A Year of Belgians

I am announcing my brewing project for 2011--a year of Belgians. I got this idea from another post (which I can no longer find--anyone know where it is?). Over the course of this year, I'm going to brew a full line of Trappist-inspired beers: single, dubbel, tripel, quad. I'll brew the quad in January, the tripel in April, the dubbel in July, and the single in October. Then, at Christmas I'll be able to host a grand tasting through the entire line, which will have (hopefully) reached their respective peaks. I plan for this to be a major highlight in my brewing career.

So, first of all, the quad: I'll be brewing this one on January 17th. I'm very thankful for the Martin Luther King Day holiday. I'd like to try an "old world" grain bill with a couple "new world" touches. I'm doing a double decoction mash and a long boil, and there will be plenty of homemade double-dark Belgian candy syrup involved. Also, I've already cultured the yeast strain from a couple of bottles of Westmalle Dubbel. I'm pulling out all the stops for this one.

Hmmm this sounds pretty epic!!! Look forward to seeing some recipes and other updates.

Here is the first recipe (updated after the brew day):

Compline Quadrupel
6 gallons
OG 1.092 (at 70% efficiency)
IBU 33

8.5 lb. Belgian pale malt
8.5 lb. Pilsner
0.5 lb. Special B
2 oz. Carafa II special

3 lb. double-dark Belgian candy syrup (see link - sugar #5)
(1 lb. @ start of boil, 1 lb. @ 5 min., 1 lb. after fermentation slows)

1.5 oz. Saaz (5.5% AA) - First Wort Hop
1 oz. Saaz (5.5% AA) @ 20 min.

Yeast - cultured from Westmalle Dubbel (substitute - WLP530); added 1/3 pack of US-05 to help attenuation

Double decoction mash - rests at 122, 147, and 158; mash out at 168

Boil for 120 minutes.

Link for making candy syrup: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/20-lb-sugar-jar-yeast-nutrient-114837/

Begin fermentation at 62 degrees. Allow to gradually warm to 68. Long primary, no secondary. Age majority of the batch until Christmas.

Any suggestions?

That's a cool idea and you have a good time line with brewing the beers. I should do something similar!

Well, the most over-the-top brew day in my 2 year career is over. I am still exhausted the next day after 9 hours of brewing. It was my first decoction mash, and I still have a lot to learn. I missed all of my temps and had to add more boiling water to compensate. I also forgot to check for full conversion, so hopefully that works out alright. Also, my yeast starter didn't seem to have much yeast in it (stepped up four times; 3 quarts on the last one), so I tossed in a 1/3 pack of US-05 to assure that I got the attenuation that I wanted. I also ended up with too much liquid--6 gallons instead of 5. Thankfully, my efficiency was higher than estimated, so I ended up with roughly the OG that I wanted. Oh, and I had a massive boil-over at one point.

That said, I think that I made beer. Today it is aggressively bubbling away. I separated the batch into a 5 gallon bucket and a 1 gallon bottle, and the smaller fermenter has already bubbled over and required a blow-off tube. The OG (without the final sugar addition) was 1.086, which means that I should have a hefty 1.092 for the final product. I'd like to get it down to a FG of 1.015, which would yield just over 10% ABV.

More news to follow, including tasting notes once it is finished.

Sounds like you fought your way with that one! The beer will taste better knowing the sweat and blood you put into it!

Ya sounds like quite the battle, good to hear your numbers came out relativley well I'm sure come Decmeber all the hard work will pay off.

chemnitz said:

there will be plenty of homemade double-dark Belgian candy syrup involved.

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Do yourself a favor and buy some D2 syrup, and then do a side by side test and tell us honestly they taste the same.

Nobody has yet to make candy syrup that taste anything like the real stuff, not even the lighter D syrup.

But hey if you do you could be a very rich person

Houblon said:

Do yourself a favor and buy some D2 syrup, and then do a side by side test and tell us honestly they taste the same.

Nobody has yet to make candy syrup that taste anything like the real stuff, not even the lighter D syrup.

But hey if you do you could be a very rich person

Click to expand...

A side by side comparison of the syrup or the beer? The syrup may taste a bit different but I would imagine the beer wouldn't taste too much off. I think The Mad Fermentationist did a blog where he made several batches of beer with only differences in what sugar he used (cane, beat, Belgian candi...) and the results didn't bare much difference.

bknifefight said:

A side by side comparison of the syrup or the beer? The syrup may taste a bit different but I would imagine the beer wouldn't taste too much off.

Click to expand...

The syrups, this topic has been beaten to death and yet nobody has yet done a copy of the D2 syrup, can't be done on the homebrew scale. The flavor in the beer does indeed carry over from the syrups, so if they(syrups) don't taste the same then the beer won't taste the same.

Heres a company that makes specialities for breweries:
http://www.belgosuc.be/EN/productgamma.asp?groep=4




Yeah anybody can & should make candi but don't expect it to be like the real deal.

