Dubbel Braggot

[a_merryk_hunt]

Well, a miscalculation turned into something I'm kinda excited about. Was already excited to make this, because I love belgian style beers, but the addition of honey really got me anxious for this.

Have been trying to get started brewing beer and get the calculations (boil off rate, loss to kettle and fermenter, etc) for my current equipment dialed in, and had my boiloff rate about 0.25 gal/hr too high. For a small batch (shooting for 1.5 gallons going into the fermenter, wound up with 2), made a huge difference for the OG. Starting gravity should have been 1.070, wound up with about 1.057. After updating the numbers for my brewing setup, the numbers matched up perfectly with beersmith. Wanted to keep within the parameters of the style I was making (belgian dubbel with rye), and entered amounts of honey until I was near my original expectations.

3.5 gallons spring water
1.75 lbs belgian pilsen malt
1 lb rye malt
10 ozs acid malt
1 lb D-45 Belgian candi syrup
0.5 oz Tettnang hops @ 60 mins
0.5 oz Saaz hops @ 15 mins
0.5 whirlfloc tablet @ 15 mins
12 oz orange blossom honey
WLP 530 Abbey Ale yeast

Mash ph: 5.2ish
post mash gravity: 1.030
pre boil gravity/volume: 1.040/3.25 gallons
post boil gravity/volume: 1.056/2.25 gallons
after honey: 1.070

Expected final gravity: 1.014
Ibu: 21.7
Anticipated ABV: 7.5%

Originally planning for a 60 minute boil, but extended to 90 when I wasn't boiling off as much as anticipated. Pulled the hop bag out after the initial 60 mins had passed.
Started getting later than I wanted, so I went the no-chill route with this. Ibus will likely be off because off the no-chill, but should not be by much.
Currently have the yeast in a starter. Will be cold crashing, decanting, and pitching tomorrow.

Edit: before anyone asks, I only used orange blossom honey because it was the only other fermentable sugar I had readily available. I don't expect much flavor to come through from this.

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[a_merryk_hunt]

I'm glad that I had the foresight to pull the airlock on this and attach a blow-off tube before going out of town for a couple of days. The krausen on this was more violent than anything I've made so far.

Unfortunately didn't have the foresight to take a pic of the hose and jug before dumping and washing them when swapping the hose for an airlock.

On another note, this yeast is throwing off a lot of estery scents from fermenting at the higher end of it's temperature range. Lots of banana and clove. Should pair nicely with the peppery flavors from the rye.

 

[a_merryk_hunt]

Day 14: bottling day. Final gravity 1.016. Flavor seems nice, but not as many fruity esters as i was hoping for. Washing yeast for reuse in another batch. From what I've read, WLP530 produces better esters in 2nd and 3rd batch reuse.

 

[a_merryk_hunt]

Had a little left in the priming bucket, decided to pour off a sample. Was quite clear in the siphon tube, however yeast already kicked back up in the presence of fermentable sugars. Quite a bit darker in the picture than in person.