Belgian Blond Ale SWMBO Slayer - Belgian Blonde

[beerthirty]

BM, I brewed this today with slight alterations. I used pilsen instead of AM 2-row and had to sub .5 lb flaked oat for flaked wheat due to unforeseen shortcomings at my LHBS. The brew day went excellent. olllllo, BrandonO and I enjoyed the last brew I made of yours, Centennial Blonde with late addition subs of summit. I just wanted to say thanks for the recipes, it's no wonder you win so many competions.

 

[BierMuncher]

Thanks B30.

But for every beer that places or wins...I have 3-4 entries that don't.

I just remind myself that it's still a bit of a crapshoot.

Glad you and the gang enjoyed the CB recipe.

 

[profarm]

i found a commercial brand "Belgian Blond" here is what it looks like...BM I want to extend some great kuddos. The commercial brand taste just like this recipe...it's just not my taste but I am very happy I did it right... and the wife likes it

 

[beerthirty]

Thanks B30.

But for every beer that places or wins...I have 3-4 entries that don't.

I just remind myself that it's still a bit of a crapshoot.

You know what they say. There is no accounting for the judges taste however bad it may be.

 

[SkylerChaBro]

BM,

What do you think about adding fruit to the brew? I have been seeking out a decent Blond Ale recipe to turn into a Strawberry Blond Ale, and this sounds pretty good to me. Maybe use Wyeast 3068 fermenting a little high to get some banana character into the mix.

Also, I would be doing this as a PM but I want to use more grains than the Extract you posted up. I only want to use extract to create a base for the rest. Any ideas on how I could modify it?

Maybe keep this all the same
4.00 lb Wheat Malt, Bel (2.0 SRM)
0.50 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM)
0.50 lb Wheat, Flaked (1.6 SRM)
0.25 lb Caravienne Malt (22.0 SRM)

and translate the 5lbs of Pale Malt (2 Row) to
3.00 lb Pale DME

Would that work or will I still be missing the enzymes needed for the wheat?

Cheers

 

[Rhymenoceros]

Midwest sells this as an all-grain kit and extract. There extract kit includes:

3 lbs. Wheat DME
2 lbs. Extra Lght DME
8 oz. Caramel 10°L
8 oz. Flaked Wheat
4 oz. Caravienne malt

1 oz hops (looks like they changed to Glacier from Williamette)

I thew this into beer smith, and its gravity is low any ideas? How would adding some honey sound?

 

[BierMuncher]

I thew this into beer smith, and its gravity is low any ideas? How would adding some honey sound?

Honey would be a nice addition, but beware the fact that honey is a very slow and thorough fermentable. Plan on adding an extra 7-10 days to whatever fermentation schedule you have.

You may just consider and extra pound each of the wheat and light DME's.

 

[Rhymenoceros]

Does candi sugar work faster, and what would be the differance in tast from nothing to honey to candi sugar?

 

[MgMt_Home_Brew]

Has anyone been putting coriander and bitter orange peel into this? I have all my ingredients and plan on brewing this tomorrow.

3 lbs. Wheat DME
2 lbs. Extra Lght DME
8 oz. Caramel 10°L
8 oz. Flaked Wheat
4 oz. Caravienne malt

I also plan on doing a partial mash with the flaked wheat and the other malts. Anyone see a problem with that?

 

[BierMuncher]

Has anyone been putting coriander and bitter orange peel into this? I have all my ingredients and plan on brewing this tomorrow.

3 lbs. Wheat DME
2 lbs. Extra Lght DME
8 oz. Caramel 10°L
8 oz. Flaked Wheat
4 oz. Caravienne malt

I also plan on doing a partial mash with the flaked wheat and the other malts. Anyone see a problem with that?

They would be a nice addition. You're definitely leaning more towards a wit at this point...though with a more malty profile.

 

[auto]

3 Weeks in primary, 1.5 weeks on the gas, and this is beer is tasty. Definitely a hint of citrus, definite yeast profile with good mouthfeel. Mine is still a bit more cloudy than I would hav thought. Excellent will brew again before summer.:rockin:

 

[Limited Visibility]

What is the difference between Belgian Wheat Malt and just normal wheat malt? All I have at my LHBS is the white wheat malt, would this work?

 

[BierMuncher]

What is the difference between Belgian Wheat Malt and just normal wheat malt? All I have at my LHBS is the white wheat malt, would this work?

One's from Belgium.

White wheat would would work just fine.

 

[Limited Visibility]

One's from Belgium.

White wheat would would work just fine.

hehe no way...

good news to me, this will be my 1st AG

 

[kjones]

not that it wasnt great to start with, but i just found two bottles of this lost in the back of my fridge for months. Wow, even better now. Crystal clear tastes a whole lot leffse blonde(prob spelled wrong) very good i gotta put this one back in the line up

 

[Donner]

Just got done making this. My hydro sample measured only 1.048, but ithad a lot of trub in it, so i don't know if that impacted it. My mash temp was a bit low (153°) and the grains were bought and crushed a month ago, so that might have had some impact on it, i don't know.

What are the chances i need to worry about blow off since i stepped up and used a 7.5 gallon pail for the 5 gallon batch (had one laying around and it seemed like a good idea). ?

 

[BioBeing]

Does anyone use a protein rest for this one? I thought wheat could benefit from one (but it will not fit in my cooler MLT if I do it!). Considering this for my first all grain batch...

 

[MgMt_Home_Brew]

I brewed the extract version of this and it was very nice. I kegged it on Thursday and then had some people over on Friday and it got kicked Saturday morning. Everyone gave lots of compliments (hard to tell if they are genuine when they are getting free HB )

But yeah it was a big hit and I really enjoyed it. Im gona take the jump to AG once I get my tax return and I can't wait to make this again and even better.

