sudsmcgee
Well-Known Member
I had it for the first time this weekend in Manhattan. I liked it a lot. Post your thoughts on a possible clone as well as how you feel about it.
Kwak Beer
- Thread starter sudsmcgee
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Celticway
Well-Known Member
Don't have a clone, but I did have some in Belgium (in the appropriate glass of course!)
JoeBuch
Well-Known Member
How would you describe this beer if you don't mind.
I'll admit, I've never tried it because it gets poort reviews
I'll admit, I've never tried it because it gets poort reviews
OP
OP
sudsmcgee
Well-Known Member
I would say it has a characteristic Belgian flavor and is on the malty side. If you've ever had Goose Island's Pere Jacque, its similar to that.
Yeah, I like Kwak a lot too. Was just wondering if there was a clone recipe out there.
-bill
-bill
I haven't tried it yet but will do next month.
Batch size 5 gallons
Boil size 6.47 gallons
Boil time 90 minutes
Grain weight 15.47 pounds
Efficiency 75%
Original gravity 1.084
Final gravity 1.021
Alcohol (by volume) 8.3%
Bitterness (IBU) 22
Color (SRM) 11.8°L
Yeast 3 liquid packs Wyeast ****1762 Belgian Abby Ale II
Grains/Extracts/Sugars 15.47 pounds
Pilsen ****36ppg, 1°L 11.73 pounds ****75.9%
Dry Candi - Clear ****32ppg, °L 1.6 pounds ****10.3%
Munich (Light) ****34ppg, 10°L 1.6 pounds ****10.3%
Special B ****30ppg, 140°L 0.53 pounds ****3.4%
Mash
45 minutes, 8.4 gallons Strike ****Target 158°F
5.2 gallons 170°F 45 minutes (+0)
Sparge
3.2 gallons 172°F
Boil
90 minutes, 6.47 gallons
Challenger hops ****8%, Whole 0.8 ounces 60 minutes
Goldings (Styrian) hops ****5%, Whole 1.07 ounces 15 minutes
Challenger hops ****8%, Whole 0.27 ounces 3 minutes (+57)
Saaz hops ****4%, Whole 0.27 ounces 3 minutes (+57)
Ferment
14 days @ 65-75°F
Batch size 5 gallons
Boil size 6.47 gallons
Boil time 90 minutes
Grain weight 15.47 pounds
Efficiency 75%
Original gravity 1.084
Final gravity 1.021
Alcohol (by volume) 8.3%
Bitterness (IBU) 22
Color (SRM) 11.8°L
Yeast 3 liquid packs Wyeast ****1762 Belgian Abby Ale II
Grains/Extracts/Sugars 15.47 pounds
Pilsen ****36ppg, 1°L 11.73 pounds ****75.9%
Dry Candi - Clear ****32ppg, °L 1.6 pounds ****10.3%
Munich (Light) ****34ppg, 10°L 1.6 pounds ****10.3%
Special B ****30ppg, 140°L 0.53 pounds ****3.4%
Mash
45 minutes, 8.4 gallons Strike ****Target 158°F
5.2 gallons 170°F 45 minutes (+0)
Sparge
3.2 gallons 172°F
Boil
90 minutes, 6.47 gallons
Challenger hops ****8%, Whole 0.8 ounces 60 minutes
Goldings (Styrian) hops ****5%, Whole 1.07 ounces 15 minutes
Challenger hops ****8%, Whole 0.27 ounces 3 minutes (+57)
Saaz hops ****4%, Whole 0.27 ounces 3 minutes (+57)
Ferment
14 days @ 65-75°F
winefactor143
Member
A well-known more strong Belgian ale with and amusing name and also this comes in a filtered bottle. It pours with a best head that lasts well, and most gives off an aroma reminiscent of a wheat beer such as bubblegum, vanilla, cloves - with a touch of spirit and possibly quinine.
I won a gold medal with this recipe in the Irish national hombrewing club competition. The beer score 43. Don't have the taste notes yet.
I'm not sure that I understand the recipe- you mash with 8.4 gallons of water, then drain the MT add 5.2 gallons for 45 minutes at 170 then use another 3.2 gallons? 16.8 gallons total water used before boil seems a lot! Also, 3 packs of Wyeast seems like overkill is it necessary?
Congrats on the medal though that's awesome
Congrats on the medal though that's awesome
Lupulos,
When i posted this recipe i just copied from another site. I don't have access to Wyeast so I have used one WLP 545 and made a 2l starter.
