Belgian Stout?

So I am planning to brew up a stout tomorrow and was thinking about adding a Belgian twist. I searched around, but stout doesn't look to be a Belgian thing.

What is the closest Belgian style to a stout?

I am not looking to brew a heavy beer but want to keep it at or under 6% ABV.

My plan was to do a stout recipe with some special B, Styrian Hops and a belgian yeast.

Any thoughts?

I'll post my recipe later, but I worked all night and better go get some sleep.

Thanks for any input or expertise.

I can't think of anything that would be like a Belgian Stout. There are some that have the color (Rochfort is the first to mind) but there isn't that roasty/ toastiness I associate with a Stout. I imagine it would be good. If you have a good stout recipe, you could start by just brewing that with a Belgian yeast strain, and make adjustments from there.
As always with Belgians try starting the temps out low (60ish˚F) for a couple days and then let them start climbing.

These might give you some ideas/inspiration:

http://ratebeer.com/Beer/van-den-bossche-buffalo-belgian-stout/22788/
http://ratebeer.com/Beer/new-belgium-lips-of-faith-(pats-belgian-stout)/62155/
http://ratebeer.com/Beer/alvinne-podge-belgian-imperial-stout/47219/
http://ratebeer.com/Beer/heartland-belgian-black-cherry-stout/58017/
http://ratebeer.com/Beer/jolly-pumpkin-madrugada-obscura/54349/
http://ratebeer.com/beer/de-dolle-extra-export-stout/31936/

brewt00l said:

http://ratebeer.com/Beer/van-den-bossche-buffalo-belgian-stout/22788/
http://ratebeer.com/Beer/alvinne-podge-belgian-imperial-stout/47219/
http://ratebeer.com/beer/de-dolle-extra-export-stout/31936/

Click to expand...

These three are the only ones made in belgium. and if you read the decriptions, they taste nothing like other stouts.

i'd leave it up to the belgians to make wonderful brews like dark strong ales. if you want to add a "belgian twist", up the alcohol like they would.

of course, that would be a russian imperial stout

I have an Abbey Imperial Stout that will be going into bottles in a couple of weeks. When I racked it to secondary it showed some promise.

You could try a schwarzbier with Belgain yeast.

DeathBrewer said:

These three are the only ones made in belgium. and if you read the decriptions, they taste nothing like other stouts.

i'd leave it up to the belgians to make wonderful brews like dark strong ales. if you want to add a "belgian twist", up the alcohol like they would.

of course, that would be a russian imperial stout

Click to expand...

hence ideas/inspiration

Well, I posted the recipe I plan to do. Rounding up the grain...
Rye, wheat and oats for character...
clicky

Oops, didn't have any rye. Thought I had 10 pounds of it, but that was cara-pils I bought. Silly me...

I significantly changed my recipe and it now reflects what I actually brewed. It is in the final stages of the boil now...

Very dark and smells awesome...

rye, chocolate, wheat, oats, cinnamon & orange peel? Woah..."kitchen sink stout" might be a worthy title! Sounds interesting.

I'd think a stout recipe with emphasis on the grains that are shared between the stout and belgian dark strong, then use the Belgian Candi Sugar and Yeast.... worth a try...

how about a skull splitter type brew? that's a little bit roasty...you may wish to look at the ingredients for a clone of that.

DeathBrewer said:

how about a skull splitter type brew? that's a little bit roasty...you may wish to look at the ingredients for a clone of that.

Click to expand...

A barley wine?

Here's what I actually ended up brewing...
clicky

Wheat and Oats with styrian goldings and fuggles, topped off with a Belgian Ale yeast.

The wort tasted awesome, very smooth with a hint of hops flavor.

It is going crazy in the fermenter.

interesting. let us know how that belgian yeast takes care of it!

knipknup said:

It is going crazy in the fermenter.

Click to expand...

Yeah, when I brewed my Abbey Stout it blew the blow off tube out of the fermenter. Large mess.

[Post 200...mini-Woot]

I'm shocked, it has really slowed down already. I just brewed it Monday (yesterday) and it is only bubbling around once per minute now. Weird...

My beer shop just quadrupled their selection of Belgian beers... from one to four. Lucifer, Hoegarten, Lindemann's Peach, and Hercule Stout. I got a couple bottles. At 8.4% ABV it is a wonderful Imperial Stout, full of dried fruit and a rich toastiness. It finishes with a roastiness I associate with stouts but less filling.

I'm just a relative noob (18 batches) and only a few Belgains. What I have learned throught books and the various podcasts nad interviews with Belgian brewers out there, along with having tried many Belgains, is that there are no rules, just right. I have several ideas in the works, and I am approaching them the same way I approach cooking - combining different ingredients to create a harmonious whole. If you can envision the individual flavors of what you plan to use, and can relate them to each other either either as complimentary, coordinating. or accentuating, then go for it.

I recently made some sauteed carrots using fresh ginger and fresh sage, with a little vermouth. Ginger is spicy and earthy, sage is earthy and herbal, and vermouth is herbal. Different, and i have never had this combo before, but it works.

I think I jacked this batch up. For some reason I got the notion to mash at 158F (modeled after some stout recipe but I can't remember which one or why). It fermented quickly but is around 3.8%ABV. The last gravity sample tasted great, but it was supposed to be around 5% or so. I'm pretty sure that was too high a mash temp.

It looks like, from your recipe, it still has another week in primary. Perhaps you will get a slight drop in the final gravity between now and then. Maybe giving the fermenter a shake to rouse some yeast might help?

A mash temp that high would contribute to the amount of less fermentable sugars, but I don't know how many. I guess as long as it tastes good, then it is good, even if it wasn't what you were shooting for.

I'm planning an Imperial Stout using some Belgian ingredients and yeast. Its kind of an Extra Dark Strong Belgian Ale. I am going to use Belgian Chocolate Malt, and Special B to get it dark and ferment with a Trappist Ale yeast. I'll also add some sugar to help keep it drier than most RIS. Target OG 1.096. I'm trying to take it easy on the roast malts to allow the Belgian yeasts to show through. We will see how it goes.

Craig

CBBaron, sounds yummy.

knipknup, how's your batch coming along?

I pitched a sachet of nottingham in it last week and it hasn't had a bit of activity. I will keg any day and let it carbonate.

I would be interested in a brew swap if anyone wants to critique in a couple weeks.