I got a little bit higher OG than expected. 1.090 before the final pound of D2 which I'm putting in tomorrow. Should be 11.2%ish.
Also, I am drinking juvinious' westy 8 right now and it is quite good! If there is sufficient interest for a Westvleteren clone competition next year maybe I'll make it a mandatory 8/12 partigyle style
....In a related note, who wants to start a Cuvee De Tomme clone? Cuvee De Tomme is their quadrupel, Judgement Day, which is then taken and put in a bourbon barrel with some of the bugs from their sours like duck duck gooze, with sour cherries added as well. The end result is an absolutely amazing beer which IMO is one of the best I've ever had.....
Anyone else down for the next project and wants to go the distance?
That sounds wonderful. I was out at the Belgian Beer Fest this weekend in Boston. I missed the night of the funk, but I was at the next session. Blew me away...
Anyhow I wandered over to the Lost Abbey booth (manned by Tomme himself), by the time I got there, Cuvee De Tomme was gone!!!!! I did however get to try the duck duck gooze, I had to go back 3-4 more times to make sure I got a good feel for it.
The project sounds fun nonetheless, I think I might be down if I can get a hold of a vessel I can use for long time maturing.
[edit]
Oh and I also saw your tweet the other night when you were trying my 8. I'm glad you liked it, I'm quite surprised as I feel that it needs work. I also get hints of an off hand astringent flavor. But maybe that's my imagination, I'd like to hear about Freeze's 8.
That sounds wonderful. I was out at the Belgian Beer Fest this weekend in Boston. I missed the night of the funk, but I was at the next session. Blew me away...
Anyhow I wandered over to the Lost Abbey booth (manned by Tomme himself), by the time I got there, Cuvee De Tomme was gone!!!!! I did however get to try the duck duck gooze, I had to go back 3-4 more times to make sure I got a good feel for it.
The project sounds fun nonetheless, I think I might be down if I can get a hold of a vessel I can use for long time maturing.
[edit]
Oh and I also saw your tweet the other night when you were trying my 8. I'm glad you liked it, I'm quite surprised as I feel that it needs work. I also get hints of an off hand astringent flavor. But maybe that's my imagination, I'd like to hear about Freeze's 8.
I remember from last time I had the westvleterens that I thought the 8 had a ritcher taste, while the 12 was stronger. I imagine they would have fermented differently maybe, because the 8 has definatly got more variety of flavour-componants. Not more fruity, but maybe slightly spicy. As wrong as it may sound, I thought the 8 was better than the 12.
I am not a good brewer, just a good drinker, so i thought it may be of some help to some of you top brewers.
kingoslo
Just let the yeast heat it up naturally, usually takes about 8-12 hours from 65f pitching temp.
Also, this thread is more about the competition Recipe kind of stuff should go over in the other Westvleteren thread
I am just ordering the hops to your revised traditional recipe (The Pious #3 recipe {?}) now.
I have always been of the opinion that the Westvleterens (including the Westvleteren Blond I am drinking just now, to double check) that it is much less estery than say Rochefort 8* & 10* and particularly the ester bombs from Scourmont Abbey (the monastery that makes Chimay), and in particular the bleue and rouge.
I would like to propose a question and let you more experienced brewers consider it.
Do you think escalating the temp from pitch temp to the 82-84*F, as Brother Joris kindly has let us know, at a slower rate would make it closer to the authentic beer?
I was thinking increasing it to 82-84*F over maybe 3 days, was a competitive idea.
Marius, I let it naturally ramp up to 84 degrees without trying to slow it down and the esters were still relatively low. I think the yeast just doesn't throw as many as a lot of the other belgian yeasts. In the HBT competition the judges biggest complaint was that it needed a bigger ester profile and should have been fermented hotter! I already did it at 84 guys! But that's another story, I think they were mostly confused the whole time. I say let it ramp up naturally and you'll get a good ester profile.
__________________
I'm too lazy and have too many beers going to keep updating this!
I already did it at 84 guys! But that's another story, I think they were mostly confused the whole time. I say let it ramp up naturally and you'll get a good ester profile.
Linear Mode
