Who’s still brewing Belgian-style ales and what’s your favorite recipe?

[Noob_Brewer]

This has been a great thread that Ive thoroughly enjoyed following. Always love reading the different approaches to brewing these styles of beers.

To the OP, I love Belgian beers and my favorite to drink are the trappist/abbey style ales. I tend to agree with @TheMadKing in that the Belgian beers I enjoy most are well balanced between the yeast parade and fantastic maltiness. While I agree that yeast expression is important, I think the supporting maltiness of Belgian beers are often overlooked. I have had fellow home brewers take the approach that its ONLY about the yeast and they "let it ride" in terms of temp and under pitch. While these beers are ok to me, sometimes the malt bill gets lost and the beer ends up being a "one-note" beer focused only on the yeast character.

Since Dubbels are my favorite, that's what I've brewed primarily. For me with the dubbels that Ive brewed, I have taken the graduated increased temp approach starting around 65 degrees and letting it rise a degree or so day by day until finished AND I don't under pitch these. I just use a healthy pitch rate: ~0.75-0.85ish. For me this has resulted in beers that have that definitive Belgian yeast character but you can still enjoy the malt bill as well. One thing Ive learned is that Belgian yeasts (I use the trappist high gravity ale: 3787) have definitive character even with a more "standard" and less aggressive fermentation drive.

For my Belgian Dubbel, I took the recipe approach from Jamil and brought pilsner as the base malt, equal blend of caraminch, aromatic, and special B, and D-90 and a little Turbinado. TBH, my dubbels probably aren't "competition" beers as they are darker than norm at around 22SRM, but I enjoy them.

 

[shoreman]

That looks delicious! Using D-90 in my Dubbels made a huge difference for me.

 

[jrgtr42]

I've done a few Belgian-styles here and there.
I have a saison that's on right now. Mostly pilsner, a bit of Vienna and rye malt, BE134. I'm really happy with how it came out, except the carbing is a bit suspect. I do need to get a keezer or some such one of these days, keep them cold rather than cellar temp.
I did a tripel last year that was enjoyable, but I didn't get any of the spicy esters I like from the style. I believe it was from fermenting too cold - |I wasn't thinking about it at the time, and went with my usual fermentation in the low 60s. This works great for me for most brews, it does take a little more time, but I'm on no schedule, and |I have plenty of backstock. |However, this style (and its yeasts) should be a bit warmer - high 60s anyway.
I don't know if it counts, but I also brew a sour - it started as a clone of Russian River's Consecration, but I've made some tweaks over time as I've brewed it. It does start with a Strong Dark Ale base, before souring. Obviously that one's more complicated - some crystal, some roast malt etc in there. But the few times I've brewed it, it's come out real nice.
Part of me wants to do a big brew, and split it off, sour half of it, and leave some as it is. COmpare later. For science, of course....
|However, I still have to drink down the last batch before getting another going.

 

[wetmk]

I'm still searching for the perfect non-brett blond/tripel recipe.

Many years ago I bought a NB partial mash kit. Triple Carmeliate. I think you could still see the recipe on line. It made a really nice beer. I've probably made it once every 15 months or so since but for my taste I up the good a bit and substantially cut the coriander.

 

[wetmk]

I'm still searching for the perfect non-brett blond/tripel recipe.

Many years ago I bought a NB partial mash kit. Triple Carmeliate. I think you could still see the recipe on line. It made a really nice beer. I've probably made it once every 15 months or so since but for my taste I up the good a bit and substantially cut the coriander.

...I up the hops a good bit...

 

[CascadesBrewer]

I’ve brewed a “monks beer”/Trappist single, dubbel, and I even messed around with a mixed ferm saison that I wasn’t totally happy with. I do love a good Belgian beer though. My absolute favorite I’ve ever had was a Westvleteren 8. Yes, I liked it more than the 12.

Scrolling through some pictures of a trip to Belgium in 2014 reminded me of this thread. I am not sure the Westvleteren beers are "the best beer in the world" but drinking them at the beer garden across the street was one of my most enjoyable beer drinking experiences ever. I brought home a few bottles of 12 and did a side by side with some Quads that I could get locally. The Westy 12 is quite close to St. Bernadus 12 and I like the St. Bernadus just a touch more.