Thats why I will always say try them side by side and give an honest reply.

I don't know if my homemade syrup bears any similarity to commercial D2 syrup. But I don't really care because I love the way that my candy syrup tastes, and it is considerably cheaper, too.

Speaking of which, tomorrow I plan to add the last pound of candy syrup to my brew. Fermentation has finally slowed. It went very vigorously and gave off a delicious smell like over-ripe berries. I can't wait for this one to be ready to drink.

bknifefight said:

A side by side comparison of the syrup or the beer? The syrup may taste a bit different but I would imagine the beer wouldn't taste too much off. I think The Mad Fermentationist did a blog where he made several batches of beer with only differences in what sugar he used (cane, beat, Belgian candi...) and the results didn't bare much difference.

Click to expand...

He used the candi rocks and a clear syrup, not a dark D/D2-style candi syrup.

http://www.themadfermentationist.com/2009/12/canditablecorn-sugar-belgian-beer.html

(cane and beet sugar are both the same, just regular table sucrose. He did compare corn sugar, though)

The time has come to bottle the quad. It took a long time to get down to terminal gravity. It stalled out at about 1.035. I had to add another dose of yeast to get it back on track. Finally, it seems to have stabilized at 1.019, which is a respectable final gravity. That places the alcohol at roughly 9.5%. The sample is pretty good. It is a shade sweeter than I intended, but it has a rich, malty flavor with lots of fruit and caramel notes. I can't say too much about the aroma yet, since a stuffy nose has hindered my ability to appreciate it. I'll post more notes when it is finished.

Thanks for the update. It sounds delicious!

Very cool idea! I think I will do a similar tasting. I normally have some kind of belgian beer or two around at all times. I just did a series with a saison, blond, dubbel, tripel, & quad over the last couple months.

Let us know how it turns out in the end...or when you're brewing the next batch of the series.

With the Quad in bottles, it's time to open the discussion on step 2: the Tripel. I've never brewed a Tripel before, and I've tasted fewer commercial examples than for Quads/Dark Strongs and Dubbels. So, any ideas are appreciated.

Grain bill: This will be mostly Belgian Pilsner malt and sugar. I'm aiming for an OG of about 1.080. However, I still have two questions to address:

1. I was thinking about adding a small amount of a single character malt to add some interest. I don't want to use any caramel malt. So, here are my choices: Vienna, Munich, or Aromatic. Any suggestions?

2. What kind of sugar should I use: plain white sugar, semi-refined sugar (such as turbinado), or a light-to-medium candy syrup?

Hops: I have Tettnang and Saaz on hand. I was thinking of using a blend of the them both in two additions for about 30-35 IBUs.

Yeast: Here is the big decision to make. As I approached this project, I thought it would be fun to use four different yeasts for the four ales. I have already used Westmalle for the Quad. I am planning on using Chimay for the Dubbel. Of the normal Trappist yeasts (Orval is hardly normal), that leaves Rochefort for either the Tripel or the Single. I could also use a non-Trappist strain. For example, I really like the aroma of Unibroue's yeast in La Fin du Monde. So, that leads me to a couple more questions:

3. Does Unibroue use the same yeast in bottle-conditioning and in primary fermentation? If not, where/when can I get Wyeast 3864, which is a seasonal release?

4. What yeast should I use: Rochefort, Unibroue, or something else?

Other details: I'll mash low--about 148 degrees F. I'll use a 90 minute boil to reduce DMS. Ferment according to the specs of the yeast.

So, anyone want to makes some suggestions for questions 1-4? Thanks.

If you really want to do classic trappist style you could do a partigyle with your tripel and make a dubbel and/or single with the second and third runnings. You are basically just throwing away a lot of extra sugar anyway if you don't.

his sounds like a fun project. subscribed

chemnitz said:

It took a long time to get down to terminal gravity. It stalled out at about 1.035. I had to add another dose of yeast to get it back on track. Finally, it seems to have stabilized at 1.019, which is a respectable final gravity. That places the alcohol at roughly 9.5%.

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I thought that by adding suagr to fermentors that wouldn't happen like "they" say it does when adding to the boil.


Sorry but its too funny, btw read BYO march/april`11 pg 19-22

chemnitz said:

W I've never brewed a Tripel before, and I've tasted fewer commercial examples than for Quads/Dark Strongs and Dubbels. So, any ideas are appreciated.

Grain bill: This will be mostly Belgian Pilsner malt and sugar. I'm aiming for an OG of about 1.080.

Click to expand...

85% pils
15% sugar, go to the store and buy the cheapest you can find

chemnitz said:

2. What kind of sugar should I use: plain white sugar, semi-refined sugar (such as turbinado), or a light-to-medium candy syrup?

Click to expand...

see above

chemnitz said:

Hops: I have Tettnang and Saaz on hand. I was thinking of using a blend of the them both in two additions for about 30-35 IBUs.

