Third AG Batch - Chimay Blue clone

Busted out the Victoria mill since I think the crush from LHBS is in part the reason for my low efficiency on first two batches ... but hey, in the end I still had some darn good beer!!

14# belgian pale 2 row
8oz caramunich
6oz aromatic
4oz special B
3oz chocolate (UK)
1oz hallertauer 60m
1oz styrian golding 30m
2lbs amber candy sugar (melted) 15m
1tsp irish moss 10m
2g seeds of paradise 5m

beersmith sez SIM for 45m @ 156F

using 2 smack packs of wyeast 1214

plan is to primary for ~2 weeks (as SWMBO and I will be on vacation next week) then secondary for at least a month

still debating whether to keg or bottle ... leaning towards bottling since I think this brew will need to age a bit to reach it's prime

Ok ... Change of plans. Racked to secondary after just 3 days. Washed 5 pint jars of yeast for future use, then we left on vacation. Racked today to tertiary and did first taste test. All I can say is WOW this tastes good!! Not truly chimay blue ... But may become closer with time.

Gravity is now at 1.012 ... Going to let this age in the tertiary carboy for ~2 months before bottling.

I know I should add more yeast before bottling ... Thoughts are to make a 1L starter of the washed yeast out of the primary and add a few days before bottling ... Thoughts ... Suggestions?

:cheers:

mdfairbairn said:

I know I should add more yeast before bottling ... Thoughts are to make a 1L starter of the washed yeast out of the primary and add a few days before bottling ... Thoughts ... Suggestions?

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