Dutch Koyt Bier - Grain and Extract fusion for the beginner - one gallon

[Vermeer]

Hello, I'm Dutch and wanted to simplify the all grain process for making Koyt/Kuyt for the beginning Brewers who start with a 1-2 gallon carboy. Kuyt is from the 1400s in the Netherlands. Some call Gruit bier. It's the only ethnic beer I know the recipe for but it's complex so I'm trying to replicate flavor and make it for new people to start. I tried this out...

1/2 pound flaked oats at just under boil temp steeped for 20 mins in 1/2 gallon then drained into same boil pot.

No sparge. Simply added 3/4 gallon water to boil pot and brought to boil. Mixture was milky and was now 1.25 gallons total.

Added 1.5 pounds wheat LME and 1 pound light ale DME.

Boiled for one hour.

At the 45 minute mark added tbsp of East Kent Golden Hops. I also added 1 tsp Irish moss to contain oat starch matter.

At the 5 minute mark, I added another tbsp of EKGH

3/4 packet Wyeast pitched

A fairly vigorous fermentation noted at hour 3 and continues to churn away at hour 18 with heat at 70 degrees in house. I plan on 3 weeks fermentation followed by 3 bottle conditioning with 4 Brewers Best tablets per Grolsch 16 oz bottle.

Any expert Brewers with thoughts on this procedure or predictions?

 

[Vermeer]

At 0700am, the visible fermentation has slowed considerably. Airlock now bubbling at 2 per minute with 50 percent of wort surface clear. The krausening foam was measured at 1 inch maximum height on the glass sides.

The wart remains cloudy obviously at just under two days in the fermenter. The color is straw and borders a kopper color.

 

[Vermeer]

So I will be putting the carboy into the refrigerator tomorrow a.m. not sure why it went so quickly but taste test today confirmed this is beer and not syrup.

 

[FatDragon]

Interesting idea. Do you have a description of what the beer is supposed to taste like? Incidentally, f you're adding hops, it's not a gruit.

I would leave it at fermentation temps for another week at least - just because it looks done doesn't mean it is done. Chilling it now could mean bottling an unfinished beer that might overcarbonate and give you gushers or bottle bombs. Four carbonation tabs per bottle might also do the gusher/bomb job on their own - I've never used them but four seems like it's probably going to be too much unless they're small and intended to be used in multiples.

 

[JayEff]

Hi! I'm curious about the oats and their effect. I'm a beginner and haven't used any grains yet. As I understood it, the oats need to be mashed because they don't contain any of the amylase enzymes that turn starch into fermentables, but you didn't do that. What's the effect the oats starches will have on this beer?

Hope you'll keep us posted, I'm curious as to the taste and everything!

 

[Vermeer]

Interesting idea. Do you have a description of what the beer is supposed to taste like? Incidentally, f you're adding hops, it's not a gruit.

I would leave it at fermentation temps for another week at least - just because it looks done doesn't mean it is done. Chilling it now could mean bottling an unfinished beer that might overcarbonate and give you gushers or bottle bombs. Four carbonation tabs per bottle might also do the gusher/bomb job on their own - I've never used them but four seems like it's probably going to be too much unless they're small and intended to be used in multiples.

Hi Fatdragon. My mistake was not mentioning I'm using 16 oz bottles and that I'm using conditioning tabs. 4 tabs is described as medium carb for a 12 oz bottle. Sorry about that. You might be right about Gruitbier. Holland can grow hops ok on trellis and we copy Belgian style. I can grow it in Iowa U.S. My recipe is Holland Koyt. Still low on hops. The recipe I found is extremely old but not as old as Gruit.

It is supposed to be a mouthy or thicker beer with sweet malt overtones and low bitterness. Abv med to lower. Nederlanders need to go to Church on Sunday! Lol.

The beer is done BUT if you don't hear from me again it may be I exploded a bottle bomb.

My only concern is the starch from flaked oats but that's what historically we used. Can't grow corn really in Holland. Too wet.

 

[Vermeer]

Hi! I'm curious about the oats and their effect. I'm a beginner and haven't used any grains yet. As I understood it, the oats need to be mashed because they don't contain any of the amylase enzymes that turn starch into fermentables, but you didn't do that. What's the effect the oats starches will have on this beer?

Hope you'll keep us posted, I'm curious as to the taste and everything!

Hi JayEff. The oats were not mashed per typical fashion. Wheat and oats and barley dominate a Koyt. Wheat and barley came from LME. The oats in this case came for mouth feel and flavor but not alcohol content so much as the starch is not fermentable fully.

I tried to do so beginner could replicate with out the complex measurements of a Koyt all grain but still taste the basic idea. I worry this style will be lost someday and want people to know Holland/Friesland is known for more than tulips, hookers and weed. Lol.

We also have gud beer.

Bottling starts tomorrow. I sampled the flat beer and I did like it. Good, solid beer with low hops and ethynol. It is a big beer and I suspect it's fairly calorie dense. It is grainy, heavy, cereal with a malt kick. Dark copper which surprised me. Licorice like overtones but barely noticeable. I will keep updating.

 

[dmtaylor]

The recipe that follows is inspired by, but NOT actually a clone of, Jopen Koyt. I have brewed this 3 times. It's fantastic. It's one of my favorite beers that I've brewed. It's won awards in competitions. Cheers.

 

[Vermeer]

Looks good. Wheat and oat volume percentage looks reversed to me from traditional formula but I'll bet this was a great tasting beer! I like the additives!

 

[Vermeer]

The beer has been bottled. It is a deep copper color with an oatmeal aroma. It tastes like a medium alcohol content beer like maybe 5-6 percent. It has a low hops bite but wheat and oat flavors are very much present and goes down very quickly. 😉.

4 small Brewers Best conditioning tablets per 16 oz bottle were added after 2 day refrigeration.

I'm very much surprised the post fermentation sample didn't have a lot of green beer taste and suspect it may be due to the amount of oat starches. What do you think?

 

[Vermeer]

No bottle bombs or excessive carbonation noted yet.

 

[Vermeer]

I opened another beer tonight. Good head retention and lacing. Not a large head however. The beer has a thick feels to it and is aging good. Mellow.

 

[jmcquesten]

...and want people to know Holland/Friesland is known for more than tulips, hookers and weed. Lol.

You should be proud of these things. Well, maybe not the tulips as much...

 

[PitRow]

and want people to know Holland/Friesland is known for more than tulips, hookers and weed. Lol.

don't forget the drop and the stroopwaffels!

 

[Vermeer]

You know, I was in at my brew supplier and they do have drop (licorice) flavoring.

How about it? Dark lager? Next brew?

"Dropbier"

 

[PitRow]

Oo! Now you have me thinking. A little salmiak poeder in a porter sounds pretty good!