Recipe Type: All Grain
Yeast: Wyeast Ardennes
Yeast Starter: Wyeast Smack pack
Additional Yeast or Yeast Starter: none
Batch Size (Gallons): 5
Original Gravity: 1075
Final Gravity: 1015
IBU: 5.5
Boiling Time (Minutes): 90
Color: Golden
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): one week
Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 4 days
Tasting Notes: malty, spicy, hoppy, orange licorice and coriander in the nose and flavour.

This beer began as my standard La Chouffe clone but circumstances changed the recipe and it came out more as a Karmeliete clone instead.

16 lbs of lager malt
1 lbs of CaraPils
1 500ml bottle of white syrup

1 ounce of Hallertau for 90 minutes
.25 ounce of Hallertau at 5 minutes

I've been experimenting with spiced beers and the timing of spice additions. I think I'm finally getting somewhere as this beer turned out to have an almost perfect balance of spice from the yeast and from the spice additions.

My mashing schedule comes from a conversation I had with Mark Stutrud (Summit Brewing) a long time ago. He was talking about the most efficient method of pulling sugars out of a given malt bill and explained this method.

Mash at a low temp (148 to 152) for a half hour and then raise to 160 for 15 minutes. I usually follow this schedule unless I am purposely looking to create a more attenuated beer, in which case i mash at 148 for 45 minutes. This beer followed my usual schedule.

I fermented in the warmest room of my house with a brew belt warmer attached. I averaged 72F for the primary. Many Belgian yeasts have to be fermented at a high temp (up to 85F) to get their unique spiciness to come out.

I added licorice root from my local health food store at 10.

I cut the zest from two tangerines and put that in along with .5 ounce of crushed coriander seed as I turned the heat off. I usually let the beer sit for a few minutes before transferring it to the cooling vessel.

This has been in the keg for just over a week. It is the kind of beer that can be drunk young. As it ages it will dry out and loose some of the bright fresh flavours. Still a very nice beer when it ages but quite different from the young version.

On having a good first taste of this last night I have to say it is very very good. My wife called it Ambrosia.