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**Ryush806** · 09-14-2011, 08:13 PM

This recipe looks great! Just ordered the ingredients so hopefully I can brew it next week. I have one question though. When exactly would you add the candi-syrup? Flame out? 5 minutes? Does it matter?

**argyle** · 02-24-2013, 11:05 PM

RESURRECTION!!!

I'd like some feedback on this recipe. It has been here for quite a while, so I suspect a few more people have a had the opportunity to try it and can provide a little feedback. I am planning to brew it this weekend.

Let me know what to expect and if you modified the recipe any. Thanks!

**Ryush806** · 02-25-2013, 12:59 AM

This is a pretty good recipe. Mine turned out similar to Chimay Red but lighter and more refreshing with a sweet almost apple-like overtone. I followed the recipe exactly however I don't think my fermentation schedule was perfect for it. Haha and it wasn't completely my fault. I brewed this beer right before my wedding/honeymoon Oct 2011. After the initial fermentation slowed I pulled it out of the fridge to let it finish up at room temp of 73 F. Upon returning from our honeymoon it was fairly obvious the AC had gone out in my apartment and the temp was about 85 F (still very warm in south AR in October). I think this might have had something to do with it seeming a little thin but I don't know for sure. Surprisingly, I also didn't get a lot of the Belgian type flavors in this brew. I also have zero head retention on this brew. Not a huge deal but it sure would have been nice. This has been my one and only Belgian brew since they aren't my favorite style so I'm sure there were lots of things I did wrong. I haven't tried to correct any so hopefully someone more experienced with it can chime in on some fixes.

This beer has improved a lot with aging. I haven't had one recently but it was pretty good at 8 months and again at 1 year.

**argyle** · 02-25-2013, 03:54 PM

Quote:

This is a pretty good recipe. Mine turned out similar to Chimay Red but lighter and more refreshing with a sweet almost apple-like overtone. I followed the recipe exactly however I don't think my fermentation schedule was perfect for it. Haha and it wasn't completely my fault. I brewed this beer right before my wedding/honeymoon Oct 2011. After the initial fermentation slowed I pulled it out of the fridge to let it finish up at room temp of 73 F. Upon returning from our honeymoon it was fairly obvious the AC had gone out in my apartment and the temp was about 85 F (still very warm in south AR in October). I think this might have had something to do with it seeming a little thin but I don't know for sure. Surprisingly, I also didn't get a lot of the Belgian type flavors in this brew. I also have zero head retention on this brew. Not a huge deal but it sure would have been nice. This has been my one and only Belgian brew since they aren't my favorite style so I'm sure there were lots of things I did wrong. I haven't tried to correct any so hopefully someone more experienced with it can chime in on some fixes.

Thanks for the response!

A very late congrats on the wedding. I hope you are still on a honeymoon of sorts.

My fermentation schedules usually are not strict rules, but only suggestions or targets to which I'd like to hit. Sounds like there were a few hiccups in your schedule, but you produced a good brew anyway!

Anyone else have the opportunity to brew this? What were your results or changes to the recipe? Suggestions.

TANSTAAFB · 02-25-2013, 05:06 PM

Unfortunately I failed to write out any tasting notes from my version of this brew

However, from what I remember it was a VERY vigorous fermentation (I even built a Burton Union one sleepless night and top cropped yeast from the blowoff!!!) that showed signs of being active for over 2 weeks. Even in a fermentation chamber it was difficult to keep temps under control. I allowed this to slowly ramp to about 78* over the course of the fermentation to get full attenuation and to allow some Belgian funk out

Because of the higher temps the alcohol was pretty strong at first and there were a lot of esters, but all the flavors mellowed and blended within a couple of months...it was hard to stop "sampling" and I probably did not give it enough time to do it justice. The flavors were complex--dark fruit, caramel/ toffee like flavors, roasty burnt flavors from the sugars, malt backbone, some spiciness from the hops (I'm sure the Nelson Sauvin threw its 2 cents in!), and phenols and esters from the yeast. It ended up being pretty damn dry (1075 down to 1013) but was not thin or weak. I remember it being VERY tasty but a pretty strong beer, both in flavor and alcohol.

I saved a single bomber and brought it to a friend's wedding--"Rarest beer on earth--I made the the Belgian sugar that went into making this and this is the last bottle left in existence!" and it was a little disappointing. I bottled on 4-15-11 and the wedding was 5-26-12, so it had diminished a little over the course of a year. It was still good but a little too old and oxidized.

**argyle** · 02-27-2013, 12:08 AM

Quote:

The flavors were complex--dark fruit, caramel/ toffee like flavors, roasty burnt flavors from the sugars, malt backbone, some spiciness from the hops (I'm sure the Nelson Sauvin threw its 2 cents in!), and phenols and esters from the yeast.

I am looking to get those flavors too. I am happy to hear that they were present in your brew!

Anyone else care to share a review or notes on this recipe?

TANSTAAFB · 02-27-2013, 02:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by argyle

I am looking to get those flavors too. I am happy to hear that they were present in your brew!

Anyone else care to share a review or notes on this recipe?

Most of the dark fruit, caramel/ toffee and toasty flavors came from the homemade sugar...it was dark and intense! YMMV

**argyle** · 03-03-2013, 05:22 PM

Brewing this recipe today! I am 45 minutes into the mash. I am modifying the recipe a little bit though.

1. Substituting dark Belgian candy sugar for the amber sugar syrup.
2. I am not doing a FWH instead I'll be doing a 60 and 15 minute addition and will be using a different hop.

I've never made this recipe so I don't know how it will compare to the original, but all I'm really shooting for is the Belgian Dubbel Style.

I'll let you know how it turns out.