Hommel Ale Recipe

I just had this beer and thought it was great. Thought it would be a good challenge to see about brewing a clone. I have used my google fu to extract many bits and pieces of the malt that is used and the hops. The problem of course is putting together a recipe. My weakness is understanding hopping rates to achieve bitterness and aroma.

http://www.beerhunter.com/documents/19133-000195.html
http://www.hommelbier.be/en/assortiment/poperings-hommelale

Here are a couple links that describe the beer. The breweries website does not give the IBU rating of the beer but Michael Jackson lists the IBU at around 40. The brewery website lists the malts used as a blend of winter, summer and aromatic malts. I chose to use Pilsner as my main malt and some Maris Otter along with a small portion of aromatic malt. The site lists 2 hops in the description but in the details shows they use 4 hops. I found a video and another website that states they may use Brewer's Gold and Challenger for bittering and saphir and Hallertau for aroma.

If you have read this far than thanks! For my recipe, I decided to add some sugar to dry it out and I will be using Wyeast 3522 and probably ferment it at the low end of the temperature spectrum.

You can see that I divided the Brewer's gold and Challenger equally for a 60 minute addition to get the IBU close to 40. I then have added the saphir and hallertau at the end for aroma. This is the part of the recipe that I need the most help with. Is there a good resource that talks about use and amount of aroma hops.

HOME BREW RECIPE:
Title: Hommel Ale 5 gal


Brew Method: BIAB
Style Name: Belgian Pale Ale
Boil Time: 90 min
Batch Size: 5 gallons (fermentor volume)
Boil Size: 6.16 gallons
Boil Gravity: 1.047
Efficiency: 70% (brew house)

STATS:
Original Gravity: 1.066
Final Gravity: 1.009
ABV (standard): 7.58%
IBU (tinseth): 38.66
SRM (morey): 7.41

FERMENTABLES:
7.5 lb - Belgian - Pilsner (61.8%)
3 lb - United Kingdom - Maris Otter Pale (24.7%)
0.75 lb - Belgian - Aromatic (6.2%)
0.88 lb - Cane Sugar - (late addition) (7.3%)

HOPS:
0.55 oz - Brewer's Gold, Type: Pellet, AA: 9, Use: Boil for 60 min, IBU: 19.28
0.55 oz - Challenger, Type: Pellet, AA: 8.5, Use: Boil for 60 min, IBU: 18.21
1 oz - Hallertau Hersbrucker, Type: Pellet, AA: 4, Use: Aroma for 1 min, IBU: 0.67
1 oz - saphir, Type: Pellet, AA: 3, Use: Aroma for 1 min, IBU: 0.5


YEAST:
Wyeast - Belgian Ardennes 3522

I don't think you would need the sugar, but that is entirely up to you and fine if you did. I'd also at least double the aroma hops. You may find you need to double again if you want that aroma/flavor punch.

Thanks for the reply.

I'm going with the sugar to make sure the beer dries out. Also, I usually do smaller batches but if I do decide to make a 5 gallon batch the sugar helps decrease my grain volume since I do BIAB on the stovetop.

Regarding the aroma hops. Do you have a specific recipe or reason for possibly doubling the aroma hops.

Have you tried Hommel Ale and think that the additional hops are needed to duplicate this beer?

I should have stated this in my original post, my apologies. I have not had Hommel Ale but did brew a batch that is similar to the one you are doing. I did a 5 gallon batch using 4 oz of Hallertau in the last 10 minutes. 1oz each at 10, 5, 0, and 1oz for dryhop. I was completely underwhelmed by the aroma. The flavor was okay but it was competing with the melding of young flavors. By the time the beer conditioned, I'd say whatever aroma there was, it was nil. Be it age or just the action of offgasing from fermentation. These hops have lower oil content than your typical American C-hop so you'll need to increase your amounts, especially if you think the beer will not be consumed quickly. I do have access to Hommel Ale but at the price I've always balked, knowing what I know about imports and condition.