Click to expand...

32 IBu from 60 min addition
75% Saaz
25% tettnang

chemnitz said:

4. What yeast should I use: Rochefort or something else?

Click to expand...

Rochefort is good & WLP550 or wy3522 also make a nice triple

chemnitz said:

So, anyone want to makes some suggestions

Click to expand...

Yes add the sugar during the boil

This is good timing for me as I'm planning a tripel for next month.

I look forward to the results. I'm planning on using about 80% pilsen, 10% Vienna, and 10% sugar, mashed about 150 and hopped to 30 ibu with saaz. Fermented with wlp 500 or 550

Nice project. Keep us posted. Am thinking of doing a tripel as I finally had one that knocked my socks off. Quick question... it makes sense to me to add sugar at the end of the boil, is that a normal assumption?

^ A lot of people suggest adding the cane sugar 3 days into fermentation to allow the yeast time to eat the maltose before they chow down on the sucrose.

/\ BYO march/april`11 pg 19-22 talks about this IF your having trouble getting a dry beer, but if your not having any problem than add the sugar during the boil.

Houblon said:

I thought that by adding suagr to fermentors that wouldn't happen like "they" say it does when adding to the boil.

Sorry but its too funny, btw read BYO march/april`11 pg 19-22

85% pils
15% sugar, go to the store and buy the cheapest you can find

see above

32 IBu from 60 min addition
75% Saaz
25% tettnang

Rochefort is good & WLP550 or wy3522 also make a nice triple

Yes add the sugar during the boil

Click to expand...

These are all great suggestions and similar to what I would suggest. With an OG of around 1.080, you should be fine adding sugar right to the boil but any higher than that, I would probably add it a little at a time as the fermentation slows to keep that yeast going and get a nice high attenuation.

bknifefight said:

With an OG of around 1.080, you should be fine adding sugar right to the boil but any higher than that, I would probably add it a little at a time as the fermentation slows to keep that yeast going and get a nice high attenuation.

Click to expand...

Maybe, @1.076-78 I'm already at 9.6% abv and my FG(1.006) is below the range.

Specs for Triples
Vital Statistics: OG: 1.075 – 1.085
IBUs: 20 – 40 FG: 1.008 – 1.014
SRM: 4.5 – 7 ABV: 7.5 – 9.5%



I'll always be in the camp of adding sugar to the boil, late march will doing a test batch to compare again if I get any differences (boil vs fermentor)


Words from a Belgian :
"the perfect example of how a Belgian triple should taste.
This means, crispy hoppy, candy sugar- and malty sweetish, yeasty fruity, full-bodied with excellent depth, and warming alcoholic. All of this in perfect harmony and balance."
http://belgianbeerboard.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=619&Itemid=88888994

Okay, tomorrow is the day for brewing the tripel. Here's what I've got:

5.5 gallon batch

13 lbs. German pilsner
2.5 lbs. white sugar (in the boil)

1.5 oz. Saaz (5.5%) First Wort Hop
0.5 oz. Saaz (5.5%) @ 15 minutes

Single infusion mash at 149. Boil for 90 minutes. Ferment with 3L starter of the Unibroue strain (cultured from La Maudite). Start fermentation at 64 degrees and let rise gradually to 68. Long primary, no secondary.

OG 1.081
IBU 29
SRM 4-5

I decided to heed the general advice and keep this beer very simple. One malt, one hop, one sugar. Let the yeast shine. Any last minute suggestions before I start brewing?

Nope, the recipe looks great. Keeping it simple will really make that yeast shine through, which is what you want.

So, my tripel has been in the fermenter for 12 days. The original gravity was only 1.072, since my efficiency was terrible that day (60% - down from my usual 70%). Unfortunately, the gravity seems to have gotten stuck at 1.030. The sample tasted terribly underattenuated but otherwise good. So, what do you recommend that I do in order to get this yeast eating? Should I add more yeast (and what type)? Thanks.

chemnitz said:

So, my tripel has been in the fermenter for 12 days. The original gravity was only 1.072, since my efficiency was terrible that day (60% - down from my usual 70%). Unfortunately, the gravity seems to have gotten stuck at 1.030. The sample tasted terribly underattenuated but otherwise good. So, what do you recommend that I do in order to get this yeast eating? Should I add more yeast (and what type)? Thanks.

Click to expand...

If you only let it rise to 68, try upping the temperature a little. If that doesn't work, I would add some nutrient and more yeast but it seems a 3L starter would have been more than enough to do the job, and quickly too.

Well, it seems to have restarted itself. I brought the fermenter up to room temperature (about 70 degrees these days), and I shook it up some. Now, the gravity has gotten down to 1.014--much better. I'll wait another week and see if it'll go any lower.

Very good. 1.014 isn't a bad FG but it's on the upper range of the style. If it drops 4 more points you'll be golden!

Just curious how this ended up going for you so far?