 

[BierMuncher]

Does anyone use a protein rest for this one? I thought wheat could benefit from one (but it will not fit in my cooler MLT if I do it!). Considering this for my first all grain batch...

No rest necessary.

It has an inviting unfiltered wheat look to it and the chics dig it regardless.

I brewed the extract version of this and it was very nice. I kegged it on Thursday and then had some people over on Friday and it got kicked Saturday morning. Everyone gave lots of compliments (hard to tell if they are genuine when they are getting free HB )

But yeah it was a big hit and I really enjoyed it. Im gona take the jump to AG once I get my tax return and I can't wait to make this again and even better.

Glad it turned out nice. Kicking a keg in less than 24 hours? Must have been brewed pretty well.

 

[BioBeing]

No rest necessary.

It has an inviting unfiltered wheat look to it and the chics dig it regardless.

Makes the volume manageable then. I got a 10 gal cooler, but was hoping to do a 10 gal batch. Might have to do this next weekend (if I get the last of my AG equipment), and slay my SWMBO too

 

[MgMt_Home_Brew]

Glad it turned out nice. Kicking a keg in less than 24 hours? Must have been brewed pretty well.

It was deffinetly my best Belgian Wit I have made. My only issue that I have had on the last two Wits (including this one) has been a stuck fermentation. Both times I waited about a week and the krauzen was still pretty think. So I got some dry yeast and sprinkled it in there which cleared it up in a day or so. Im not sure why this is happening.

My first thought was temp since it got pretty cold where I was keeping it. Since I have taken some yeast cake out of my fermenter after I kegged it and made a starter with it which has been built up twice and the krauzen has done the same thing...any ideas?

 

[BierMuncher]

...Both times I waited about a week and the krauzen was still pretty think. So I got some dry yeast and sprinkled it in there which cleared it up in a day or so. Im not sure why this is happening.

Belgian yeast is notorious for violent, prolonged fermentation. Sometimes it will
actually get so thick on the fermenter wall that fermentation slows down and you have to knock the yeast back down into solution.

It's pretty typical.

 

[MgMt_Home_Brew]

Belgian yeast is notorious for violent, prolonged fermentation. Sometimes it will
actually get so thick on the fermenter wall that fermentation slows down and you have to knock the yeast back down into solution.

It's pretty typical.

interusting. I guess I will have to try knocking this stuff back down into the wort when I get home.

Regardless of the issues I have been having I have just been loving the wits lately and so does the lady freind. Now if only I could clone Wittekerke! One of these days I will...

 

[BierMuncher]

interusting. I guess I will have to try knocking this stuff back down into the wort when I get home.

Just give the fermenter a good rocking back and forth (no splashing) and that should do it.

 

[Myrdhyn]

I promised SWMBO a belgian for my next batch, and the recipe(s) in this thread have me intrigued. I do have one question however, if you don't have a yeast cake from a previous belgian in the fermenter, how will it effect this brew to just use a fresh package?

 

[MgMt_Home_Brew]

I used a fresh packet the first time I made this and it was fine except for the stuck fermentation which i don't think had anything to do with the freash yeast.

I did another on of these guys last sunday and it has been fermenting like crazy. I have also been taking a spoon and scrapping the yeast from the sides of the fermenter to help keep the fermentation going. It seems to be working well, I have been doing it every other day and a day after I do it the krauzen is freakin massive again.

I also used some grape fruit zest this time around instead of bitter orange peel so I am curious to see how it turns out.

 

[fivehoursfree]

just popped the first bottle. tastes nice. light but flavor full. its been in bottles for 3 weeks, probably needs a little longer. OR at least longer in the fridge. tastes a but yeasty.

Here is the final Partial Mash recipe I used. Not sure if it tastes like BeirMucnhers, but I like it:
Amount Item Type % or IBU
3.00 lb Wheat Liquid Extract [Boil for 15 min] Extract 34.29 %
2.00 lb Wheat Liquid Extract (8.0 SRM) Extract 22.86 %
1.50 lb White Wheat Malt (2.4 SRM) Grain 17.14 %
1.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) Bel (3.0 SRM) Grain 11.43 %
0.50 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 5.71 %
0.50 lb Wheat, Flaked (1.6 SRM) Grain 5.71 %
0.25 lb Caravienne Malt (22.0 SRM) Grain 2.86 %
1.25 oz Williamette [5.50 %] (60 min) Hops 16.9 IBU
1 Pkgs Belgian Wit Ale (White Labs #WLP400) Yeast-Wheat

 

[epimortum]

Thanks BierMuncher, I believe I have found what I'm going to brew for homebrewday. I'm getting really excited about this one. One question though (just as a curiosity) what would happen if one were to attempt to prime with wheat extract? (D/LWE)?

 

[BierMuncher]

Thanks BierMuncher, I believe I have found what I'm going to brew for homebrewday. I'm getting really excited about this one. One question though (just as a curiosity) what would happen if one were to attempt to prime with wheat extract? (D/LWE)?

If given the choice, I would usually save my extract for brewing. You never know when you're going to want to kick up a recipe just a bit.

 

[BioBeing]

Got my batch going on Saturday. My first all-grain, and my first 10 gallon. Brewing went without a hitch. I was afraid of a stuck sparge, so I added 1 lb of rice hulls, and it came flowing out without a problem. For my next batch though, I think I'll add a spigot to my brew kettle. Auto-siphons are great, but they are slow...

I had bubbles in my airlocks by 12 hours. At 36 hours, I had krausen in my airlock. Didn't think I'd need a blow off tube from my two 7.5 gal buckets, but I did!