FrankenBock

[slymaster]

Hey Guys,
I just started brewing a few batches ago and went with pasteurized wort, the next best thing flavour-wise to all grain brewing from what I have read. The downside is: there is no challenge.

I wanted to experiment a bit and searched for information about Belgian an Strong beers. I wanted that type of beer but without going all grain yet, so I had this weird idea to start with a pasteurized wort and ad stuff to it. I went with a Festa Brew Bock Wort (OG: 1.0640-1.0648). I boiled 1/2 of it for 45 minutes, adding Styrian Goldings AA 30 minutes, then Saaz AA 3 min. I put the boiled/hopped wort in the primary with the remaining wort and added 3.3 lb. of light malt extract to raise the gravity. I ended up with roughly 1.088 gravity and added 2 packs of Saftbrew T-58 yeast, as recommended by the beer specialist from my brew shop. I just put it in my primary about an hour ago.

This is nothing like a traditional Belgian Strong Ale. With the Bock wort I used, it should end up like something that might be half-way between a Dubbel and a Trippel.

Honestly, I don't know if it's going to be any good but I'm thrilled to see how it will turn out in the end.

I'd like to know what you guys think of that idea.

 

[RM-MN]

I hope your FrankenBock turns out drinkable and I applaud you bold experimentation but a better way to accomplish what you want is to look in the reddish brown bar at the top and find a clickable link there called "recipes". You'll find a number of recipes designed and tested by experienced brewers that will get you what you want or close to it. Once you have much more experience you can start designing the recipes to make exactly what you want.

 

[slymaster]

I didn't go all blind on this one as I have been brewing with a few friends in the past and know the basics. The idea came from a beer I drank at a competition: a strong belgium brown ale that was hopped almost like an IPA.

I didn't want to go all grain yet, so I figured with one of my brewing friends that the Bock I started with had pretty much the profile needed, if we added clear malt extract. As for the hops and yeast, I used the varieties and the timing from an existing belgium strong ale recipe, respecting the density and fermenting temperature as well.

The unusual thing here was to start with a pasteurized Wort (in which we don't know the exact proportions of speciality grains used) and the additional hops.

It seems to be fermenting quite well right now and the aromas smell right.

I know I'm pushing the experimentation further than most people would be willing to but I'm learning a lot and I have a lot of fin doing it.

 

[twistr25]

Is fin even better than fun? Seriously though, more power to you! Hope it comes out awesome!

 

[slymaster]

Fin is a typo, but it might end up being the way I will pronounce fun after drinking the weird mix I'm brewing ;-)

 

[twistr25]

I figured, but couldn't resist. But if you make a beer that turns fun into fin, I would be interesting in creating that myself, as long as fin doesn't mean the end, as in dead. Then again, that may be perfect for a FrankenBock

 

[slymaster]

I just checked how it goes after a day and everything seems fine.
Two things: 1: During the first 24 hours the yeast went to the top of my primary and down by half. 2: The density is now at 1.060.

Is everything normal at this point?

The aromas are awesome and the bitterness went down a lot. Still very sweet but on it's way to get balance.

 

[twistr25]

Sounds like it is working. I'd give it a good two weeks minimum given how high the gravity was, and I wouldn't expect it much lower than 1.02 to finish, if it even gets that low.

 

[JimRausch]

Hey Guys,
I just started brewing a few batches ago and went with pasteurized wort, the next best thing flavour-wise to all grain brewing from what I have read. The downside is: there is no challenge.

I wanted to experiment a bit and searched for information about Belgian an Strong beers. I wanted that type of beer but without going all grain yet, so I had this weird idea to start with a pasteurized wort and ad stuff to it. I went with a Festa Brew Bock Wort (OG: 1.0640-1.0648). I boiled 1/2 of it for 45 minutes, adding Styrian Goldings AA 30 minutes, then Saaz AA 3 min. I put the boiled/hopped wort in the primary with the remaining wort and added 3.3 lb. of light malt extract to raise the gravity. I ended up with roughly 1.088 gravity and added 2 packs of Saftbrew T-58 yeast, as recommended by the beer specialist from my brew shop. I just put it in my primary about an hour ago.

This is nothing like a traditional Belgian Strong Ale. With the Bock wort I used, it should end up like something that might be half-way between a Dubbel and a Trippel.

Honestly, I don't know if it's going to be any good but I'm thrilled to see how it will turn out in the end.

I'd like to know what you guys think of that idea.

It seems like there are two broad general types in the brewing world- those who follow tried-and-true recipes and turn out consistently good beer. Then there are those of us who like to experiment with our recipes. I think of it kind of similar to making soup. My chicken soup is never the same as the last batch, but always a good soup, sometimes great. My beers are similar. I make what I like, and experiment from batch to batch. I do keep detailed notes on everything, and when I make an exceptional batch I make sure that that recipe stays in my permanent, "Do This Again" file. The experimentation is a large part of the fun for me.
So Slymaster, kudos to you. Hope it turns out great and earns a place in your "Do this again" file!

 

[slymaster]

Sounds like it is working. I'd give it a good two weeks minimum given how high the gravity was, and I wouldn't expect it much lower than 1.02 to finish, if it even gets that low.

Thanks,
I checked last night and after 2 days, density is now at 1.040 at a temperature of 21 Celsius. The room is maintained around 19 Celcius. The foam has almost completely come down.

Two questions:
1-When do you think I should put it in secondary?

2-Should I transfer it in a warmer environment? (like 21 celcius)

 

[slymaster]

It seems like there are two broad general types in the brewing world- those who follow tried-and-true recipes and turn out consistently good beer. Then there are those of us who like to experiment with our recipes. I think of it kind of similar to making soup. My chicken soup is never the same as the last batch, but always a good soup, sometimes great. My beers are similar. I make what I like, and experiment from batch to batch. I do keep detailed notes on everything, and when I make an exceptional batch I make sure that that recipe stays in my permanent, "Do This Again" file. The experimentation is a large part of the fun for me.
So Slymaster, kudos to you. Hope it turns out great and earns a place in your "Do this again" file!

I figured that if I did something that weird after only a few batches, it would provoke some reactions. I'm the type of guy who likes his classics, but also like to experiment a lot in what I do.

If it works, it's going to be great. If it don't, well, it's 70 bucks down the drain...

 

[slymaster]

After a few tests (adding a bit of brown sugar to see if it would ferment [and it did!] and trying to add champagne yeast to end fermentation, the fermentation stucked at 1.030 for a few weeks. I also figured out that it was normal with the stuff I used to craft it that so many unfermentables remain and it would never go under the 1.030 mark. I finally bottled it last week using amber candi sugar and corn sugar.

I opened one yesterday and it was amazingly good. For the moment, it sort of taste like an under-carbed sweet Chimay blue with a tad more hop bite. Don't get me wrong: I'm not saying the beer I made is anything as good as a Chimay blue. But the flavours and aromas are definitely in the same family.

With more time, the adequate carbonation and mellowing of the hops should produce something pretty awesome.

Thank you guys for advice!