Trappist Ale

[mongo]

After having some Chimay bleu at the local Belgian pub, I can't stop thinking about how to brew the stuff. After doing a search on this site, I found that quite a few people were thinking about brewing one (trough lolly, for example). These posts happened earlier in the year.
HOW DID THEY GO??, and if they went well, are you a brewing superstar who cannot be emulated by a poor newbie like me? Also - what recipe did you use, and what would you change for the next brew?
Cheers,
Steve.

 

[Sean]

After having some Chimay bleu at the local Belgian pub, I can't stop thinking about how to brew the stuff. After doing a search on this site, I found that quite a few people were thinking about brewing one (trough lolly, for example). These posts happened earlier in the year.
HOW DID THEY GO??, and if they went well, are you a brewing superstar who cannot be emulated by a poor newbie like me? Also - what recipe did you use, and what would you change for the next brew?
Cheers,
Steve.

[post="76891"][/post]​

Of course, if you really want to brew a trappist beer then you'll have to take the vows of silence, poverty, etc.

 

[mongo]

If I get to choose how I get poor, I'm in!
I'll be the best kitted-out home-brewing monk around!

 

[warrenlw63]

Mongo.

Not sure if you're able to do an AG version, however this one come fairly close to Chimay Blue. Ingredients are most probably different. Mine just lacked a bit of that nice complexity of the real thing. Not bad at all though. :beerbang:


Trappist

A ProMash Recipe Report

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

18-E Belgian Strong Ale, Belgian Dark Strong Ale

Min OG: 1.075 Max OG: 1.132
Min IBU: 15 Max IBU: 35
Min Clr: 36 Max Clr: 52 Color in EBC

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

Batch Size (L): 24.00 Wort Size (L): 24.00
Total Grain (kg): 8.61
Anticipated OG: 1.089 Plato: 21.30
Anticipated EBC: 45.1
Anticipated IBU: 28.7
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75 %
Wort Boil Time: 75 Minutes



Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential EBC
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
81.3 7.00 kg. Weyermann Pilsner Germany 1.038 4
2.9 0.25 kg. Weyermann Caramunich II Germany 1.035 167
1.7 0.15 kg. Weyermann Caraaroma Germany 1.034 470
1.7 0.15 kg. Weyermann Acidulated Germany 1.000 5
1.2 0.10 kg. Weyermann Carafa Special I Germany 1.036 1277
0.7 0.06 kg. Flaked Wheat America 1.034 4
10.5 0.90 kg. Yellow Lump Sugar Generic 1.046 0

Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.


Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
22.00 g. Goldings - E.K. Pellet 6.00 16.2 75 min.
22.00 g. Saaz Pellet 4.00 10.8 75 min.
5.00 g. Goldings - E.K. Pellet 6.00 1.8 30 min.
20.00 g. Saaz Pellet 4.00 0.0 0 min.
15.00 g. Goldings - E.K. Pellet 5.00 0.0 0 min.


Yeast
-----

WYeast 3942 Belgian Wheat



Hope this helps. :unsure:

Warren -

 

[barfridge]

Looks good Warren, but why not use the Chimay yeast? (Wyeast 1214 Belgian Ale Yeast).

I'm sure that would make a huge difference.

 

[warrenlw63]

Barfridge.

Had a big slurry of 3942 on hand at the time. Oddly enough it worked very well. I fermented it at 18c. Wound up a little too clean but still an excellent drop with some nice plummy notes.

Anytime I've used 1214 it's always gone a little on the banana side. Never seemed to master it properly. :unsure:

Warren -

 

[Snow]

Mongo, here's a partial mash recipe that worked realy well for me:

1kg German Pilsener malt
2kg pale liquid malt extract
1kg pale dry malt extract
250g medium crystal malt (60L)
250g Cara Munich
250g Cara Aroma (dark crystal - 350 EBC)
55g Saaz pellets 60 mins
15g Fuggles pellets 2 mins
Wyeast 3787 Trappist High Gravity

If I was going to do it again, I would add more Caraaroma, and some melanoidin.