My understanding of the history is that the St. Bernadus beer is closer to the "original" Westvleteren 12. That for a while St. Bernadus brewed the Westvleteren beers and when Westvleteren resumed the brewing they switch over to using yeast from Westmalle while St. Bernadus kept brewing the same beer with the original yeast. While I love using WLP520 which is supposed to have it roots with Westmalle, I am not a huge fan of any of the Westmalle beers.

 

[monkeymath]

I find most of the trappist beers are way too big, boozy, intense and over-the-top fruity for me. I haven't tried all of them, but I think they're just not for me. (Orval is a noteworthy exception, it's marvelous.)

I do love Belgian Blonde, Saison, Witbier and all types of Belgian Sours, though - these beers are essentially what I want to focus on in my own brewing from now on, after a couple of years of messing around.

My last two attempts at a Belgian Blonde have been somewhat lacking, not sure what the issue was. Hoping to find some inspiration in this thread!

 

[CascadesBrewer]

My last two attempts at a Belgian Blonde have been somewhat lacking, not sure what the issue was. Hoping to find some inspiration in this thread!

My recently kegged Blond was very close to this recipe from Jamil (fermented with Lallemand Abbaye) and it is wonderful : Belgian Blond: Style Profile - Brew Your Own

Also, a very comprehensive article on Belgian Blonds: Belgian Blond Ale: The Golden Style of Belgium

 

[Docod44]

My favorite commercial Belgians are consistently from Unibroue, I always love to pick up their mix pack around this time of year.

As far as homebrewing goes, I've brewed a Saison and a Bière de Garde but my results didn't come close to my favorite commercial examples (I used Belle Saison yeast and got a medicinal/phenol throat spray taste). I'm happy to continue buying La Chouffe and Saison Dupont and no longer brewing my own.

I brewed the Pious Westy 12 clone from the post on these forums, WLP530 was a beast and I've had the bottles conditioning for about a year. I opened one 4 months ago and it was unbelievably good. I had some bottles of actual Westy 12 that I cellared for a couple years and I would have loved to do a side-by-side with mine, but I finished them off a few years ago.

I recently brewed a Dubbel and fermented with Lallemand Abbaye for the first time and I really liked how the yeast performed. I pitched at 64F and kept it there for 24 hours followed by a free-rise to 80F for a few days, then back down to ~70F before kegging. The initial taste is surprisingly clean with light esters (as I like it) and no noticeable alcohol (7.5% ABV). I'm going to let it naturally carb for a month or two and then put it on tap when it really starts to get cold.

My Franken-Dubbel recipe is a bit more complicated than other Abbey ale recipes I've seen, but everything has worked really well together:

• 16.4% pilsner (for diastatic power only), 8.2% aromatic malt, 4.9% biscuit malt, 4.9% caramunich, 4.9% gambrinus honey malt, 4.9% special B; 35.3% Briess pilsen DME, 6.4% Briess Bavarian wheat DME, 3.3% Briess dark DME, and 10.6% dark candi sugar all dissolved in hot wort and added to the kettle at flameout.

• Mash grains at 152F until iodine test shows complete conversion (usually 25-30 min for me), 30 min boil with 25 IBU Nugget @ 30 min and 8.5 IBU Nugget @ 2 min. OG 1.068, FG 1.011

 

[beersk]

Scrolling through some pictures of a trip to Belgium in 2014 reminded me of this thread. I am not sure the Westvleteren beers are "the best beer in the world" but drinking them at the beer garden across the street was one of my most enjoyable beer drinking experiences ever. I brought home a few bottles of 12 and did a side by side with some Quads that I could get locally. The Westy 12 is quite close to St. Bernadus 12 and I like the St. Bernadus just a touch more.

My understanding of the history is that the St. Bernadus beer is closer to the "original" Westvleteren 12. That for a while St. Bernadus brewed the Westvleteren beers and when Westvleteren resumed the brewing they switch over to using yeast from Westmalle while St. Bernadus kept brewing the same beer with the original yeast. While I love using WLP520 which is supposed to have it roots with Westmalle, I am not a huge fan of any of the Westmalle beers.

