Affligem Blond Clone?

[Bassman2003]

Thanks for the great details. Skip the gypsum and get 'em next time. What F.G. are you looking for? I would be hoping for 1.006 - 1.008 Looking forward to the fermentation and the finished product notes.

 

[luckybeagle]

Quick update--I brewed this one 7 days ago and just took my first gravity reading/taste test. My hydrometer says 1.010, but it reads about 3 points low--so 1.013ish. It's very opaque/milky. I'm thinking/hoping it'll chew through another 5-7 points before its done. Pineapple and sweet fruit on the nose, slightly too sweet with some fruity/bubble gum qualities on the taste. To be expected, though--it really needs to attenuate further.

Love the color, though. It's now at 74F and will be held there until it reaches FG. I'll check again in another week.

FYI after a lot of mental back-and-forth, I ended up adding the gypsum in boiled/cooled water. My thinking was the improved calcium levels will help yeast health, especially since our tap water has next to none. Adding them 8 or so hours after the pitch isn't ideal, but unlikely to be detrimental. I just couldn't leave it be. Next time I won't forget, and this'll simply be a non-issue

 

[luckybeagle]

Update: I kegged this beer on 3/1, so it's been in the keg for a little over 3 weeks. It was brewed 37 days ago.

This yeast is so stubbornly cloudy and non-flocculant!

I'm probably going to just stay out of it for another week or two and assess again. I really don't want to add gelatin at this point, but I'm also doubtful it'll ever get all that bright without it. Still, it's proving to be a well-balanced and tasty drinker. I haven't done a side-by-side with an Affligem yet, but it does taste similar based on memory. Dry and well-attenuated, fruity and with a gentle honey-like sweetness. hops are in perfect balance and are pungent but not overwhelming. Foam lingers well and laces a bit.

The beer is still a bit "green," according to my wife, so hopefully with time I get both the clarity and maturity that the beer calls for. Overall I'm impressed and would brew this again--although I might opt for bottle conditioning instead. The foam would probably be more dense and lacy if I did. Maybe?

 

[Bassman2003]

Thanks for the update. That is very cloudy. Did the beer look this cloudy when you kegged it? I would check your process from boil kettle to fermenter and then finished beer to keg. Also, did you use any kettle finings like Whirlfloc? Calcium plays a part in wort clarity, so definitely get your calcium up to 50-100 ppm next time.

 

[luckybeagle]

Thanks for the update. That is very cloudy. Did the beer look this cloudy when you kegged it? I would check your process from boil kettle to fermenter and then finished beer to keg. Also, did you use any kettle finings like Whirlfloc? Calcium plays a part in wort clarity, so definitely get your calcium up to 50-100 ppm next time.

Yeah, it is pretty cloudy. I did use whirlfloc but I had an issue with my brewing salts (forgot to add them to the mash--ended up boiling and cooling a little water with them in it and adding it a few hours after yeast pitch. Not ideal at all. I think I am going to just hit it with gelatin and leave it alone until the weekend, draw off whatever I can, and see if that helps.

Taste is pretty good, but presentation is lacking, for sure.

Thanks for the info about calcium--I didn't know that. Might need to finally crack the spine on my "Water" book by Palmer, lol.