Belgian Dark Strong Ale Leffe Radieuse Clone

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Hi All,

I am just about to bottle my first all-grain beer and am planning my next brew for sometime next month.
This is one of my fave beers so I did a search and found this site and thread.
As I'm new to this the mashing schedule is not fully clear to me.
The one brew I have done I did a ramped mash at three different temperatures then filtered the grains from the wort and then did the 90 min boil and adding the hops.

From looking at the original receipt for this beer it looks like the following:

All grains at 155oF for 90 mins in 7.5 quarts water.
Add hops for last 60 mins.
Ramp to 170oF with 7 quarts spagre water for 10 mins (add sugar here too)

I presume the grain is filtered out before cooling the wort with your cooler?
Or do you use a grain bag?

Sorry for all the newbie questions but I really like this beer and want to do it exactly like you so I can get a good result.
Maybe you have a link to an overview of the general process or the name of the typr of mashing so I can do a search myself.


Thanks for your input.

Sorry if you got confused. The mash last 90 mins, you collect the wort then add the rest of the water for the sparge and let it rest for 10 mins.

mashed for 90' at 151 F with 17.5 quarts.
Sparge 10' at 170 with 17 quarts

You only add the sugar and the hops during the boil.

Hope that clarifies it.
 
Brewed it again today. Was distracted during the boil so it boiled 20' longer than it should have. As a result the OG was 1083. Hope it doesn't affect the beer too much.
All ready for the yeast explosion, got a blow off tube this time so hopefully no big mess in my living room this time.

None of the beer i brewed with other yeast ever had such a vigourous fermentation just the one i do with wlp 530.

Looking forward to taste it. Shame it takes so damned long.

I don't think you will have any negative effects from the longer boil. You may end up with a slightly higher abv but that is it.

Let me know how it turns out.
 
Sorry if you got confused. The mash last 90 mins, you collect the wort then add the rest of the water for the sparge and let it rest for 10 mins.

mashed for 90' at 151 F with 17.5 quarts.
Sparge 10' at 170 with 17 quarts

You only add the sugar and the hops during the boil.

Hope that clarifies it.

Thanks for the quick reply and clarification.
I'm only confused because up until now I have only used a different process.
I'm still a bit unclear, should you not pour the sparge water onto the grains to wash out all the sugar and then boil all the collected wort?
At what stage do you leave the sparge water rest for 10 mins?
In the lautering bucket or in the kettel?
Maybe we have a different set-up and that is why I don't understand.

Also how long do you boild and at what temperature?

Thanks.

Really looking forward to understanding this and getting started :)
 
Thanks for the quick reply and clarification.
I'm only confused because up until now I have only used a different process.
I'm still a bit unclear, should you not pour the sparge water onto the grains to wash out all the sugar and then boil all the collected wort?
At what stage do you leave the sparge water rest for 10 mins?
In the lautering bucket or in the kettel?
Maybe we have a different set-up and that is why I don't understand.

Also how long do you boild and at what temperature?

Thanks.

Really looking forward to understanding this and getting started :)

I don't know how you do it. But this is how I do it.
I mash in a mash tun for 90' at 151F.
Once the mash is over i collect the wort and start the boil.
I then add the remaining water for the sparge into the mash tun and let it rest for 10'. I then add the collected sparge water into the kettle to boil.

Once the boil is started, I set a timer to 30' so I remember to add the hops then I reset the timer for 60 mins for the end of teh boil.

I boil at boilling temperature. I don't usually check what is the temperature. I just start the clock when the boil start. The boil should last 90'

Hope that clears it for you.
 
I don't know how you do it. But this is how I do it.
I mash in a mash tun for 90' at 151F.
Once the mash is over i collect the wort and start the boil.
I then add the remaining water for the sparge into the mash tun and let it rest for 10'. I then add the collected sparge water into the kettle to boil.

Once the boil is started I, set a time to 30' so I remember to add the hops then I reset the timer for 60 for the end of teh boil.

I boil at boilling temperature. I don't usually check what is the temperature. I just start the clock when the boil start. The boil should last 90'

Hope that clears it for you.

It's a lot clearer now :)

However, how do you "collect" the wort from the grain?
Do you use a grain bag and just remove it from the wort or do you use a lauter tun?
If using a lauter tun do you not use some of the sparge water to wash out the grain?
Although it sounds like you do everything in just one tun.

Just one final general question (any advice froma gold medal winner is valuable ;))
Do you usually filter the finished wort when pouring/funneling it into the fermentation vessel? If so just with a normal strainer or with added filter cloth?

