Need advice on a clone ...

[bfpierce]

I'm trying to replicate a Belgian strong dark ...

This is the description:

"La Petite Mort
Belgian Style Strong Dark Ale

IBU: 36
ABV: 8.8%
Malts: ESB, Pale, Pilsner, Rye, Dark Crystal, Honey, Munich
Hops: Magnum, Styrian Goldings

“La Petite Mort” means “a little death” in French. What’s a little death if it comes in this form? Well worth it we think. Released on each July 14, Bastille day. This Belgian inspired strong dark ale was brewed with a Belgian Ardennes yeast strain that imparts an aroma of cloves and a complex spiciness. This is balanced by flavors of mild fruit and hints of earthy tobacco notes."

This is what I've come up with:

5 gal AG; 6 gal boil; 75% efficiency

Original Gravity (OG): 1.083 (°P): 20.0
Final Gravity (FG): 1.021 (°P): 5.3
Alcohol (ABV): 8.15 %
Colour (SRM): 14.1 (EBC): 27.8
Bitterness (IBU): 35.9 (Average)

9# ESB Pale
3# Pilsner
1# Crystal 80
1# Rye Malt
.5# Honey Malt
.5# Munich

.75 oz Magnum (12.5% Alpha) @ 60 Minutes (Boil)
.5 oz Styrian Golding (4.4% Alpha) @ 15 Minutes (Boil)
.25 oz Styrian Golding (4.4% Alpha) @ 5 Minutes (Boil)

Single step Infusion at 152°F for 60 Minutes. Boil for 60 Minutes.

Fermented at 68°F with Wyeast 3522 - Belgian Ardennes

Any thoughts? Why pale AND pilsner? Is C80 dark enough? Should I add a different or a second dark crystal? I figured I'd get a bunch of complexity from the yeast alone. My IBUs are spot on but my ABV is a little light. Is my hop schedule reasonable? I'd appreciate your comments.

 

[stpug]

I actually have no great experience with belgian dark strongs but this is where my mind goes for the grainbill:
decent base malt percentages
pretty decent munich percentage
pretty decent crystal (caramunich) percentage
moderate rye percentage
moderate-light honey (actual honey, not honey malt) percentage (1-1.5 lb for 5 gallons)

bitterness should be lower; maybe hovering around 30 IBUs rager

fermentation schedule should be starting in mid-60s for a couple days and allowed to rise to mid-70s for tail end of fermentation and remainder until FG is reached using trappist high gravity yeast 3787 (ardennes might have a better fermentation schedule).

Why pale and pilsner? Ask the monks . I'm guessing because you want a malt-forward beer but your go-to base malt has always pilsner. Maybe the pils provides that light-malt base to the beer and allows the specialty maltiness to shine forward.

C80? I would go for belgian caramunich or weyermann caramunich I or II. And one dark crystal should be plenty as long as you coax the yeast to create the phenolics and esters you're striving for (granted, this is where the monks have you beat ).

However, this all comes from someone that has recently been looking into belgian dark strongs and not a guru; so take it as only ideas I've had that may be off-base.

 

[TNGabe]

I'm confused by your recipe. Are you trying to clone Central Waters / Local Options La Petite Mort? If so, it's a 'belgian inspired weizenbock' and your recipe isn't close.

If you're after after a different beer, Belgian strong dark ale needs some sugar and/or candi syrup. Most of the dark fruit flavor comes from the syrup rather than the malt. 68 is higher than you should start, you want to start in low 60s to avoid fusels and then ramp temp up to completer fermentation. Assuming you pitch an adequate amount of yeast into oxygenated wort, you should finish much lower than 1.021. I think most Belgian examples of the style are around 1.010 - 1.012.

 

[bfpierce]

No, I'm trying to clone Black Raven's La Petite Mort. They are in Redmond, WA.

Thank you for the comments. Maybe Pug was right and it is honey and that is where I get the sugar / syrup from that Gabe suggests.

Gabe, 3522 has fermentation range of 65 - 76 degrees. I can go a little colder but ...

I'll look at the belgian caramunich. Never used it before.

 

[bfpierce]

Modification:

8# esb pale
2# pilsner
1.5# belgian caramunich
1.5# rye malt
1# honey in boil
1# belgian munich