If you feel more comfortable you can use a normal mash and sparge. It works too and you can't tell the difference. I made it both way and it was great.
The version that won the contest was a regular mash and sparge version.
When i posted this recipe i just copied from another site. I don't have access to Wyeast so I have used one WLP 545 and made a 2l starter.
If you feel more comfortable you can use a normal mash and sparge. It works too and you can't tell the difference. I made it both way and it was great.
The version that won the contest was a regular mash and sparge version.
Akavango,
I plan to do a Kwak-clone attempt in coming brewing season, but with the original yeast (https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/pauwel-kwak-yeast-148427/). I am currently gathering information from the internet. Could you please tell me more about the source of your clone recipe?
There also appears to be a mismatch between high amount of sugar in the recipe and high final gravity. What is your experience on this? What was your final gravity?
Regards, Freek
I plan to do a Kwak-clone attempt in coming brewing season, but with the original yeast (https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/pauwel-kwak-yeast-148427/). I am currently gathering information from the internet. Could you please tell me more about the source of your clone recipe?
There also appears to be a mismatch between high amount of sugar in the recipe and high final gravity. What is your experience on this? What was your final gravity?
Regards, Freek
I don't remember where i got the recipe from unfortunately. Probably a google search.
My FG was 1010. I used WLP 530 and tried it also with WLP 545. I preferred the one with the WLP530 which is the one that won the competition.
WLP530 = Wyeast 1762 = strain used by the Rochefort trappist monks? The Bosteels strain probably has a much lower attenuation. Was your pricewinning beer similar to Kwak or dryer?
I measured the FG of a commercial Kwak yesterday, and it was around 1020. Hard to believe with 10% sugar in the mash. The FG also appears to be rising in time as it was around 1013 in year 2004. Could they be adding sugar to the finished product after filtration? Any ideas on this?
I measured the FG of a commercial Kwak yesterday, and it was around 1020. Hard to believe with 10% sugar in the mash. The FG also appears to be rising in time as it was around 1013 in year 2004. Could they be adding sugar to the finished product after filtration? Any ideas on this?
By all accounts, 1762 is Rochefort and 530 is Westmalle.
GuldTuborg,
Thanks for pointing this out. I am not familiar with WhiteLabs codes. Therefore used a table (http://www.brewboard.com/index.php?showtopic=44592) that stated WLP530 = Wyeast 1762. Found another one (http://ebrew.com/beer/beer_yeast_wyeast.htm) stating that WLP540 = Wyeast 1762 (= Rochefort) and WLP530 = Wyeast 3787 (= Westmalle). Is this the best list to use?
Attenuation of Westmalle yeast is higher than Rochefort, making the expected difference between Akavango's brew and commercial Kwak with respect to sweetness/ maltiness even larger.
Thanks for pointing this out. I am not familiar with WhiteLabs codes. Therefore used a table (http://www.brewboard.com/index.php?showtopic=44592) that stated WLP530 = Wyeast 1762. Found another one (http://ebrew.com/beer/beer_yeast_wyeast.htm) stating that WLP540 = Wyeast 1762 (= Rochefort) and WLP530 = Wyeast 3787 (= Westmalle). Is this the best list to use?
Attenuation of Westmalle yeast is higher than Rochefort, making the expected difference between Akavango's brew and commercial Kwak with respect to sweetness/ maltiness even larger.
terrapinj
Well-Known Member
I like the one on the Mrmalty website. It was put together, in part, by Kristen England, so it's likely to be more reliable than any other list.
As for the AA numbers published by either camp, take them with a big grain of salt. Wyeast themselves have stated they're largely garbage. Wort composition and management of fermentation have much more to do with the AA you get than strain selection. There are a few strains that definitely fall outside the norm, but most will give you roughly the same results, plus or minus a few percentage points, if treated well.
Awesome. I definitely want to try to make this. I've got the glass, but haven't found it at the growler shop in ages.
Clear sugar? Yeah, the cheap stuff from the grocery will work. It's all the same, really.
Found it (http://www.mrmalty.com/yeast.htm) and it is great. Thanks a lot. Makes communication between American and European homebrewers a lot easier. We are already struggling enough with units of measure.
Did some further work to come up with a table showing Wyeast# - Brewery - WhiteLabs# - Dry yeast, and posted it on another thread (https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/dry-yeast-liquid-yeast-equivalents-114424/index3.html). Please feel free to comment and update.