Sorry for being so annoying.

Thanks!
 
My mash tun is a cooler box with a tap at the bottom. I just open the tap to collect the wort.

As for the sparge, yes i do wash the grain with the sparge water and let it rest for 10' before collecting the wort.

And no I do not filter, I do have a hop strainer at the bottom of the kettle that separate the wort and the hops but that is it.
 
My mash tun is a cooler box with a tap at the bottom. I just open the tap to collect the wort.

As for the sparge, yes i do wash the grain with the sparge water and let it rest for 10' before collecting the wort.

And no I do not filter, I do have a hop strainer at the bottom of the kettle that separate the wort and the hops but that is it.

Oh sounds very energy efficient - I have a 29 litre electric powered perserver cooker which is always on to hold the temperature.
I'm from Ireland but I live in Germany and over here most people do their mashing with a constant electric or gas source of heat.
I'll have to work out what is best for me and my equipment but it should fine.

Thanks again for the information.
I'll come back to this thread with a report when I have tried it.
 
I never did report back on this brew (with the yeastie blowout) but it turned out fantastic! It's a big hit. Thanks for the recipe. I'll update with a photo later.
 
I never did report back on this brew (with the yeastie blowout) but it turned out fantastic! It's a big hit. Thanks for the recipe. I'll update with a photo later.

Glad it turned out great. It is a good recipe and a great beer. Cheers Mate.
 
OK as I posted earlier this mashing business all a bit new to me.
I think I read earlier that some people have had results with this clone that taste exactly like the original but it's missing a bit of body or head retention.
maybe I'm remembering wrong?:p

Anyway after a bit of research I've discovered a few things (sorry if I'm just about to go over some stuff that is already well-known)

You all appear to be doing an infusion mash - one (almost) constant temperature. This method is perfect if the grains are all highly modified and is the most simple and effective mash.

The method which I started with and only knew until now is a temperature controlled step method. Simply explained it's holding grains at three different temperatures (40-60-70 degC) for a predefined time to help each different stage of the mash to develop.
I have read that this is an outdated method and is dying out but a lot of home brewers still do it here in germany. Anyway this mehtod is supposed to help improve body and head retention so when I eventually brew this I will try both methods and compare. My 55L coolbox is already so ordered with Amazon so I'm looking forward to comparing both methods soon. If I dont taste a difference infusion mashing will be the one I will go for.
Also maybe the addition of some torrified wheat will improve head retention?
 
Yes torrefied wheat will help with head retention. But don't had more than 2 or 3 %.
 
Cool, it's not so easy to find torrefied wheat here in Germany. I'm going back to Ireland for a week next month. Where do you usually get yours? Maybe I can get my parents to order some from that shop you meantioned earlier in the thread amd collect it when I'm at home?
Here's the best source i found on the internet for how to make your own maybe I will try that too.
http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/70136-torrified-wheat-can-it-be-done-at-home/

This thread is getting so big I probably overlooked this but how much priming sugar do you normally use to get the gas levels in the range of the original or is that the 0.57 lbs of white sugar mentioned in the original post?
 
I overboiled the wort and ended up with a OG of 1.085. It's been 10 days in the primary and it down to 1.024.
The ABV is close to the one at the recipe, but since I had a biger OG, should it have fermented more?
Should I shake it a little to see it it ferments a little more or is that ready to move to secondary or keep it in the primary as the recipe says?

Thanks
 
Check the gravity on 3 different days, if it doesn't change then you can move to secondary.
Personally I leave it in the primary until bottling without any ill effects.

Was that yeast explosive? Did you had to use a blow off tube?
 
I overboiled the wort and ended up with a OG of 1.085. It's been 10 days in the primary and it down to 1.024.
The ABV is close to the one at the recipe, but since I had a biger OG, should it have fermented more?
Should I shake it a little to see it it ferments a little more or is that ready to move to secondary or keep it in the primary as the recipe says?

Thanks

Interesting, I've heard T-58 ends a tad higher, but I wouldn't have thought It'd have ended quite so high. how many packs did you use? you said 1 then another later if needed?
If I were you give it a swirl morning and night for a couple of days and increase the tempos a tad also, if this doesnt change it the brew is done.

if you used one pack it probably wasn't enough for such a high gravity. underpitching can cause it to poop out too soon, I've actually had this issue on other dry yeasts.
If it doesnt move then bottle it, 1.024 isnt too shabby, a tad sweet, but it'll still be beer, and theres no doubt it'll taste pretty damn awesome
 
Check the gravity on 3 different days, if it doesn't change then you can move to secondary.
Personally I leave it in the primary until bottling without any ill effects.

