Belgian Blonde

[ruascott]

Looking for a bit lower ABV Belgian Blonde....something that's smooth and easy drinking, with a good amount of body and creaminess. There is a similar one I've had locally that uses Spalt hops, which gives a nice bit of flavor/spice, so was going to use that. I also added in a bit of wheat for body.


6.5LB Pale 2 Row
2 LB White wheat
0.5LB Munich Light
0.35 LB Biscuit
0.35 Lb Aromatic

0.75oz Hallertau (60m)
1 oz Spalt (15M)

Wyeast #3522 Belgian Ardennes

60M Mash at 154F
OG: 1.049
IBU: 20
SRM: 5.35


Let me know what your thoughts are on this and any changes you'd make. Have no idea what this will produce, haven't made anything this style or with this yeast.

 

[jmcquesten]

I'm not sure about that yeast, since I've never used it, but I do have a couple suggestions. If you haven't tried Revvy's Leffe blonde clone, it's worth taking a look at https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=202852.
I've brewed it a couple times and am really liking it. You'll notice the mash temp seems high (158°F), but that is the important part of this recipe. It leaves some body in the beer that would otherwise be thin and even cidery due to the alcohol from the added sugar.
I tried mashing lower, but the beer wasn't as good. Also, if you could get Belgian pilsner malt (dingemans) it makes a difference.

 

[ruascott]

I'm not sure about that yeast, since I've never used it, but I do have a couple suggestions. If you haven't tried Revvy's Leffe blonde clone, it's worth taking a look at https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=202852.
I've brewed it a couple times and am really liking it. You'll notice the mash temp seems high (158°F), but that is the important part of this recipe. It leaves some body in the beer that would otherwise be thin and even cidery due to the alcohol from the added sugar.
I tried mashing lower, but the beer wasn't as good. Also, if you could get Belgian pilsner malt (dingemans) it makes a difference.

Ok....I'm trying for something not quite as strong as Revvys...maybe just drop the sugar addition?

My target beer is 5 to 5.5%...I know that's low for a Belgian...but need some sessionable beers on tap.

 

[jmcquesten]

I'm not sure how that would work. I would think you could cut the sugar, then mash lower. Or just scale everything down equally to get the gravity you want. I'm not sure if doing that would leave you with a watery beer. Maybe start with Belgian pilsner malt to get to the gravity you want, then add some aromatic (maybe 5 - 10%?), and back off the pilsner malt back down to desired gravity. I'd still want to sub out some pilsner malt for sugar to dry it out a little more.

 

[ruascott]

I'm not sure how that would work. I would think you could cut the sugar, then mash lower. Or just scale everything down equally to get the gravity you want. I'm not sure if doing that would leave you with a watery beer. Maybe start with Belgian pilsner malt to get to the gravity you want, then add some aromatic (maybe 5 - 10%?), and back off the pilsner malt back down to desired gravity. I'd still want to sub out some pilsner malt for sugar to dry it out a little more.

My LHBS has a recipe kit for a 5%ish belgian blonde, that uses my grain bill posted here, but they just used 8.5lbs of 2 row, and no wheat. I subbed in 2lbs of wheat thinking that would give more body. I may just roll with that, unless someone sees something not quite right.

Seems you think the pilsner malt is worth it over the regular 2 row, so maybe I'll go with that!

 

[beergolf]

I have done a couple of lower OG Belgians. Your recipe looks pretty good. Pils would be nice. Mashing higher helps because Belgian yeasts attenuate so well. You do not want the beer to dry out to much. On a higher OG beer that is what you are looking for, buton the low og brew mashing higher will help.

Brew it up

 

[ruascott]

I have done a couple of lower OG Belgians. Your recipe looks pretty good. Pils would be nice. Mashing higher helps because Belgian yeasts attenuate so well. You do not want the beer to dry out to much. On a higher OG beer that is what you are looking for, buton the low og brew mashing higher will help.

