Belgian Dark Strong Ale Westvleteren 12 Clone - Multiple Award Winner

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that's really weird, they do advertise it as such....

have to convince the guys at my netstore to start carrying your brand, but that will take time..
 
Kharnynb said:
that's really weird, they do advertise it as such....

have to convince the guys at my netstore to start carrying your brand, but that will take time..
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The actual in-hand product packaging for the 1lb D-180 will always look like the packaging displayed on our website. We do not authorize re-packaging or selling alternate products under our name. (If you order D-180 and get something else please contact us).
 
ruger988 said:
Short of going to the Abbey yourself you are doing absolutely ZERO to suport the monastery. They never have and never will approve of the distribution of their beer outside the Abbey, especially to America, so anyone selling it over here (or sites like Belgium in a Box) for outrageous money are pocketing 100% of the profits and doing so against the wishes of the Monastery.

Not that its a big deal or most people care, but figured I'd make that point clear.
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I know it's an old post but I noticed it when looking at this recipe. Back in 2012 they did sell bottles to the US to raise money for a new roof.
 
CSI said:
The actual in-hand product packaging for the 1lb D-180 will always look like the packaging displayed on our website. We do not authorize re-packaging or selling alternate products under our name. (If you order D-180 and get something else please contact us).
Click to expand...

Previously, the shop(brewcat.fi) had only the different brand of syrup.
Thankfully they have now promised to carry your brand as well and are stocking it. Soon gotta make another batch of this to try with your syrup instead.
 
Just entered this in an informal tasting held at my LHBS. Great feedback from all who tried it. Voting was by blind ballot. If I won then I'll get an engraved beer glass. WooHoo!!!
 
Looks an interesting recipe just a quick question, what is D180, I assume it's sugar but never heard of it. So I assume the 180 might be EBC? I buy my candisyrup in Belgium, I normally use 225 EBC. So if I reduce by say 20% it should be ok?

These recipes are all a little bit different but it's interesting to try different ones, fortunalely I can get all the Belgian malts etc very easily and it does make a difference. I have to admit I prefer Abt12 which is just as well given the price lol.
 
Steve, the brouwland 225, is no where near real 225.

It's about half the colour of what you need...i tried and it was rather disappointing..
 
Thanks Terry, it's Arsegan rather than Brewferm which I think comes from Brouwland. I also know that Brewferm rebrand other stuff so it could well be the same. I am using homebrewshop just at the moment,t they also do 1900 EBC which is described as dark and is more completely inverted so that might be worth a try.

Have never used Brouwland but people say bad service.

Do you use other suppliers in Belgium or Europe, your experience would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks again for replying.
 
Just bottled after two months secondary at 45. I've pretty much followed recipe exactly to the tee. OG 1.088, OG 1.012.

It's still a bit boozy, but the flavor is very complex. Amazing what that candy sugar adds.

The bottling went a little rough. I made a starter with about 30 mL if yeast saved from the starter used in initial ferment and 500 mL starter wort. I let that finished and cold crashed.

Started my siphon and added a bit of the wort to the flask. Swirled that up while siphon was going, but then had to dump that in to the beer in the bucket and it ended up splashing a bit, since my flask didn't fit in the bucket. My siphon stopped a couple times but at least I was pushing with gas so I just had to crank that up to get it going. I ended up getting a bunch of the stuff at the bottom I had spent two months separating into the bottles.

It had been a while since I bottled, I hope I didn't add to much oxygen and wish I had left more of the sediment behind. Hopefully she carbs up ok!
 
I got a little bit of the grape. Mine is great. It came out a little stronger at 10.5%, but I accidentally spilled a 1/2 bag of the 180 syrup and had to substitute some of the rock candy sugar. We did a 10 gallon batch. Very close to the original. Love it! I used the Wyeast also
 
jtp137 said:
Does anybody else get a strong grape note when this beer is fairly young 4 months carbed
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You may have a small bit of grape early on but generally only if the ferm temp was low at the end of primary. This ages out after about 12 months.
 
Thank you CSI for posting this recipe and taking the time to brew several test batches. I brewed six gallons on September 5th and had and OG of 1.094. I pitched at 63° F and increased the temperature 2.2° F degrees per day and it's currently sitting at 80° F. Gravity two days ago was 1.020 and today it's 1.018. I'm not sure what cell count I pitched but I made a 2 liter starter with one smack pack of 3787. The slurry sat in the fridge for a little bit and I made another 3.8 liter starter with the slurry from the first starter. I oxygenated the wort with pure O2 through a .5 micron stone and planned on two minutes. At one minute the stone blew off the end of the hose and is currently sitting at the bottom of the conical. I have no intentions of fishing that out until I rack it. The second minute of O2 bubbled through the end of a 1/8" hose.

