MrEcted1

Recipes 

Hello,

I LOVE Belgian style beers... they are definitely my favorite style of brew. For the record some of my favorites are St. Bernardus Abt 12, Westmalle, Rochefort, Terrible, La Fin Du Monde, Piraat, Delirium, most Allagash belgian style brews... the list goes on and on (and it's not the point of this topic... just love talkin' bout Belgian style ales)

Anyways, is it relatively easy to create a decent Belgian style beer? I know they use special yeasts and use some wild techniques to create these brews, but i'm hopin' that I can at least come up with that heavenly belgian flavor by using extracts. Can someone point me in the right direction?

Thanks!

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Primary: Porter Potty (oaked porter)
Secondary:
Bottled:
Bottled (Drinking):
Next: IIPA

last batch review(Schwheat (wheat))

Appear: 3.5/5.
Mouthfeel: 3.5/5
Carb/Head: 3/5
Taste: 2.5/5
Overall: 3/5

An overall decent beer but it has too much of a banana character, I think it's because of fermenting at too high of a temp. Tasted better as it aged, but far from perfect.

Brewsmith

Recipes 

The biggest factor in my opinion would be the yeast. Use a Belgian or trappist strain to get close. I used the White Labs Belgian Ale on a fat tire clone I did. It didn't come out like fat tire, since they use an American strain, but it did have a good Belgian flavor to it. Beyond that, try adding some candi sugar to the extract.

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Fermenting:#142 5-Quarter Stout
Kegged:#141 American Nut Brown
Up Next:Liquid Whole Wheat Lager and Belgian, Wit
My Recipes
Tuba Sonata
Smith & Co. Custom Tap Handles

wild

Recipes 

The Chimay Grande Réserve recipe in Beer Captured is excellent. It explains the process for extract, mini-mash, and full mash.

Wild

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On Tap -

1. 3 year old Oak Aged Bourbon Porter
2. Irish Red Rye
3. Robust Porter
4. Russian Imperial Stout
5. Mirror Pond Clone dry hopped with Citra
6. Mirror Pond Clone dry hopped with Centennial

Primary - Nada
Secondary -

From man's sweat and God's love, beer came into the world. -- Saint Arnoldus

cweston

Recipes 

The Szamatulskis' first book in that series, Clone Brews, also has extract (and mini-mash and AG) recipes for a number of well-known Belgians.

Here's the thing about extract vs all-grain: there are three primary ingrediants effecting beer flavor: the grain, the hop, the yeast. Then there are a whole bunch of technique variables: fermentation temp is the big one.

In extract brewing, you're really only giving up some control over the grains: what, exactly, they are, how they are mashed, etc. So, yeah, you're giving up some control, but you still have control over every other aspect of the process. And especially with Belgian styles, the yeast strain is definitely the number one thing.

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Primary: none
Secondary:
Bottle conditioning: Robust Porter
Drinking: Saison Dupont clone, tripel
Coming soon: Columbus APA, Rich Red ale

Spoonta

Recipes 

Mate I have made a Leffe Blonde and a Hoegaarden with kits send as a message if you want the recipes

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"There is nothing more lonesome than a pub with no beer" (slim dusty)


Primary
blonde ale & Belgium Ale
Secondary #1
Empty
Bottled
Corona & Coopers Ginger beer
Kegged
Kolsh & Hopped Pale Ale