First Attempt At Creating A Recipe - Belgian Strong Ale

Heres a recipe I just came up with (first attempt ever on making my own)... not sure on how the outcome will be. Just wanted peoples thoughts on this. I pretty much did this in 10-15 min also learning the program "Beer Smith" at the same time. Wont be brewing this or similar for a while due to needing cooler temps.


Brew Sheet on my website.

Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale

Batch Size: 5.50 gal
Boil Size: 3.00 gal
Estimated OG: 1.072 SG
Estimated Color: 19.2 SRM
Estimated IBU: 29.2 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: - %
Boil Time: 120 Minutes


Prepare for Brewing

Prepare Yeast Starter
Trappist Ale (White Labs #WLP500) [Starter 35 ml] Yeast-Ale

Prepare 4.75 gal Water for Brewing
Amount Item Type
5.50 gal Atlanta, GA Water

Mash or Steep Grains

Steep Grains at 165.0 F
Amount Item % or IBU
1 lbs Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) 9.09 %
8.0 oz Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) 4.55 %

Steep grains as desired (30-60 minutes)
Remove grains, and prepare to boil wort


Boil Wort
Add water to achieve boil volume of 3.00 gal
Estimated pre-boil gravity is 1.138

Boil Ingredients

Extracts
Boil Amount Item
120 min 1 lbs Extra Light Dry Extract (3.0 SRM)
120 min 3 lbs Amber Dry Extract (12.5 SRM)

Hops
Boil Amount Item
120 min 1.00 oz Hallertauer [4.80 %] (120 min)
60 min 1.00 oz Northern Brewer [8.50 %] (60 min)
30 min 1.00 oz Hallertauer [4.80 %] (30 min)
10 min 1.00 oz Northern Brewer [8.50 %] (10 min)

Other
120 min 1 lbs 8.0 oz Corn Sugar (Dextrose) (0.0 SRM)
120 min 4 lbs Candi Sugar, Clear (0.5 SRM)
12 min 1.00 oz Ginger Root (Boil 12.0 min)
10 min 1.00 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 min)
5 min 8.00 oz Malto-Dextrine (Boil 5.0 min)

Steep Aroma Hops
Amount Item
1.00 oz Spalter [4.50 %] (15 min)
2.00 oz Saaz [4.00 %] (15 min)


Fermentation

11/3/2007 - Primary fermentation (6 days at 68.0 F)
11/9/2007 - Secondary fermentation (30 days at 68.0 F)
12/9/2007 - Bottle beer at 60.0 F with 4.2 oz of corn sugar.
Age beer for 14.0 days at 75.0 F
12/23/2007 - Drink and enjoy!

Anyone have any thoughts on how this might turn out?

I don't recall seeing a 5 gal belgian strong dark ale recipe use 5 pounds of sugar, even in any belgian. Also, I'm curious about the ginger - belgians can leave room for experimentation but I personally wouldn't add ginger to this style and I don't think it needs it. That yeast will generate many interesting flavors w/o the ginger. My .02

Im just fiddling with ways on upping the OG so I can work on getting a nice strong beer. Ive seen some with the use of many different spices in a book i read.

You can always add more spices in the secondary, but its hard to take away. I'm not sure about how else to get the OG up other than more extract, but then you have the problem of a potentially high Fg b/c of the unfermentables in the extract. I do AG, so I can't really say how much is too much for this style. For this style, if I am going to add any spices, I use corriander. So if you're just wanting some more spiciness I'd go with that instead of ginger, but if you want ginger go for it.

well I bumped both dry extracts to 3lbs each which is an easy buy being they come in 3lb packages. And dropped the candy down to 2 lbs. The OG rose a little bit to 1.075, the IBU is 27.8 so its will be possibly a tad sweeter, and I have adding coriander instead of ginger.

I'm thinking of swapping to an Abbey yeast being as what I see similar but I like the Trappist for its fruitier flavors in the higher temps. But being that this will be produced later in the year the temps might be down low enough for a constant high 60's for the abbey. Also most places that I've looked don't have the Trappist in stock.

