Belgian Export Stout grain choices, recipe, & souring?

I'm trying to decide on the grain bill and secondary microbes for a 'Belgian' export stout. I've got the wyeast 3942 (from De Dolle) for primary & will probably end up brewing 10 gallons to split - half for bugs and half clean in secondary. I've got some Brett C. I think that would be a fun 'authentic' choice for export stout, but really liked the sour stout I had recently and might try one of the 'Flemish cocktails' instead.

I'm modeling the beer on De Dolle's stout, but probably not going for 9%, thinking more 6.5% - 7.5%. Trying to keep it pretty simple, pale, special b, roast barley, and maybe debittered black and some wheat. Ideas or suggestions much appreciated!

How did the brews turn out? I have a starter made using the Wyeast Belgian Stout Yeast. The yeast is supposed to be the strain used for Hercule, one of my favorite stouts. I haven't decided on my recipe yet.

Well, I did a clean version and that came out fantastic. Definitely something I'll brew again. Also have one cellaring on wild blackberries with brett brux. Pulled a sample after about two months and I'm very excited about this one. Hoping to have it bottled around June or so.

Haven't had Hercule in quite a while, so I can't compare it to that, but I can post a recipe if you want.

I'd love to see the recipe. BTW, I am also a big fan of De Dolle, and my wife and I met Kris the owner during Philly Beer Week last year. It was his first visit to the US. He gave us his business card when we told him we planned to visit Belgium again. He said he would give us a private tour of the brewery. Hope to visit next year.

Definitey not a clone of De Dolle, but here's the recipe I used for a 6 gallon batch with 75% efficiency, 1.062 OG, mashed at 148.

6 Row Pale Malt 9 lbs (just what I use, 2 row will get you higher OG)
Wheat Malt 1.5 lbs
Special B 1.5 lbs
Flaked Barley 1.5 lbs
DeBittered Black .75 lbs
Roasted Barley .75 lbs
Dark Syrup .5lbs
Brewer's Gold 1.5 oz @ 60.

If I saw the recipe, I wouldn't think it would do well with brett as a secondary, but after I tasted it with the blackberries, I changed my mind. Hopefully I can start doing 10 gallon batches so I can do a couple versions from the same brew.

TNGabe said:

Definitey not a clone of De Dolle, but here's the recipe I used for a 6 gallon batch with 75% efficiency, 1.062 OG, mashed at 148.

6 Row Pale Malt 9 lbs (just what I use, 2 row will get you higher OG)
Wheat Malt 1.5 lbs
Special B 1.5 lbs
Flaked Barley 1.5 lbs
DeBittered Black .75 lbs
Roasted Barley .75 lbs
Dark Syrup .5lbs
Brewer's Gold 1.5 oz @ 60.

If I saw the recipe, I wouldn't think it would do well with brett as a secondary, but after I tasted it with the blackberries, I changed my mind. Hopefully I can start doing 10 gallon batches so I can do a couple versions from the same brew.

Click to expand...

Thanks for posting it.

Can I ask when you added the blackberries? I have 5kg of sour cherries and am planning a sour mashed export stout (modeled on De Dolle's) with Brett L and Cherries. I think I'll split the batch, half clean and half with the brett L and then blend. Just trying to think of when to add the cherries.

Here is my recipe for what its worth

Batch Size: 5 gal
Est OG: 1.087
IBU: 50
Boil Time: 90 mins

Malt:
63.5% Pale Malt
6.3% Barley, flaked
6.3% Roasted Barley
6.3% Special B
3.2% Chocolate Malt
1.6% Carafa Special III

Hops
41.7IBUs from Magnum @ 60mins
8.3IBUs from Chinook @ 20mins

Yeast:
WLP510

in secondary:
Wyeast 5526 Brett L
4 lbs Sour Cherries

zandrsn said:

Can I ask when you added the blackberries? I have 5kg of sour cherries and am planning a sour mashed export stout (modeled on De Dolle's) with Brett L and Cherries. I think I'll split the batch, half clean and half with the brett L and then blend. Just trying to think of when to add the cherries.

Here is my recipe for what its worth

Batch Size: 5 gal
Est OG: 1.087
IBU: 50
Boil Time: 90 mins

Malt:
63.5% Pale Malt
6.3% Barley, flaked
6.3% Roasted Barley
6.3% Special B
3.2% Chocolate Malt
1.6% Carafa Special III

Hops
41.7IBUs from Magnum @ 60mins
8.3IBUs from Chinook @ 20mins

Yeast:
WLP510

in secondary:
Wyeast 5526 Brett L
4 lbs Sour Cherries

Click to expand...

I did two fruit additions. Added 1lb per gallon when I added the wyeast Brux and it tasted very
much like what I'd imagine smoking a tire would taste like. Funky and roast malt is a razor line. Overwhelmed the nasty with an additional 2 lbs per gallon, bottled still. Was drinkin very nice and I took it to a Homebrew fest and won a bunch of schwag from Sierra Nevada. Two months on and it's a little more challenging. I think it will be drinking very well this winter again. Teach you to ask me a question!