View attachment 744889

My thoughts exactly, that the Westvlereran 12 and St. Bernardus ABT12 are similar AND that I actually think St. Bernardus is a bit better. I absolutely adore St. Bernardus ABT12. That must've been an awesome beer experience though. It sounds great.

 

[shoreman]

So update on Ommegang, I hit them up on Instagram and it looks like they still do produce a couple Belgian inspired beers, but they “don’t make it everywhere”. So good to hear they still produce some, but the closest to me is 60 miles away to get some Rare Vos and I’m in MA.

check their beer finder on their website.

 

[CascadesBrewer]

On one hand there is something sad about a brewer like Ommegang feeling that they have to brew Hazy IPAs to pay the bills. On the other hand, most times when I got an Ommegang beer it was often some barrel aged thing loaded with fruits, spices, peels, roots, etc. I would avoid beers from Ommegang and instead reach for North American stuff like Unibroue (uses spices often, but more in balance) or Allagash (puts out some wonderful beers that embrace the simplicity of beers from Belgium).

 

[jrgtr42]

On one hand there is something sad about a brewer like Ommegang feeling that they have to brew Hazy IPAs to pay the bills. On the other hand, most times when I got an Ommegang beer it was often some barrel aged thing loaded with fruits, spices, peels, roots, etc. I would avoid beers from Ommegang and instead reach for North American stuff like Unibroue (uses spices often, but more in balance) or Allagash (puts out some wonderful beers that embrace the simplicity of beers from Belgium).

Buuut.... Ommegang is American - they're in Cooperstown New York. I get not wanting the extra adjuncts, but their core beers like Abbey, Hennepin, etc, are straight. They sometimes have versions that are tweaked.
And yeah, I wish they didn't HAVE to brew hazies... but it's the reality of craft brew right now that if you don't you're not going to succeed. There was a rumor on another site saying that they were going to phase out the Belgian-inspired beers to change tacks. I reallly hope this isn't true. Expanding the portfolio is one thing, but cutting out what made them great in the first place is something else entirely.

 

[CascadesBrewer]

Buuut.... Ommegang is American - they're in Cooperstown New York. I get not wanting the extra adjuncts, but their core beers like Abbey, Hennepin, etc, are straight. They sometimes have versions that are tweaked.

I guess we have different tastes:

• Abbey: "Dubbel with licorice root, orange peel and spices"
• Hennepin: "Artfully spiced with coriander, ginger, orange peel and grains of paradise"

I really like the Belgian model of simple grain bills like Pils + Sugar + Nobel Hops with much of the character coming from the process and the yeast. On the other hand, while I think Allagash Tripel is a very good example of the style, I am not sure any Belgian beers are selling well in the US these days.

The joys of being a homebrewer...I can make a Hazy that is 5.5% and not murky or can try to make something as good a Saison Dupont or St. Bernadus Abt-12...for 10% of the cost at the store.

 

[Komodo]

Another couple beers to try if you haven't:

Goose Island Sofie, a really good Saison.

And, Pranqster from North Coast Brewing, an interesting interpretation of a Belgian Pale.
I have found that sometimes it can be a little flat tasting unless it's fresh. Reminds me of Franziskaner in that regard.

 

[2hennepin6]

They do make IPA's now but they still have some of their classics, like my favorite, Hennepin.

https://www.ommegang.com/beers/year-round/

Second on the Hennepin kudos. Though lately I have gravitated to Rare Vos.

I have always wished they had a tripel in their regular roster.

 

[shoreman]

The stock Ommegang beers red, Hennepin and rare vos are quite good and the spicing is very subtle. They were at one time $3.50 for the caged 750’s.

I was lucky to attend two of their Belgian Beer fests, so much good Belgian beer at those fests.

Allagash rocks, I’d recommend visiting the brewery if you can, that one is worth it. They have a house blonde ale in the 5% range you can only get in the taproom, delicious. Plus free samples in the tap room, which is rare these days. Their Grand Cru which they don’t brew anymore was one of my top 10 beers - I’ve been trying to clone it.

