Belgian dark blonde recipe critique

[Braingrain]

Hi.
I've put together a recipe that started out as a belgian blonde and to be honest I'm not sure what happened in the process of buying it, but I ended up buying the following ingredients. I'll probably end up just brewing it and seeing how it turns out, but thoughts on the combination and feedback on the ratios would be greatly appreciated. I'm guessing it will turn into a middle ground between a Blonde and a Double? A Bouble?

For a 5 gallon (25 liter) batch.
OG 1.073, expected FG 1.012.
Yeast: wyeast abbey ale 1216.

Chateau pilsen 2rws (2ebc) - 4.29 kg /59%
Chateau munich light (14ebc) - 1.30 kg
/18%
Chateau cara blond (20ebc) - 0.52 kg / 7%
Chateau melano light (40ebc) - 0.26 kg / 3.6%
Chateau cara Ruby (50ebc) - 0.13 kg /1.8%
White candi sugar - 0.8 kg / 11%

Bittering Hops for 60 min: 42g Styrian golding 4% aa (16.8 IBU).
Aroma hops for 20 min: 42g Saaz 3.4 aa (8.6 IBU)

Total IBU: 25
BU/GU: 0.35
Expected EBC: 15.4

 

[Zambezi Special]

Yes on hops and IBU

I'm not familiar with the yeast and some of the grains. I'm sure someone else will comment on those

 

[gaburko]

With such an OG, I'd up the Styrian golding to something closer to 30 IBU and I'd move the Saaz to a 10 min addition for a 5 IBU addition. I personally like my belgian ales not stickly sweet, but it's a matter of taste. It will be a good beer anyway

 

[duncan_disorderly]

Dark Blonde? Ha ha. 15 EBC isnt dark though, with the cara ruby it might be strawberry blonde? It's only 7.8 SRM.

You could just drop the cara ruby maybe? Save it for another day.

 

[Braingrain]

I bought another kg of pilsner malt and will replace the munich light with it to simplify the recipe. The real goal is to make a belgian blonde that tastes of honey (for the wife). Which is why I added the cara blond malt.

I agree with you gaburko and contemplated the IBUs as well, but I have used this exact combo and IBU in a similar beer that my wife loved. I'll keep your recommendation in mind for the next iteration of the recipe.

Strawberry blonde doesn't sound bad haha.

 

[mac_1103]

Dark Blonde? Ha ha. 15 EBC isnt dark though, with the cara ruby it might be strawberry blonde? It's only 7.8 SRM.

Dirty blonde?

The real goal is to make a belgian blonde that tastes of honey (for the wife).

I did that totally by accident once. Recipe was just base malt and candi syrup. Can't figure out where the honey came from. Maybe it's always there under the radar and unintentionally under-hopping bought it out.

 

[mashpaddled]

Sort of a Belgian amber or pale ale.

I suspect you'll end up with a slightly lower FG. Like @Zambezi Special I'm not a huge fan of leaving those beers too sweet but that's well within the range for Belgian beers of that gravity.

 

[Braingrain]

I just bottled it and tasted it warm and flat - pretty nice and pleasant, though a bit sweet for me. FG 1.012, I'm happily surprised FG was as intended as all of my beers finish extremely dry. I think I managed to get rid of my ongoing infection from a diastatic yeast I used a year ago.
Colour is nice too.
Thank you all for your help. I'll write an update 3 weeks from now when it has had time to carb up