The main thing I am unsure about is the hops.... I know these hops are used in the beers I'm just not sure of the proportions and timings are right.

Ok, first off, why 2 hours?? You're boiling 3 gallons for 2 hours, you'll have around 1 gallon left.

Second, leave out the ginger, and leave out the malto-dextrine. Leave out the corn sugar even and up the extract. The Style is suppose to be somewhat dry but i've used more Extract than that and still gotten a dry beer.

As for the candi sugar it can be used as up to 20% of the fermentables.

Take off the Dry Hops, the style is suppose to be malty smelling.

The IBU range is 15-25 depending on strength. Unless your OG is over 1.090 i would suggest 20 IBU's. Cutting your boil time down to 60 would be best and cut out that 120 min addition. There's not suppose to be Hop flavor or aroma, so your hops need to be at 60 and 45ish. 30 imparts flavor and 10 imparts aroma.

I would agree with the comments so far..especially reducing boil length to 60 mins & chucking the ginger, malto dextrine & big aroma additions.

Ive seen a lot of these with 2 hour boils. Sadly also most of the recipes I have on this are all grains so I'm trying to piece together an extract version.

With Beersmith there are 2 Belgian Strong Dark Ales profiles.... the one had selected had an IBU of 25-45.


updated list

Type: Extract
Batch Size: 5.50 gal
Boil Size: 3.00 gal
Boil Time: 60 min

Ingredients
Amount Item
4 lbs Amber Dry Extract (12.5 SRM)
4 lbs Extra Light Dry Extract (3.0 SRM)
3 lbs 5.3 oz Pale Liquid Extract (8.0 SRM)
1 lbs Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM)
4.0 oz Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM)
1.00 oz Hallertauer [4.80 %] (45 min)
1.00 oz Northern Brewer [8.50 %] (45 min)
1.00 oz Hallertauer [4.80 %] (30 min)
1.00 oz Northern Brewer [8.50 %] (30 min)
1.00 oz Tettnang [4.50 %] (30 min)
1.00 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 min)
2 lbs Candi Sugar, Clear (0.5 SRM)
5.50 gal Atlanta, GA
1 Pkgs Trappist Ale (White Labs #WLP500) [Starter 35 ml]

Beer Profile
Est Original Gravity: 1.100 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.023 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 10.09 %
Bitterness: 22.9 IBU
Est Color: 16.8 SRM


Which yeast would you recommend to use for this? I'm looking at white labs 500, 510, and 530?

Here is something for you to ponder. The extract has been boiled down to a syrup, so the danger of dms is almost none existant. So you are boiling for an hour to sterilize the wort and isomerize the hops any more than that and you are just wasting water, unless you are running long hop additions like a 90 min IPA.

As far as alcohol goes, you are going to have a HUGE beer here. My trippel only goes up to 1079 OG and finishs out at 1020ish. And it runs about 9% abv. I also hop a bit more than you are. I average an BU:GU of about .35. and it tends to be a bit malty but good. You are looking at a BU:GU of about .23.

BU:GU is a balancing system Ray Daniels came up with to help balance beer. BU= Bittering units and GU=Gravity units. It seems to work pretty good. If you have any questions lemme know

I think if you either bring up your IBU's or bring down the OG I think you will be really happy with the beer. Remember Belgians are more about balance then pushing the envelope. Yeah they brew big alcoholic beer but it isn't meant to blow the top of your head off. It is all about balance.

My $.02

John

Nwcw2001 said:

Here is something for you to ponder. The extract has been boiled down to a syrup, so the danger of dms is almost none existant. So you are boiling for an hour to sterilize the wort and isomerize the hops any more than that and you are just wasting water, unless you are running long hop additions like a 90 min IPA.