Great info.

I'm hoping to brew a 2 gallon test batch next week. I have a few days to decide what to do with the hops.

I am getting my hand on one (finally) this weekend. Living in Indiana and now Mississippi, it was always hard to find if it could be found at all. I am pretty excited as my last name is Hommell... and before my relatives immigrated, it was Hommel.
Hommel is the abbreviation for hops in Flemish... but oddly enough it is also Flemish for bumblebee. Just a fun fact.
If you nail down a recipe... post it for sure, would love to try as well. Maybe I will work on one as well.

I'll definitely report back. I have a bottle of Hommel ale that I'm saving to do a comparison of taste and color.

If my hops get mailed in time, I will be brewing this on Monday.

Figured I would post an update. I brewed this beer on March 31. It was a 2 gallon batch. My starting gravity was 1.066 and my final gravity ended at 1.010. Was hoping for 1.009 so I can't complain. My color may be a little dark. The sample tasted good. Bottled it today so I'll report again once it is carbonated. I'll post my recipe then also.

So I finally popped open one today. I think my color is a little dark but the beer is very drinkable. I have a bottle of Hommel Ale that I will compare it to probably in a couple weeks with my brother. Want another persons opinion before I give out a recipe.


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It looks pretty close! Can't wait for your review.

Just did a side by side tasting with Brother and sister-in-law. It is pretty close. In the picture the Hommel Ale is on the left. My recipe is a little dark and you can tell from the picture that the original is carbonated higher.

Aroma: original is more floral and pleasant compared to mine.

Taste: very close to the original. The original has a little more hop aroma which everyone agreed.

I'm on my iPhone so when I get to my computer after the weekend I'll post the recipe I brewed and thoughts on possible changes.

I'm close with a very drinkable Belgian IPA!


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Here is the recipe that I brewed. This recipe is for 5 gallons with a brewhouse efficiency of 70%. My test batch was a 2 gallon batch that I used one smack pack of 3522 which comes out to a pitching rate of 0.82M cells/ mL / P. So a 5 gallon batch should probably have a starter.

7.5 lbs Pilsner
3 lbs Maris Otter
0.75 lbs Belgian Aromatic
0.88 lbs Cane Suger (Late Addition)

0.45 oz Brewer's Gold (AA 9.9%) 60 Min.
0.45 oz Challenger (AA 8.9%) 45 Min.
0.63 oz Hallertau (AA 4.1%) 15 Min.
1.25 oz Saphire (AA 3.8%) 1 Min.

Mash at 152 Degrees for 60 Minutes
Boil for 90 Minutes

Wyeast 3522 Belgian Ardennes

OG 1.066
FG 1.009
ABV 7.58%
IBU 37
SRM 7.4

I use RO water with 0.25tsp Gypsum per gallon of water.

I brew using BIAB. From my notes, I got 85% conversation efficiency and 74% brewhouse efficiency. OG was 1.066 and final gravity was 1.010. Started fermentation at 66 degrees. On Day 4 started letting it free rise to 70 degrees. On day 10 raised temperature to 74. On Day 15 Krausen had fallen. Bottled on day 17.

I will definitely make a few changes to see if I can lighten the color. Also, look at my hops again. Not sure when I will make the tweaks and brew this again, but I will post my results here.

Looks good. I like the recipe. Are you going to go for Hommell Clone 2.0?


Hommell's Homebrew

Yes. Just not sure when.


