Belgian Blond Ale A tribute to La chouffe

[Remos112]

Recipe Type

All Grain

Yeast

White Labs WLP575

Yeast Starter

Yes

Additional Yeast or Yeast Starter

no

Batch Size (Gallons)

5

Original Gravity

1.071

Final Gravity

1.012

Boiling Time (Minutes)

90

Color

Pale

Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp)

21 days@68-73f

Additional Fermentation

Amarillo added to primary the last 10 days

Tasting Notes

Fruity hoppy, quite awesome.

I wanted to share my la Chouffe inspired brew recipe with you guys

Fermentables:
Pilsener malt 5268 grams
Carapils 236 grams
Sauermalt 118 grams
table sugar 453 grams
Hops:
Styrian Goldings 28grams
Saaz 28grams
Amarillo 50 grams
Yeast:
White Labs WLP575 Belgian Ale yeast blend
Misc:
Coriander seeds: 17grams
Bitter orange peel (curacao)18grams
1 tablet Whitelabs Syrvymoces
1 tsp Irish Moss soaked in water

Mashing schedule:
20Liters strike water @69 c
30 min 63c
60 min 69c
10 min 75c
Sparge with 15 liters of water at 79C target is 25L preboil

Boiling schedule:
Total boil 90min
28 gr. Styrian Golding 60min
14 gr. Saaz 30 min
17gr. coriander 15min
18 gr. curacoa schil 15min
453gr. tablesugar 15 min
1 tablet: Syrvymoces 15min
1 tsl Soaked Irish Moss 15min
14gr Saaz 5 min

Ferment at 20-23" C for 3 weeks, add 50 grams Amarillo dry hops the last 10 days.

OG:1.071 FG 1.012 My mashing efficiency was 77%

 

[Remos112]

Just had one and it has everything I espected and more! Fruity, hoppy, and the yeast blend makes it especially interresting. Not so much a pure Chouffe clone, but wow so pleased with the outcome!

 

[Remos112]

I will be brewing this one again next saturday with the original Chouffe yeast strain, I will taste compare later and let you'll know if you're interrested.

 

[radwizard]

Looks really tasty. Post some beer porn during your comparison!!

 

[Remos112]

Looks really tasty. Post some beer porn during your comparison!!

Thanks and Will do!

 

[Remos112]

Looks really tasty. Post some beer porn during your comparison!!

Here's on freshly poured

Next rime I will prime it with a little less sugar though it is a bit too much on the co2

 

[radwizard]

Looks really nice! Nice work!!

 

[shoreman]

I will be brewing this one again next saturday with the original Chouffe yeast strain, I will taste compare later and let you'll know if you're interrested.

The Ardennes (chouffe) yeast from wyeast is an incredible yeast. I use it year round in pretty much most of my Belgian influenced ales. Bottling a Golden today made with that yeast.

If you can get that yeast I think it will help your chances of the clone. I find low 70’s for temps a good spot.

Cheers.

 

[Remos112]

The Ardennes (chouffe) yeast from wyeast is an incredible yeast. I use it year round in pretty much most of my Belgian influenced ales. Bottling a Golden today made with that yeast.

If you can get that yeast I think it will help your chances of the clone. I find low 70’s for temps a good spot.

Cheers.

I have used the yeast the very first time, and I have another batch of it 2 weeks in fermenter this weekend. This wil get a dry hop with amarillo this weekend and then bottle 7-10 days later. I will keep the yeast in my "yeast bank" for future brews, I only used the blend because this one was out of stock.
I ferment at 68f first 24 hours and then ramp it up the following days until 74F I visited the brewery last year and they do the same.
As far as cloning concerns, the goal is not a perfect clone but a chouffe based own twist wich I call Tribute.

If you are looking for a Chouffe clone, don't add the curacao peels and don't dry hop it with Amerillo and you should get really close to the real La Chouffe

 

[Remos112]

forum update screwed up this post will try again tomorros

 

[Remos112]

 

[Remos112]

Updated recipe
Fermentables:
Pilsener malt 5268 grams
Carapils 236 grams
Sauermalt 118 grams
table sugar 453 grams
Hops:
Styrian Goldings 28grams
Saaz 28grams
Amarillo 50 grams
Yeast:
White Labs WLP575 Belgian Ale yeast blend
Misc:
Coriander seeds: 17grams
Bitter orange peel (curacao)18grams
1 tablet Whitelabs Syrvymoces
1 tsp Irish Moss soaked in water

Mashing schedule:
20Liters strike water @69 c
30 min 63c
60 min 69c
10 min 75c
Sparge with 15 liters of water at 79C target is 25L preboil

Boiling schedule:
Total boil 90min
28 gr. Styrian Golding 60min
14 gr. Saaz 30 min
17gr. coriander 15min
18 gr. curacoa schil 15min
453gr. tablesugar 15 min
1 tablet: Syrvymoces 15min
1 tsl Soaked Irish Moss 15min
14gr Saaz 15 min
8 gr Saaz 5 min
dryhop with 50gr amarillo

Very tasty and hoppy!

 

[Remos112]

Decided to give this beer my own name and logo:

 

[Remos112]

Popped another one from the updated recipe.

Absolutely delicious and way too drinkable for a 8.1% ABV beer!

 

[medixlux]

looks good but la chouffe doesn't have orange peels

 

[Remos112]

looks good but la chouffe doesn't have orange peels

The houblon and solei use curacao Peels,la chouffe however does not so you are right , this tribute to chouffe is a mix between solei houblon and la chouffe, it was never meaned as a 100% clone

 

[medixlux]

oh I see sorry

 

[Remos112]

oh I see sorry

No problem

 

[medixlux]

By the way I know the brewer of la chouffe

 

[Remos112]

By the way I know the brewer of la chouffe

Nice! I visited the brewery last year. Also very nice!

 

[medixlux]

Really? Are you from belgium?

 

[Remos112]

Really? Are you from belgium?

Sure did! No I am from The Netherlands and was in Belgium for a bachelor party wich included a visit to the brewery. Wil be going to Belgian again next year visiting some more brewery's

 

[medixlux]

Love the Netherlands I was at the utrecht beer festival a few weeks ago. Lekker

 

[Remos112]

Love the Netherlands I was at the utrecht beer festival a few weeks ago. Lekker

Sounds great!

 

[Remos112]

I added this recipe to Brewersfriend today:
https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/519389/hops-and-dreams