Cheers - Snow

 

[tangent]

That sounds awesome Snow.
I'm getting fantastic results with crystal malts. They certainly are they key!

 

[mongo]

Thanks for those recipes. Seems like it might be a little less straight forward than the more commonly brewed stuff.
Snow - were you trying to clone anything in particular? If so, what was it, and did it come out as expected?
Tangent - you have some history with breing the belgian stuff?

 

[Snow]

Mongo,

I was trying to clone a dark trappist ale/dubbel style in the vein of Chimay Blue. It was definitely a good dubbel, with lots of malty, plummy notes and became really well rounded after 3-6 months in the bottle. I can't say it was very close to Chimay, for a number of reasons - they use diferent yeast (a blend I think), different hops (Styrian Goldings I think), high fermentation temps (up to 30C!!) and probably have a different malt bill.....so a completely different beer all together, I suppose!

Anyway, my beer rocked and I'll be brewing it again. Just bear in mind that cloning specific Belgian beers is very difficult due to specific variations in local environmental factors, ingredients, brewing methods, blending and storage methods, etc. I've pretty much given up trying to clone specific Belgians (other than Hoegaarden, which I'm pretty damn close to nailing) and just make my own funky Belgian brews which taste very authentic, if not specific. Just have fun experimenting! :beer:

Cheers - Snow

 

[mongo]

I had a suspicion about the difficulty of cloning a specific belgian. Thanks very much for your advice. I will do exactly what you reccommend - although 3 -6 months may nearly kill me!
I will post back here after I have attempted your recipe.
Cheers!
Steve.
PS - I may soon be bothering you about your Hoegaarden!

 

[mongo]

Just looked up that high gravity Wyeast, and it mentions "incrementally feeding sugar". What the ...?
I have done a bit of a search on it, but have not found any specific instructions as to how this is done - but plenty of people looking for something specific. There are of course some people saying that they will toss in a cupfull of sugar every now and again. Seems a bit blaze to me.
Any good links to articles on this (if in fact it is considered to be a requirement of a good trappist)?

 

[kook]

I can't say it was very close to Chimay, for a number of reasons - they use diferent yeast (a blend I think), different hops (Styrian Goldings I think), high fermentation temps (up to 30C!!) and probably have a different malt bill.....so a completely different beer all together, I suppose!

Plus they use malt extracts and hop extracts (isohops) too

If you read the 2003? 2004? bottlings it lists those in french and dutch.

 

[warrenlw63]

Actually if you read Jackson's Great Beers of Belgium Chimay by all accounts use American hops for bittering (Galena). They also use "six-row" winter barley, caramunich and wheat.

Warren -

 

[kook]

Actually if you read Jackson's Great Beers of Belgium Chimay by all accounts use American hops for bittering (Galena). They also use "six-row" winter barley, caramunich and wheat.

American hop extract is used

Interesting article on it here:

http://www.whitebeertravels.co.uk/chimay.html

 

[warrenlw63]

Not a bad conspiracy theory Kook.

Sounds like they're only being honest enough to admitting what they may use on occasion. Hop extract and malt extract (sinmar colouring agent) for correctional purposes only.

In other words to correct faults in the finished/conditioning beer in terms of bitterness and colour? :unsure: They go on a bit about the wheat starch. Maybe for heading purposes?

Suppose it all boils down to the fact. The beer still tastes great. However I think that it's changed a little. Let's hope it doesn't become too much of a victim of it's own success.

Warren -

 

[warrenlw63]

A very good article Kook. :super:

I'm reading on further. It's got some great insights. Also has the (presumed) grain bill for Chimay White. 66% malt; 22% wheat starch; and 12% candy sugar.

Handy enough within itself to know.

I'll keep reading on... Thanks for that.

Warren -