Method Brewery's Quadrupel Ale

I wanted to share our recipe for the community to brew, share, re-mix, etc. You know, the open source way. Thoughts and feedback are also welcome.

This recipe is all grain. Originally created using BeerSmith. For extract substitutions, please see directions at the bottom.

Method Brewery's Quadrupel Ale
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Accolades: 1st Place in Belgian Specialty (16E) and 2nd Place Best of Show in the 2012
Piedmont Brewers’ Cup

Specifications

Batch Size: 5.00 gal
Boil Size: 6.82 gal
Estimated OG: 1.104 SG
Estimated Color: 23.0 SRM
Estimated IBU: 28.3 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 70%
Boil Time: 60 min.
Estimated ABV: 12% ABV

Grain Bill

1.00 lb Rice Hulls (5.06%)
9.00 lb Pilsner (2 Row) (2.0 SRM) (45.57%)
3.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) (2.0 SRM) (15.19%)
2.00 lb Caramunich Malt (56.0 SRM) (10.13%)
1.00 lb Flaked Wheat (5.06%)
0.25 lb Special B Malt (180.0 SRM) (1.27%)

Mash Profile

Single Infusion Mash w/ No Mash Out. Initial mash tun/grain temp @ 72 ºF

Time: 75 min
Step: Mash In
Water: Add 20.31 qt of water @ 156.8 ºF
Step Temp: 146.0 ºF

Fly Sparge: 4.24 gal of water @ 168.0 ºF

Kettle Additions

1.00 lb Amber Candi Sugar @ 60 min. (5.06%)
1.00 lb Clear Candi Sugar @ 60 min. (5.06%)
1.00 lb Turbinado @ 60 min. (5.06%)
0.50 lb Date Sugar @ 60 min. (2.53%)
1 Whirlfloc Tablet @ 15 min.

Hop Schedule

1.75 oz Willamette [5.50% AA] @ 60 min. (22.8 IBUs)
0.75 oz Hallertauer [4.00% AA] @ 30 min. (5.5 IBUs)

Fermentation

Pitch: Belgian Abbey II (Wyeast Labs #1762) (2 qt. starter) @ 70 ºF.
(Aerate wort really well)

Primary: 7 days total
Start @ 66 ºF and slowly raise temperature 1º every day after the first day.
Stop temperature @ ~72 ºF

Secondary: 14 days @ 60 ºF

Condition: Bottle condition with dry malt extract for 2 weeks @ 70 ºF
~3.5 volumes of CO2

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Notes

* Date sugar can be found at places like Whole Foods. ~$5 for ½ lb, but worth it.

* Don’t waste your money on “candi sugar” at the local brew shop. Use regular old sugar. To
make your own clear syrup, simply combine it with a little bit of water and heat until it dissolves.
This prevents burning and clumping in the kettle. To make the Amber syrup, cook sugar dry (no
water) in a sauce pot without stirring. It will eventually bubble and begin to caramelize. When it
reaches a nice amberish brown, slowly add some water and stir until it dissolves. Be careful, it
may splatter! If you make the amber syrup first, then you can add in the white sugar, turbinado,
and date sugar with a little bit more water combining the four and reducing the amount of
excess water.

* Best when aged for over a year.

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Want to Brew this Extract?

Substitute the pilsner malt and pale malt for 8.75 pounds of liquid light/pale malt extract (the
lighter the better). And do a partial mash by steeping the remaining grains. No rice hulls are
needed in this method.

View attachment method-quadrupel-extract.xml

View attachment method-quadrupel.xml

View attachment method-quadrupel-extract.bsmx

View attachment method-quadrupel.bsmx

Did you add any additional yeast when bottling?

No, we didn't re-pitch yeast. We did add extra priming sugar/DME. I don't remember the exact amount, but the CO2 volumes were ~3.5. You could re-pitch if you felt it necessary. Some of the Trappist breweries do.