I have a few questions. I am about to go out of town for a week. Should I leave it 80° F and see where it is when I come back? When does autolysis become a concern? Should I rouse the yeast? Pitch more yeast? Can I rack to a keg for tertiary fermentation? Would the vessel need to be vented so CO2 doesn't build up? I got the impression that tertiary was mainly for brightening. Thanks again for all who have contributed to this thread. The samples taste awesome and I can't wait to see what this beer tastes like after some aging.
 
Hi JC. It sounds like you have enough life left in primary to reach FG or very close to it. The slight overage in OG could be resistant but given the rate of gravity movement this ale will come out fine. Lowering the primary temp to 76F if leaving it for another week is preferred over leaving it at a higher temp. Reaching 1.013-1.014 in another week is very possible without repitching. At 1.013 it can be moved (or the yeast dumped) for secondary.

Autolysis is usually a concern when using partially exhausted yeast at higher temps. You should be fine. Using an airlock or check valve for CO2 release is essential but it is equally important to keep oxygen from contacting the surface at this stage.

Tertiary is a brightening stage.

Jcpilot said:
Thank you CSI for posting this recipe and taking the time to brew several test batches. I brewed six gallons on September 5th and had and OG of 1.094. I pitched at 63° F and increased the temperature 2.2° F degrees per day and it's currently sitting at 80° F. Gravity two days ago was 1.020 and today it's 1.018. I'm not sure what cell count I pitched but I made a 2 liter starter with one smack pack of 3787. The slurry sat in the fridge for a little bit and I made another 3.8 liter starter with the slurry from the first starter. I oxygenated the wort with pure O2 through a .5 micron stone and planned on two minutes. At one minute the stone blew off the end of the hose and is currently sitting at the bottom of the conical. I have no intentions of fishing that out until I rack it. The second minute of O2 bubbled through the end of a 1/8" hose.

I have a few questions. I am about to go out of town for a week. Should I leave it 80° F and see where it is when I come back? When does autolysis become a concern? Should I rouse the yeast? Pitch more yeast? Can I rack to a keg for tertiary fermentation? Would the vessel need to be vented so CO2 doesn't build up? I got the impression that tertiary was mainly for brightening. Thanks again for all who have contributed to this thread. The samples taste awesome and I can't wait to see what this beer tastes like after some aging.
Click to expand...
 
Hey CSI! Sorry for posting this question here but this is the only thread I know you visit on the reg.
Would It be possible to get close to Fantome Saison with off the shelf yeast? Or with bottle dregs?
 
The_Glue said:
Hey CSI! Sorry for posting this question here but this is the only thread I know you visit on the reg.
Would It be possible to get close to Fantome Saison with off the shelf yeast? Or with bottle dregs?
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OT. Probably not unfortunately. The bottle dregs will carry both the Brett and Brasserie Fantôme house yeast. The Brett is inoculated into the ale after the yeast has consumed most of the nutrients and sugars. Culturing them, (and pitching them), together won't produce the right profile. IM me and I'll give you an email address to discuss further.
 
hi CSI, i found a store in europe that sells your candy syrup and i'm going to brew this beer in the next month!

i insert this recipe in beersmith and i saw that with my efficiency i miss the correct og, i can't add more grain because my mash tun isn't too big and i would like to maintain 5,5 gal as final volume.

it's ok if i use 3lbs instead of 2,5 lbs (16% instead of 14%) or is better to reduce the final volume maintaining your proportions?

I have a another belgian quad (og:1105, 3787 yeast cake of a belgian stout) that is fermenting right now, i can use the cake of this or is better if i use a fresh yeast?

big thanks
 
Yes, we have used 3 lbs as well with good results. Glad to hear you found genuine D-180. Please make sure when you get it that it is our product. At least one European reseller is attempting to use our product name to sell another, lower quality product.

Nico93 said:
hi CSI, i found a store in europe that sells your candy syrup and i'm going to brew this beer in the next month!

i insert this recipe in beersmith and i saw that with my efficiency i miss the correct og, i can't add more grain because my mash tun isn't too big and i would like to maintain 5,5 gal as final volume.

it's ok if i use 3lbs instead of 2,5 lbs (16% instead of 14%) or is better to reduce the final volume maintaining your proportions?

I have a another belgian quad (og:1105, 3787 yeast cake of a belgian stout) that is fermenting right now, i can use the cake of this or is better if i use a fresh yeast?

big thanks
Click to expand...
 
CSI said:
Yes, we have used 3 lbs as well with good results. Glad to hear you found genuine D-180. Please make sure when you get it that it is our product. At least one European reseller is attempting to use our product name to sell other, lower quality product.
Click to expand...

ok, if i'll have any problem about "fake" candy i'll let you know! (ps i ordered from http://www.hobbybrauerversand.de/ i hope it isn't the one that you already know:eek:)

and what do you think about the yeast cake, can it done the job?

edit: just finished to read all the topic, i'll buy a new pack and make a starter
 
Nico93 said:
ok, if i'll have any problem about "fake" candy i'll let you know! (ps i ordered from http://www.hobbybrauerversand.de/ i hope it isn't the one that you already know:eek:)

and what do you think about the yeast cake, can it done the job?

edit: just finished to read all the topic, i'll buy a new pack and make a starter
Click to expand...

