Belgian Tripel Chimay Triple White Clone

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

dlester

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 19, 2007
Messages
575
Reaction score
38
Location
Los Angeles, CA
This 8% ABV Chimay clone is light with champaign like effervescence.

This recipe is primarily Pilsner and sugar. And, the yeast gives that familiar Chimay White character. There is some Munich, but only a little for added character. It has a slight peppery and bitter orange character from the yeast. Kind of like a spiced Saison. The taste is pretty damn close, but the only thiing I can't get on this is the aroma. If anyone has suggestions, please post.

Chimay White Clone
A ProMash Recipe Report

Recipe Specifics
----------------
Batch Size (Gal): 6.50 Wort Size (Gal): 6.50
Total Grain (Lbs): 17.29
Anticipated OG: 1.075 Plato: 18.19
Anticipated SRM: 4.3
Anticipated IBU: 25.6
Brewhouse Efficiency: 70 %
Wort Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Pre-Boil Amounts
----------------
Evaporation Rate: 15.00 Percent Per Hour
Pre-Boil Wort Size: 7.65 Gal
Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.064 SG 15.61 Plato

Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
--------------------------------------------------------------------
85.3 14.75 lbs. Pilsener Belgium 1.037 2
11.6 2.00 lbs. Table Sugar (clear) Generic 1.046 1
3.1 0.54 lbs. Munich Malt(2-row) German 1.035 6

Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
0.81 oz. Goldings - E.K. Whole 5.00 12.4 60 min.
0.81 oz. Hallertau Hersbrucker Whole 5.30 13.2 60 min.


Extras

Amount Name Type Time
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
0.19 Oz Irish Moss Fining 20 Min.(boil)


Yeast
-----
White Labs WLP550 Belgian Ale


Water Profile
-------------
Profile: Filtered

pH: 5.3


Mash Schedule
-------------
Mash Type: Single Step

Grain Lbs: 15.29
Water Qts: 23.84 - Before Additional Infusions
Water Gal: 5.96 - Before Additional Infusions

Qts Water Per Lbs Grain: 1.56 - Before Additional Infusions

Mash-out Rest Temp : 149 Time: 60
Sparge Temp : 170 Time: 30

Fermentation
Ferment at 65.
 
Chimay White Clone
A ProMash Recipe Report

Recipe Specifics
----------------
Batch Size (Gal): 6.50 Wort Size (Gal): 6.50
Total Grain (Lbs): 17.29
Anticipated OG: 1.075 Plato: 18.19
Anticipated SRM: 4.3
Anticipated IBU: 25.6
Brewhouse Efficiency: 70 %
Wort Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Pre-Boil Amounts
----------------
Evaporation Rate: 15.00 Percent Per Hour
Pre-Boil Wort Size: 7.65 Gal
Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.064 SG 15.61 Plato

Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
--------------------------------------------------------------------
85.3 14.75 lbs. Pilsener Belgium 1.037 2
11.6 2.00 lbs. Table Sugar (clear) Generic 1.046 1
3.1 0.54 lbs. Munich Malt(2-row) German 1.035 6

Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
0.80 oz. Goldings - E.K. Whole 5.00 12.4 60 min.
0.80 oz. Hallertau Hersbrucker Whole 5.30 13.2 60 min.


Extras

Amount Name Type Time
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
0.19 Oz Irish Moss Fining 20 Min.(boil)


Yeast
-----
White Labs WLP550 Belgian Ale

Water Profile
-------------
Profile: Filtered
pH: 5.3

Mash Schedule
-------------
Mash Type: Single Step
Grain Lbs: 15.29
Water Qts: 23.84 - Before Additional Infusions
Water Gal: 5.96 - Before Additional Infusions

Qts Water Per Lbs Grain: 1.56 - Before Additional Infusions

Mash-out Rest Temp : 154 Time: 60
Sparge Temp : 170 Time: 30

Fermentation
Ferment at 65.
 
I've made this several times to zone in on the character of Chimay. Some have said this is "spot on." This is one of my favorites and typically in my kegorator.

Cheers
 
I keg everything, but bottle a half a dozen for competitions. Haven't entered this one yet because it is drank up before a next batch is brewed, including the botttles. Haha, maybe this will be the year.
 
There seems to be as many Chimay white recipes as there are brewers. This makes finding the definitive version of the this beer a bit difficult. However, there are a couple of things that could get you closer.

First of all, the chimay yeast strain is WLP500 or Wyeast 1214. That yeast should get you the right ester profile as it is the strain the Chimay monks use.

Second, I sat down with a 750ml bottle of chimay white before I came up with recipe and tasted as best I could. And one thing I detected was a significant hop presence, both bitterness and aroma wise. I couldn't quite figure out what type of hop they used for bittering, but there was certainly quite a bit of german noble hop character in the nose. So I would suggest you try adding a flameout addition of your German hop of choice. You're already using hallertauer hops so I'd just go with that.
 
I couldn't quite figure out what type of hop they used for bittering, but there was certainly quite a bit of german noble hop character in the nose.

Amazingly enough, they use (extracts of) cluster, galena, and/or nugget. This is from BLAM. The Hallertau for flavoring is spot on.

Several things could go wrong to influence the aroma. The right bittering hops and yeast come first to mind, but the water profile, fermentation temp, and many other factors could have an affect as well. Shoot for a soft water relatively high in bicarbonates. Pitch yeast at 68F and let it self rise to 82F, ut try to keep it from getting higher than that. Good luck!
 
If all your looking for in WLP 500 is ester quality, you missed the point of using the 550 strain. The 550 gives off Saison type characteristics that you find in Chimay White as well as esters.
 
I agree that the aroma alludes me. I will try some test batches with your suggested hops. I also agree that Hallertau is good for taste.
 
i wonder if maybe some flavor comes from the type of fermentation vessel they use maybe its a copper that adds a flavor or something like that, i too quest for a perfect clone of chimay , also trying to make a westvleteren 12 clone...well see how that goes hope my recipe is close.
 
My philosophy on "cloning" a beer has evolved... I'd rather just learn from their recipe and make a beer that I like even better than the original.

See the gumballhead "clone" by Cuinrearview that's listed in my sig f'rexample. ;)
 
Sorry I missed your question. However, it sounds like you already got it handled. Good luck and let me know who you like it.

Thanks
 
Mine is in primary now. Thank for the recipe. For the sugar, I added it at 30 min since I didn't know when to put in in. I was afraid that if I put it in too early it would caramelize.

Also, do to dumb human error, my 60 min hop additions became 20 min hop additions.

I'll let you know how to pans out. Again, thanks for the recipe.
 
The sugar addition was fine. However, the hops are not. At 20 minutes you will get mostly hop oils and aromatics. That in itself is not a bad thing. You can fix it though. Get a quart of water and boil the 60 minute hops for that amount of time. Hopefully the water will boil down enough not to dilute it to bad. Hard boil the wtaer on high, but keep a close eye on it to avoid going dry.
 
The sugar addition was fine. However, the hops are not. At 20 minutes you will get mostly hop oils and aromatics. That in itself is not a bad thing. You can fix it though. Get a quart of water and boil the 60 minute hops for that amount of time. Hopefully the water will boil down enough not to dilute it to bad. Hard boil the wtaer on high, but keep a close eye on it to avoid going dry.

PS. Then add the boiled hops to the fermenting beer.
 
I'm looking forward to trying this out when i get a fermenter free. Will report back!
 
Back
Top