Belgian Dark Session Ale?

[user 141939]

EDIT: It's looking like I'm not going to have time to brew this, if anyone still wants to talk about this then I may get to it at a later date....

I'm looking to brew a 1 gallon batch of something Belgian to use up 1/2 pound of candy syrup D180.

I've got tons of malt I could use:
Castle Pilsner
german wheat, terrified wheat
rauch
Vienna
rye malt
honey
crystal 40, 60, 75, 120 (US)
crystal 85 (Fawcett)
special B
Chocolate 350L
Roasted Barley

For Hops I have EKG, N Brewer, Brewers Gold, Saaz, Waktu, Premiant

Anyone want to help me make a recipe? I could just keep it simple with pilsner and the d180, but I think it would be neat to maybe incorporate the rauch malt? or some of the chocolate or roasted barley?

I'll be fermenting with either WLP530 or a harvested yeast that was a mix ferment of WLP530 and Belle Saison.

I wouldn't mind spicing it up with something either.

Any help would be appreciated. I have little experience making recipes. Not really a lot of "Dark Session Belgian" beers that I can think of to copy.

I want to keep the OG upper 40's to low 50s as I plan to use this yeast for a bigger beer after.

 

[KingBrianI]

Half a pound of candi syrup is a lot in a 1 gallon batch. But since you want to do it, I think keeping it simple would be best. You're using enough candi syrup you really dont need chocolate malt or roasted barley. I'd keep the recipe simple as follows

OG 1.052
IBU 25
SRM 29

1.25 lbs Belgian Pils Malt
0.25 lbs german wheat malt
0.5 lbs dark candi syrup

Northern Brewer hops at 60 min
EKG at 15
both to total 25 IBU

Mash at 150 for an hour.

Should give you a dry but rich, flavorful beer with a pillowy head.

 

[filthyastronaut]

I don't think I would use that much candi sugar for any session recipe, especially in a one gallon batch. I'd use pils, a bit of torrified wheat, and Special B. Think of it like a Belgian Single that takes after a Dubbel.

 

[JKaranka]

You can find relatively recent British historical recipes with 30-40% sugar / adjuncts in them and a low gravity, so it's not like it's never been done before. I've never tried one, though. If you had an OG of 1.055 and 35% dark sugar you might be pretty much making a 1950s Burton Ale (but you'd need to hop it much more generously... to 50IBU or so).

 

[user 141939]

I'll actually be aiming for 1.5 gallons and with my efficiency, it would actually give me closer to 20% candi sugar.

I think I'll try it out if I get the time in the next week or two. Will report back if it happens.

Thanks for the input!