Niko, this reseller is not one of our resellers, however, our EU distribution hub may have them as a client. If the item that comes in is not in our packaging then it is not our product, (our product is sold only in our unique packaging and we do not permit repackaging in any other format).

Using a yeast cake is generally not recommended for Belgian Quads due to the health of the yeast. A starter is preferred if krausen cannot be used.
 
I should be getting my candi syrup soon and then can start to make this recipy again with all the correct ingredients.

For all finnish and swedish people, Brewcat.fi now has the syrup, but generally in smallish quantities only.
 
This my first attempt at the Westy 12 recipe (thanks all for your hard work). I decided to go with all pilsner malt and I should be pitching a lot of yeast tomorrow morning (4L starter for a 5 gallon batch) that I am decanting over night.

My question is this, should I use a blow off tube or can I trust a bubbler. I'm using a 7 gallon metal fermenter (chapman homebrewing - first use). I figure the extra head space should help, but I recall reading that this is a violent fermenter.

Advice/opinions welcomed.
 
sikkingj said:
This my first attempt at the Westy 12 recipe (thanks all for your hard work). I decided to go with all pilsner malt and I should be pitching a lot of yeast tomorrow morning (4L starter for a 5 gallon batch) that I am decanting over night.

My question is this, should I use a blow off tube or can I trust a bubbler. I'm using a 7 gallon metal fermenter (chapman homebrewing - first use). I figure the extra head space should help, but I recall reading that this is a violent fermenter.

Advice/opinions welcomed.
Click to expand...

I can only say that I've needed a blow off for all of my batches in a 6 1/2 gallon carboy.
 
Blow off tube - hell yeah. 530 is a beast when warm. I met this monster once with a bubbler and it's greeting was a sticky frothy mess splattered all around the carboy/floor/wall/.
 
sikkingj said:
This my first attempt at the Westy 12 recipe (thanks all for your hard work). I decided to go with all pilsner malt and I should be pitching a lot of yeast tomorrow morning (4L starter for a 5 gallon batch) that I am decanting over night.

My question is this, should I use a blow off tube or can I trust a bubbler. I'm using a 7 gallon metal fermenter (chapman homebrewing - first use). I figure the extra head space should help, but I recall reading that this is a violent fermenter.

Advice/opinions welcomed.
Click to expand...

See post #456. You definitely need a very wide diameter blow-off tube. I provided a picture of my solution, which worked.
 
sikkingj said:
This my first attempt at the Westy 12 recipe (thanks all for your hard work). I decided to go with all pilsner malt and I should be pitching a lot of yeast tomorrow morning (4L starter for a 5 gallon batch) that I am decanting over night.

My question is this, should I use a blow off tube or can I trust a bubbler. I'm using a 7 gallon metal fermenter (chapman homebrewing - first use). I figure the extra head space should help, but I recall reading that this is a violent fermenter.

Advice/opinions welcomed.
Click to expand...

Yes, concur. Always use a blowoff tube and a sterile capture container as well to re-introduce the lost krausen.
 
Thank you all. My wort began bubbling less than two hours after the pitch and my fermentation chamber (wine fridge) is struggling to keep the temperature at 63!

Can't wait to try this beer!
 
sikkingj said:
Thank you all. My wort began bubbling less than two hours after the pitch and my fermentation chamber (wine fridge) is struggling to keep the temperature at 63!

Can't wait to try this beer!
Click to expand...

You'll have to be patient as it takes a long time before the flavours are matured. I just tried mine just over a year after having made it. It turned out much better than I ever hoped it would!
 
I would love to make this recipe, but I use a biab system so I dont have first running the same way. Do you think I can just boil a gallon down the same way? Anyone else try it this way?
 
I think that would work fine but even so the boiling is not necessary and makes a subtle difference.
 
RussPDX said:
I would love to make this recipe, but I use a biab system so I dont have first running the same way. Do you think I can just boil a gallon down the same way? Anyone else try it this way?
Click to expand...

I also do BIAB and skipped that step. Go for it. The beer will turn out fine even without it. Bottle conditioning though is what matters. I'm having a beer as we speak, after 6 months in the bottle. It's a wonderful quad, but not quite yet a Westy XII. Very tasty, though.

Thank you, CSI, for starting this thread, and for producing the D-180 syrup!

To my amazement, I had a bottle after three months of bottle conditioning, and this is the second bottle I opened, after 6 months. The improvement is quite significant and it's getting close to the original!! Next bottle will be opened around Christmas, ie after 9 months of bottle conditioning. Will post tasting notes in December!
 

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