As far as alcohol goes, you are going to have a HUGE beer here. My trippel only goes up to 1079 OG and finishs out at 1020ish. And it runs about 9% abv. I also hop a bit more than you are. I average an BU:GU of about .35. and it tends to be a bit malty but good. You are looking at a BU:GU of about .23.

BU:GU is a balancing system Ray Daniels came up with to help balance beer. BU= Bittering units and GU=Gravity units. It seems to work pretty good. If you have any questions lemme know

I think if you either bring up your IBU's or bring down the OG I think you will be really happy with the beer. Remember Belgians are more about balance then pushing the envelope. Yeah they brew big alcoholic beer but it isn't meant to blow the top of your head off. It is all about balance.

My $.02

John

Click to expand...

Balance is always good! Thanks. I will take that into lots of consideration and work on a little more hops and all.

Ok well I have the ratio at .377 and the cost down All of this is really helping me understand... I typically learn better by playing around rather than reading.... more of a hands on kinda person....

Type: Extract
Batch Size: 5.50 gal
Boil Size: 3.00 gal
Boil Time: 60 min
Taste Rating(out of 50): 35.0
Taste Notes:

Ingredients
Amount Item
4 lbs Amber Dry Extract (12.5 SRM)
4 lbs Extra Light Dry Extract (3.0 SRM)
1 lbs Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM)
4.0 oz Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM)
1.00 oz Hallertauer [4.80 %] (45 min)
1.00 oz Northern Brewer [8.50 %] (45 min)
2.00 oz Tettnang [4.50 %] (30 min)
1.00 oz Hallertauer [4.80 %] (30 min)
1.00 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 min)
2 lbs Candi Sugar, Clear (0.5 SRM)
5.50 gal Atlanta, GA
1 Pkgs Trappist Ale (White Labs #WLP500) [Starter 35 ml]

Beer Profile
Est Original Gravity: 1.078 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.018 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 7.82 %
Bitterness: 29.3 IBU
Est Color: 15.1 SRM


I have no problem with letting this sit longer if it will need it.... should this sit more than a month

Well I started this on the 17th.

5 lbs Extra Light Dry Extract (3.0 SRM)
4 lbs Amber Dry Extract (12.5 SRM)
1 lbs Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM)
4.0 oz Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM)
2 lbs Candi Sugar, Clear (0.5 SRM)
1.00 oz Northern Brewer [7.00 %] (60 min)
1.00 oz Hallertauer [3.30 %] (45 min)
1.00 oz Hallertauer [3.30 %] (20 min)
1.00 oz Tettnang [2.20 %] (10 min)
1.00 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 15.0 min)

SG: 1.077
Was hoping for higher AA but that was what I received.

Still in primary...... I have seen some that say keep it in for 2-3 weeks and some that say just the standard 5-7 days. What is the best route for this?

I'd say plan on 2 weeks. Either way, make sure to take a gravity reading before you transfer it to make sure that it is done fermentation.

The reason many Belgian recipes call for an extra-long boil is usually:

1. They use a lot of Pilsner malt, which needs a long boil to remove the DMS precursors

2. They collect lots of pre-boil wort for efficiency, which then needs to be boiled down.

Neither applies for an extra batch.

I also heard some good advice regarding spicing lately (might have been in Brewing Like a Monk, either that or JZ); if you can tell what spice is in the beer, you've used too much.

big supper said:

I'd say plan on 2 weeks. Either way, make sure to take a gravity reading before you transfer it to make sure that it is done fermentation.

Click to expand...

Im going to try that next Saturday and Sunday and if it doesnt change and if it seems low enough I will rack it. I do plan on doing a 3 stage fermentation with this for extra clarity, around 2 months or longer.

Will I have to add yeast in this for bottling due to the length in conditioning or should I be fine?

Bringing this back from the dead.

Entered this beer in a competition back around April I think it was and it scored a 41, 3rd place. Though the beer was rated higher than the 2 places in front of it the main judge for the mbos thought the 2 others were better (also that guy prefers dubbels over BDSs) The beer sat in secondary for over 200 days.