) Misc
1.00 gm Epsom Salt (MgSO4) (Mash 90.0 min) Misc
1.00 items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
5.00 gm Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) (Mash 90.0 min) Misc
1 Pkgs Belgian Ardennes (Wyeast Labs #3522) Yeast-Wheat

Mash at 65c

Beer Profile Estimated Original Gravity: 1.053 SG (1.048-1.054 SG)
Estimated Final Gravity: 1.013 SG (1.010-1.014 SG)
Estimated Color: 14.0 EBC (15.8-27.6 EBC)
Bitterness: 26.3 IBU (20.0-30.0 IBU)
Estimated Alcohol by Volume: 5.1 % (4.8-5.5 %)


Rook

Ive got to do it. My first Belgium! And I think the Pale Ale will be the closet my palate will handle! So this one is booked in on our brewing calender, Lloyd is brewing a Best Bitter today, Im brewing a Hopburst tonight. Saturday another Bitter... So this has to wait until next week!

 

[therook]

Ive got to do it. My first Belgium! And I think the Pale Ale will be the closet my palate will handle! So this one is booked in on our brewing calender, Lloyd is brewing a Best Bitter today, Im brewing a Hopburst tonight. Saturday another Bitter... So this has to wait until next week!

You will love it Katie.......

Rook

 

[jayse]

That recipe looks like it would be a great beer, i'd use the barrett burstons pale ale malt rather than the pale malt and you can easily use 30% munich II in a belgian pale ale, even more. 500g of vienna malt won't make any difference, you could use vienna for the base malt though.

I judged a heap of Bpas' on sunday and they were mostly all very excellent beers much in the sassy blonde style but most lacked a little in malty ,toasty and bscuity aroma and were overly driven in aroma by fruity orange and pear with sweetish malt. That sometimes translated in a somewhat candy like flavour.
They were all well rounded and soft malty mostly and looking back after I thought I may have been scoring low through out based simply on them being overly fruity and sweet soft malt balanced and not quite there malt wise. The malt shouldn't be too disimiliar to that of some english bitters with lovely floor malted ale malt character I think.
In fact in the same flight there were also 3 english pale ales which were very similar to the BPAs'.

 

[Katherine]

That recipe looks like it would be a great beer, i'd use the barrett burstons pale ale malt rather than the pale malt and you can easily use 30% munich II in a belgian pale ale, even more. 500g of vienna malt won't make any difference, you could use vienna for the base malt though.

I judged a heap of Bpas' on sunday and they were mostly all very excellent beers much in the sassy blonde style but most lacked a little in malty ,toasty and bscuity aroma and were overly driven in aroma by fruity orange and pear with sweetish malt. That sometimes translated in a somewhat candy like flavour.
They were all well rounded and soft malty mostly and looking back after I thought I may have been scoring low through out based simply on them being overly fruity and sweet soft malt balanced and not quite there malt wise. The malt shouldn't be too disimiliar to that of some english bitters with lovely floor malted ale malt character I think.
In fact in the same flight there were also 3 english pale ales which were very similar to the BPAs'.

I dont want the candy like flavour at all! I want a summer thirst quencher!

If I use the Vienna as a base malt what will that actually do! Im still learning about my grains. I dont mind malty beers but dont want to much residue sweetness.

 

[mikem108]

I judged a heap of Bpas' on sunday and they were mostly all very excellent beers much in the sassy blonde style but most lacked a little in malty ,toasty and bscuity aroma and were overly driven in aroma by fruity orange and pear with sweetish malt. That sometimes translated in a somewhat candy like flavour.

They were all well rounded and soft malty mostly and looking back after I thought I may have been scoring low through out based simply on them being overly fruity and sweet soft malt balanced and not quite there malt wise. The malt shouldn't be too disimiliar to that of some english bitters with lovely floor malted ale malt character I think.

any early results yet Jayse?

 

[jayse]

I dont want the candy like flavour at all! I want a summer thirst quencher!

If I use the Vienna as a base malt what will that actually do! Im still learning about my grains. I dont mind malty beers but dont want to much residue sweetness.

Vienna is a base malt, its not really all the malty no more then some pale ale malts in some ways, if you mash lower you'll get great malt without being too full.

any early results yet Jayse?

That was just the state comp ones the mash paddle judging is this weekend coming up and I am betting there will be some wonderfull beers.

 

[Katherine]

Thanks Jayse.

 

[raven19]

From the Wyeast Site.

One of many great beer yeast to produce classic Belgian ales. Phenolics develop with increased fermentation temperatures, mild fruitiness and complex spicy character.

Origin:
Flocculation: high
Attenuation: 72-76%
Temperature Range: 65-85 F (18-29 C)
Alcohol Tolerance: approximately 12% ABV

Nice.

So can I ask for thoughts on fermentation temperatures for the WY 3522 for The Rook's / Dr Smurto's Belgian?

That range is quite achievable for me here in Adelaide (with no fermentation fridge) as its a nice cool week in the high teens... starter is ready to pitch tonight.

I presume it will not be as 'touchy' as a wheat beer yeast in regards to banana/clove etc...

Keen to hear your thoughts belgian brewers.

 

[drsmurto]

Push it hard, i fermented at ~24C and the spice definitely came through.

 

[raven19]

Warren reckons 20-22 pitch then raise to 25 after a while.
I shall try to emulate low to mid twenties for sure.
Thanks for the yeasties again mate, starter is bubbling away already!

 

[brettprevans]

20-22 pitch then raise to 25 after a while.
emulate low to mid twenties for sure.

+1
the belgian brew books (eg Brew like a Monk) also reccomend this as they expect the beer to naturally climb to mid 20's with the heat generated from fermentation. of course they help it along if they need to.

 

[drsmurto]

I will happily defer to Warrens comments as i have brewed exactly 1 belgian beer. Ever. :lol:

 

[raven19]

Looking to source a decent heat source prior to pitching.

At home its around 18...

Thanks for the comments on ferment temps! :icon_cheers:

 

[warrenlw63]

Thanks for the mention Raven. Looks like I'm in strife if it goes pear-shaped.
Enjoy the beer!

Warren -

 

[mika]

If you're going for style I'd personally ferment a bit cooler. As per the description on page 1, it's not meant to be as fruity or as spicy as your regular belgians. Some is OK, but I wouldn't go mad with it.
If you're not brewing to style, then go for it.

 

[Effect]

If you're going for style I'd personally ferment a bit cooler. As per the description on page 1, it's not meant to be as fruity or as spicy as your regular belgians. Some is OK, but I wouldn't go mad with it.
If you're not brewing to style, then go for it.

yeah, would have to agree with that...don't push the 1388 too much, but I think the other yeast you are using won't through out strong 'belgian' flavours.

Cheers
Phil