Belgian Dark Strong Ale Westvleteren 12 Clone - Multiple Award Winner

I usually use 4g or a half sachet of yeast for priming 5 gallons of this beer. I have used CBC-1, BE-256 and T58. All worked well. A 5g pack is probably enough for 10 gallons. Lallemand recommends 0.1g per liter of beer for CBC-1 which is about 2g per 5 gallons. I just like to add more for higher alcohol beers.

I'm curious why you are using D-180 for priming sugar. Corn sugar or table sugar will do the job and are a lot less expensive.

MikeCo said:

Lallemand recommends 0.1g per liter of beer for CBC-1 which is about 2g per 5 gallons. I just like to add more for higher alcohol beers.

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I have gotten very good results with 2 grams of CBC-1 for 5 gallons of >10% ABV beers that had been bulk aged for several months. I wish it came in smaller sachets, but it seems to keep just fine once opened as long as it stays dry. YMMV of course.

Also, 320 grams of candy syrup for 10 gallons is only going to give you 2.2 volumes of CO2 unless the beer has been very cold for a fairly long time.

MikeCo said:

I usually use 4g or a half sachet of yeast for priming 5 gallons of this beer. I have used CBC-1, BE-256 and T58. All worked well. A 5g pack is probably enough for 10 gallons. Lallemand recommends 0.1g per liter of beer for CBC-1 which is about 2g per 5 gallons. I just like to add more for higher alcohol beers.

I'm curious why you are using D-180 for priming sugar. Corn sugar or table sugar will do the job and are a lot less expensive.

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Thanks for the response @MikeCo .
I have extra syrup and I don't see myself using it anytime soon, so I thought I'd give it a try.

mac_1103 said:

I have gotten very good results with 2 grams of CBC-1 for 5 gallons of >10% ABV beers that had been bulk aged for several months. I wish it came in smaller sachets, but it seems to keep just fine once opened as long as it stays dry. YMMV of course.

Also, 320 grams of candy syrup for 10 gallons is only going to give you 2.2 volumes of CO2 unless the beer has been very cold for a fairly long time.

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Thanks @mac_1103 . Yeah, after I posted, I used a priming calculator and realized 320 might be a little light. I'll. bump it to ~400 grams.
https://www.northernbrewer.com/page...PwA1NAnrPZRrnR-Cjt4xtHJjuiSP3h8oaAldpEALw_wcB

Two weeks of bottle conditioning.
Thrilled with how it turned out. Can’t wait to see how it evolves.

Made this beer yet again, accidentally bought a little more of the 180 than the other so it’s a bit darker but still just as good!

Right before Christmas, I hosted a Belgian quad tasting event with 3 other home brewers. We had a blind tasting, and judged each sample. Lined up best on the left to right. 9 (un-labeled bottles) of the 12 Quads were home-brews. My brews placed #2, #3, #5, #7 and #9. See pic. Good times.

I brew a quad each year, so we got to do a vertical 2019-2022.

JeffersonCoastal said:

Right before Christmas, I hosted a Belgian quad tasting event with 3 other home brewers. We had a blind tasting, and judged each sample. Lined up best on the left to right. 9 (un-labeled bottles) of the 12 Quads were home-brews. My brews placed #2, #3, #5, #7 and #9. See pic. Good times.

I brew a quad each year, so we got to do a vertical 2019-2022.

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Very nice! I would love to have partaken in that event. Weyerbacher Quad is one of my favs. I want to try to clone it someday. I try to brew this Westvleteren 12 Clone each year as well.

FWIW, I came across some recipe info awhile ago for Weyerbacher's Quad(quite different method), their recipe is along these lines

SG 1.106
FG 1.016
39 IBU

2-row
Munich 10
Wheat
C-60
Spec B

Simcoe

I've always stuck to Pils, Pale and candi syrup for my Belgian style recipes but have always come up short in the Belgian phenolics even though I'm pitching at 68 and bringing it up to 84 within 7-9 days. I've even open fermented for the first 2-3 days of this.

My go to strain is either Wyeast 3787 or WLP 530. I reached out to Wyeast and they suggested that I'm not getting those Belgian yeast characteristics because I'm not using wheat.

Those of you who have brewed the OP's recipe, or any Belgian "old world" recipe, have you experienced a lack of Belgiany characteristic in the absence of grains that aren't Pils/Pale malt?

I went back to BLAM and did notice a couple of the monasteries use wheat starch, but not Westvleteren or Westmalle. St. Bernardus (not a monastery) who has deep ties with Westvleteren, also doesn't appear to use wheat or wheat starch.

I try to be a purist when I can, even though it's quite a different experience at the homebrew level.

Bobo1898 said:

I've always stuck to Pils, Pale and candi syrup for my Belgian style recipes but have always come up short in the Belgian phenolics even though I'm pitching at 68 and bringing it up to 84 within 7-9 days. I've even open fermented for the first 2-3 days of this.

My go to strain is either Wyeast 3787 or WLP 530. I reached out to Wyeast and they suggested that I'm not getting those Belgian yeast characteristics because I'm not using wheat.

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Sure seems like a strange comment from Wyeast. Maybe the rep just didn't want to be bothered. That aside, I've never looked for or expected much yeast expression from Wyeast 3787, especially in a Belgian dark strong. If you are looking for more, the only thing I can think of is to let the temperature rise early, no later than 2 or 3 days.

Kee said:

If you are looking for more, the only thing I can think of is to let the temperature rise early, no later than 2 or 3 days.

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Funny you mention this. I have also tried a free rise method. I had a Belgian ale that this yeast was pitched at 68 and free rose to 82 F within 24 hours. I tried to hold it so the yeast wouldn't drop out. I still didn't get the Belgiany characteristics. I wasn't comfortable with the beer rising this fast and wasn't looking for fusel properties so I started to control the rise to the method I use now.

Kee said:

Maybe the rep just didn't want to be bothered

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Haha this is possible. They mentioned that it's the way the yeast interacts with the proteins of the wheat. It was very strange to hear. But something to try, I suppose, to see if I get a better result.

I too use Pilsner, pale, Candi syrup and WLP530. I also add a spot of Special B.
Seem to get the Belgiany aroma and taste on my quads

My notes on Westvleteren fermentation are:
Wyeast 3787 or WLP530
Primary - pitch @ 68 F (20 C) and let rise to 82/84 F (28/29 C) for 4 - 6 days.
Secondary - 4 - 6 weeks @ 50 F (10 C)

I did this also but controlled the rise every day for 3 degrees if i recall, held it for a day at 80 then lowered it to 50 for a week and put it in a keg and let it chill in a keg for 6 months. But no lie, it was hitting its strides at 9 months, i think thats where ill tap it next time.