Patersbier Ex-bier-iment

[Ari]

I've been doing some split batches lately with some different yeasts. I had a tube of wlp500 trappist/chimay and a tube of wlp575 belgian style ale blend. I thought I would put together a patersbier/enkel recipe and try them side by side. Then I though, why not make 4 different brews off one batch? I've never done this before, but I wanted to try using grain to sour some runnings and blend it in with half of each later.
The recipe was:
5lb pils
4lb 2-row
1lb Munich
1oz roasted barley 500l (cold steep and strained into mash)

1oz hallertau 4% AA fwh in a 70min boil
Irish moss
Yeast nutes

Mashed at 155 for 1hr, sparged, 20 min at 168 for mash out.
Collected 1st runnings, collected a gallon to sour and then the 2nd half.
Got about 6 gallons pre boil and ended with about 4.5 at 1.047.
I filled two 4gallon mayo buckets each halfway. I don't have an airlock so I stabbed a tiny hole in each lid and put a jar over it.
I thought this grain bill would add nicely to whatever flavors the yeast and bacteria produce. The cold steeped barley has a woody/coffee flavor that I'm quite fond of. This addition is mostly for that reddish copper hue and possibly a little depth of the final beer.
I'll get back to you with pictures and keep this updated as it rolls along.
Cheers!
-Ari

 

[Ari]

Here's some photos from brewing. It's been a week and they're probably down a bunch points. The wlp500 took off faster than the other and they both smell like old soft pears.

 

[Ari]

That's a carona mill with a paper bag on it. The paper bag is perfect for herding the crushed grains in the bucket without losing it all to the wind. Then there's the steeping barley that was poured into the mash. Below are some pictures of the wort in the kettle(runnings before the roasted barley was added) then the buckets theyre in and the jars on top are filled with runnings and some extra yeast from each vial for later use.

 

[Ari]

I collected one gallon in that cider jug from the 2nd runnings(on the far left in the last picture) and it's been sitting with some grain getting real funky this past week. About 65-70 average temp for both the just and the buckets. Gonna stick the jug in the fridge and boil it when I'm ready to bottle the first non-tart versions. Then I'll add half and half to whats left in each bucket, wait another week and then bottle the rest.
Cheeeeers

 

[stbnj]

575 is my favorite Belgian yeast, like if I opened a brewery it would be my go to Belgian Yeast. Maybe part of it is mental but I feel like I am getting a more unique character than just using 530 or 550 etc.

 

[Ari]

Just racked to two glass 3 gallon carboys. The blend tastes alchoholic, phenolic and fruity and the wlp500 tastes like sweet older fruit, not as alchoholic and harsh. Probably gonna bottle in two weeks once they're clearer

 

[Ari]

Bottled the non-tart portions last week and tasted the first wlp500 last night. Pretty good stuff!

 

[Ari]

Just tried the wlp500 with soured gyle version. It's pretty good! It's tart, nutty and it hangs around a while. I'm definitely gonna make it again in the summer some time.


The other half I ended up dumping. It was metalic and gross.

 

[Ari]

Here's the good stuff. Very cloudy although it's been in the fridge for a few days

 

[Mattsbrewername]

I'm using wlp575 now on a belgian abbey kit, with 2lb extra belgian candi sugar, that I got from my LHBS.
Did not use starter, saw airlock activity the next morning ( 16 hour ),and have had solid airlock activity for nine straight days, fermenting around 74 degrees. Hoping it comes out good.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[MileHighBrewer]

Very cool! I've been making a similar recipe enkel based of Oldsock's RR Redemption clone with some tweaks, for a couple of recent brew days. I've been using 3522 Belgian Ardennes (Achouffe strain/WLP550 if you prefer WL). Always comes out great, very fruity.

I do no-chill, so I've got 2 cubes sitting right now from Sunday that I'm going to pitch tonight. I have a starter from washed 3522, and the other half is going to be The Yeast Bay Saison/Brett blend. Might even split one of those to 3 gals and toss JP dregs into one (550 is what Ron uses as a house yeast).

Love seeing stuff like this, so much fun to experiment with split batches and getting totally different beers from one brew day