Was that yeast explosive? Did you had to use a blow off tube?

The gravity has estabilished and I used a 8 gal bucket, so I didnt need a blow off tube, but it was intense.
My question is beacause I used dry yeast and only pitched one pct. I had a stuck fermentation once with a Saison. I stired it up and it dropped 0.005.
I was wondering if something like that could have happened and if I should just live it like that or try to bring the yeast back in suspension to ferment a little more.
 
You have nothing to loose by trying. I don't know that yeast unfortunately. If it has worked for you before there is no reasons why it can't work again on this one.

Let us know.
 
Akavango said:
You have nothing to loose by trying. I don't know that yeast unfortunately. If it has worked for you before there is no reasons why it can't work again on this one.

Let us know.

Worth a shot, I'd say its done though. Reason I say the is Saison is a different beast altogether. And will finish dry generally. Fingers crossed for you if it doesn't work bottle it and a yeast review on the T-58 would be great if u can
 
Worth a shot, I'd say its done though. Reason I say the is Saison is a different beast altogether. And will finish dry generally. Fingers crossed for you if it doesn't work bottle it and a yeast review on the T-58 would be great if u can

Did it right now! Let's see what happens!
Thanks for the help and I'll let you know how it worked
 
Just bottled the Leffe, I was worried about the OG but it ended up at 1014 like the recipes said.
So it has .7 higher abv. I can't tell any difference from the sample I drank, it feels as good as the other ones. Now it is another patience game not to drink it too quickly. I'll try not to open one for at least a month.
 
Nice, I don't think the .7 higher abv will have much of an impact. Enjoy it.
I'll trying it again next week end.
 
I've never had the Raddieuse before, the local bottle shop only has the blond and a brown...but last night I had a Kwak for the first time and I was very surprised how similar it tasted to this recipe. I have two swing-top quarts of this and a couple 22s left, it's making me anxious!
 
Just came across this one. I'll likely be brewing it this weekend!
 
I got a chance to brew this past Friday, and started primary on Saturday morning.

I modified the recipe to work with BIAB (i don't own a mash tun) and the process went fairly smoothly. I lowered my amounts just a little too much so my OG was 1.070. A little low, but I'm sure this will work out just fine.

14863083306_197d85f42a.jpg

This is before the hops and sugars were added.

Here she is at 2 days into fermentation:
14885730292_b18b1de3b9.jpg

Added a little DAP since I was using distilled water.

I'm likely going to let it rest for 4 months in bottle and open it up around christmas. Thanks for the recipe, it tasted great as wort, and the fermentor smells amazing. I am really looking forward to drinking this one.
 
I got a chance to brew this past Friday, and started primary on Saturday morning.

I modified the recipe to work with BIAB (i don't own a mash tun) and the process went fairly smoothly. I lowered my amounts just a little too much so my OG was 1.070. A little low, but I'm sure this will work out just fine.

14863083306_197d85f42a.jpg

This is before the hops and sugars were added.

Here she is at 2 days into fermentation:
14885730292_b18b1de3b9.jpg

Added a little DAP since I was using distilled water.

I'm likely going to let it rest for 4 months in bottle and open it up around christmas. Thanks for the recipe, it tasted great as wort, and the fermentor smells amazing. I am really looking forward to drinking this one.

Nice one, looking good.
 
Talk about an explosive yeast.

That picture above was from this morning after 2 full days of fermentation. I just started ramping up the temp today by about 2 or 3 degrees. so at around 71 degrees the yeast was filling up the airlock
14705861637_09ba002879.jpg


My girlfriend was kind enough to clean it up before i got home, so the picture doesn't look too bad. However, there's still some yeast drying on the ceiling.
 
Yeast on the ceiling? This yeast is powerful but i never got some on the ceiling.
Hope it turns out fine for you.
 
I've got it in the cellar! I'll let you know how she tastes when I crack one open in December.
 
I'm going to brew a smaller beer first and use the cake for this.
Still need to work out a blow off; is it really necessary in a bucket?

With that yeast yest it is. I use 33L buckets and did a batch of 24L withe the 530, I still got some krauzen up the blow off tube for a couple days.
 
Thanks for the quick reply!
I have Beersmith set to 67.5% but I’m getting a much higher OG than you. I probably did something wrong with the volumes. I’ll check again when I get home tonight.
 
Very excited to try this. I brewed this back in august, and I'll be tasting it on the 20th of this month. It was a very good brew day, I'm expecting great things from this batch.
 
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