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I finally brewed Version 2

HOME BREW RECIPE:
Title: Hommel Ale II
Author: Me

Brew Method: BIAB
Style Name: Belgian Pale Ale
Boil Time: 90 min
Batch Size: 2 gallons (fermentor volume)
Boil Size: 3.16 gallons
Boil Gravity: 1.036
Efficiency: 70% (brew house)

STATS:
Original Gravity: 1.065
Final Gravity: 1.008
ABV (standard): 7.38%
IBU (tinseth): 40.1
SRM (morey): 5.94

FERMENTABLES:
3 lb - Belgian - Pilsner (63.8%)
1.2 lb - United Kingdom - Maris Otter Pale (25.5%)
0.15 lb - Belgian - Aromatic (3.2%)
0.35 lb - Cane Sugar - (late addition) (7.4%)

HOPS:
0.1 oz - Magnum, Type: Pellet, AA: 12.4, Use: Boil for 60 min, IBU: 13.39
0.25 oz - Brewer's Gold, Type: Pellet, AA: 6.2, Use: Boil for 45 min, IBU: 15.36
0.5 oz - Challenger, Type: Pellet, AA: 8.9, Use: Boil for 5 min, IBU: 9.58
1 oz - saphir, Type: Pellet, AA: 3.8, Use: Aroma for 1 min, IBU: 1.77
1 oz - Saphir, Type: Pellet, AA: 3.8, Use: Dry Hop for 2 days

MASH GUIDELINES:
1) Infusion, Temp: 152 F, Time: 60 min, Amount: 2.6 gal, Strike water at 159
2) Sparge, Temp: 170 F, Time: 10 min, Amount: 1 gal, Dunk Sparge with 1 gallon

OTHER INGREDIENTS:
2 tsp - irish Moss, Time: 10 min, Type: Fining, Use: Boil

YEAST:
Wyeast - Belgian Ardennes 3522


Water Notes:
Add Gypsum to mash water

NOTES:
Start fermentation at 68 and let it free rise to 75

Note that the recipe is for 2 Gallons. I'm beginning to think that I'm trying to hit a moving target. The last time I brewed this beer the Hommel Ale I compared it to was very carbonated. Based on that I carbonated this version to 3.5 volumes. The Hommel Ale I opened yesterday to compare was not very carbonated. Also it is hard to tell how old the Hommel Ale, I'm buying is. The label is marked with a best by date of September 2015 but I can't figure out how old that makes the beer. Comparing the Aroma I'm pretty close. My version is a little more hop aroma and the original has a little more yeast aroma. Flavor is similar to the aroma with mine having a little more hop flavor. Now the hop flavor is very mild to begin with since I'm using Saphire Hops. The main change I made from my original recipe was to decrease the amount of aromatic malt and to also dry hop with sapphire hops. You can see from the picture that mine is still a little darker than the original. I think the next time I make this beer, I will just use Sugar, Pilsner and Aromatic.

The first picture is to show the color. The second picture is the original pour from both to show the carbonation of both.

Figure I will update an old post. Tried my third recipe variation and I like this one the best. Again, the Hommel Ales I can buy in Texas are about 2 years old so they have lost there bitterness. But, from my memory of having fresh Hummel Ale in Belgium this is pretty close. Color, aroma and flavor are pretty close. My beer has more bitterness and hop aroma which it should since it is fresh.

Again this is for 2 gallons BIAB

3lb Dingemans Pilsner
1lb Weyerman Floor Malted BoPils
0.25lb Dingemans Aromatic
0.5lb Beet Sugar

Mash at 152 for 60 minutes

Boil for 90 minutes

0.1oz Magnum Hops AA 13.3 60 minutes 14.84 IBU
0.25oz Brewer's Gold AA 6.2 45 minutes 15.88 IBU
0.6oz Challenger AA 6.8 5 minutes 9.08 IBU
0.5oz Saphir AA 3.8 0 minutes
0.5oz German Hallertau AA 4.1 0 minutes

0.5 oz Saphir Dry Hop 4 days
0.5 oz German Hallertau 4 Days

Yeast, Mangrove Jack Belgian Tripel M31

Yeast Nutrient added 15 minutes
Whirlflock added 15 minutes

Water, used 100% RO, added 1.5 grams Calcium Carbonate and 0.5 tsp lactic acid

Start fermentation at 68 degrees and let free rise to 75 degrees, cold crash when fermentation is complete

Carbonate to 3 volumes.

OG 1.060
FG 1.004

7.35%
40IBU
SRM 5