Brew it up

Thanks. 154 high enough? or would you go higher?

 

[beergolf]

154-156 would be good. The lower the OG the higher you should mash, so if you go lower then mashing even as high as 158 could work. Also the lower the OG then slightly more you can up the other grains like aromatic and the munich.

Wy 3522 is one of the more neutral Belgian yeasts. If you want to get more flavor then maybe try some of the other options.

I was looking for the satisfaction of a Belgian without the high ABV. If it dries out too much it tastes thin. So the point that that happens is pretty much a very fine line. Too thin and it does not work and too thick and it does not work. Once beers get over about .1.060 it is easier to make a beer that tastes good. The lower the OG the trickier it gets to find the balance. So the lower you go the higher the mash temp and the more you can add some of the other grains.

It has been a while since I brewed one so I need to do another soon. My pipeline is full of 8-12% Belgians. I need a lower gravity, easily drinkable brew.

 

[ruascott]

154-156 would be good. The lower the OG the higher you should mash, so if you go lower then mashing even as high as 158 could work. Also the lower the OG then slightly more you can up the other grains like aromatic and the munich.

Wy 3522 is one of the more neutral Belgian yeasts. If you want to get more flavor then maybe try some of the other options.

I was looking for the satisfaction of a Belgian without the high ABV. If it dries out too much it tastes thin. So the point that that happens is pretty much a very fine line. Too thin and it does not work and too thick and it does not work. Once beers get over about .1.060 it is easier to make a beer that tastes good. The lower the OG the trickier it gets to find the balance. So the lower you go the higher the mash temp and the more you can add some of the other grains.

It has been a while since I brewed one so I need to do another soon. My pipeline is full of 8-12% Belgians. I need a lower gravity, easily drinkable brew.

What other yeasts do you like...I wouldn't mind more flavor.

 

[beergolf]

WY 3787 is probably my favorite. I have a Dubbel and a BDSA in fermenters aging right now using 3787.

WY1388 is good. I like this one. a lot in Tripels.

WY 1214 is also good, probably the fruitiest of the three. Sometimes a little too much for my taste. Fermented on the cooler end of the recommended range works better for my taste. Fermented warm it can a litttle too fruity.

WY 3522 is good but I think is a lower OG beer it is. slightly too neutral for me.I do like it in a Dubbel though.

You can get a good idea of what they taste like by picking up commercial brews that they are from. Call it research.Each one has a very distinct flavor. The same recipe using each of these different yeasts will be quite different.

3787= Westmalle
1388= Duval
1214= Chimay.

 

[chickypad]

So you're basically wanting a Belgian pale ale. I agree with beergolf the recipe looks good to me as is (though I would also tend to use pilsner base). I don't find 3522 too neutral actually, but it seems to get a bit overly phenolic on me sometimes. 3787 is more estery/fruity if you want to go that way though lately I've been stocking the WL equivalent 530 as it seems to be more balanced flavor wise. A lot of the flavors that you get may have to do with how you ferment it as well.

 

[Kee]

I find WY3787 to be fairly neutral in a blond, although it's my most used in dark strongs.

One yeast you don't hear much about is WY3463 Forbidden Fruit. It worked out well for me in a high gravity beer, although during fermentation it smelled so bad and looked so cloudy I thought it must be infected.

 

[jmcquesten]

I second the WLP 530. Temperature really determines how much character you get out of that yeast. The last batch I did, one fermenter sat in the freezer at 64°F, the other sat in room temperature (69°F). The cooler one was almost too clean, so I'll probably stay on the warmer side for more belgish yeast character on the next round.

 

[beergolf]

A lot of the flavors that you get may have to do with how you ferment it as well.

That is the key to controlling the flavors of Belgian yeast.

 

[rhys333]

I don't want to hijack folks, but if i can just ask a quick question...

I recently tried Affligem Blond and it was blow my socks off good. I appreciate if you guys can recommend a Wyeast strain that'll produce similar character to this beer.