Unibroue makes great beer, really enjoy them but only see la fin de monde around these days at Trader Joe’s.

 

[shoreman]

Anybody brewing or already brewed their Bière De Noël for the holidays?

I do one every year and it’s always a Belgian-style.

This year I’m making a Dark Saison and aging it on some French Oak, not too boozy. About 6% or so.

Last years below was about 7%ABV and loosely based around Allagash Grand Cru which they don’t brew anymore.

 

[2hennepin6]

11.5 gallons of saison in fermenters. Yeast currently firing on all cylinders.

16 lbs Valley Malt pilsener malt

2 lbs malted wheat

2 lbs Vienna

1 lb rolled oats

1/2 lb cane sugar

1/2 lb corn sugar

*Recipe I roughly followed called for that split in sugar. Who knows why?

3 oz Saaz full boil

3 oz Saaz last 15 min

Belle saison yeast.

I hear this ferments the crap out of a beer. Below 1.000 FG.

That's my long answer.

 

[Kee]

Anybody brewing or already brewed their Bière De Noël for the holidays?


I do one every year and it’s always a Belgian-style.
View attachment 748424

Now you have me thinking. I've got a batch packaged that would do nicely as a Bière De Noël, since about half of my batches are Belgian dark strongs. I'll do my best to safe some for Christmas.

 

[KeizerBrewr]

I love doing a Golden Strong Ale and a Pale Ale. Use my trusty 1388. Mint!

 

[Jhedrick83]

Do any of you guys try to cellar your bottled beer or kegs? I put a case of bottled Dubbels in a fridge for 1 month at ~45 degrees and did notice a small difference between that and the bottle I kept at 68.

If you cellar, what’s your process?

 

[dchmela]

So great to see a thread on Belgians! I love to make Saisons and Tripels. Before Kviek, there were no wide temperature range yeasts to really use except Belgians and living in Florida didn't afford me much choices. I have temp control now, but I still love to do a saison and throw some 3711 or 3724 in and let the thing ferment at room temp! Plus, you have carte blanche to throw in spices and what not. Truly a great set of styles to brew. I would to see more local breweries doing it, but we only get a couple places that dabble in it.
I have a lemon tree out back that is dumping massive lemons right now, sounds like a lemon pepper saison with 3711 might be in my future.

 

[2hennepin6]

7th Sun in Dunedin was doing cool Belgian-y stuff a few years ago. Not sure where you are in relation to them.

 

[Gusso]

My latest Tripel. I simplified my recipe and it's quite good!

 

[jturman35]

I have a Bel Blonde Ale Leffe clone "Revy's version" fermenting using WLP530. The first batch I brewed of this beer scored 30-31 by to Master BJCP judges who said under carbonation alone kept this beer from hitting 40's. Actually on a Dr. Homebrew podcast.

My favorite Belgian beer is Chimay Blue followed by La Trappe Quad then Westy 12. After purchasing a 6 pack of Westy 12 straight from the Monestary and comparing to Chimay Blue which i can buy at Kroger, i learned Chimay holds it's own.

 

[Noob_Brewer]

Do any of you guys try to cellar your bottled beer or kegs? I put a case of bottled Dubbels in a fridge for 1 month at ~45 degrees and did notice a small difference between that and the bottle I kept at 68.

If you cellar, what’s your process?

Ive only brewed a few Belgian dubbels but have always put them straight into keg/keezer at an avg 39 degrees. Just curious what difference you detected? Which one you liked better and why?

 

[Jhedrick83]

Ive only brewed a few Belgian dubbels but have always put them straight into keg/keezer at an avg 39 degrees. Just curious what difference you detected? Which one you liked better and why?

It was only 1 month but I felt like the flavors were sharper on the cellared one. It was a blind taste test. It wasn’t a huge difference but I’m wondering. If more time or different conditions make a bigger difference. I see places where they say to brew quads and bottle condition for 12-18 months.

 

[Oleson M.D.]

Not us! Not only do we not brew Belgian style beer, we don't even drink it. Unless we are in Brussels.

 

[dchmela]

7th Sun in Dunedin was doing cool Belgian-y stuff a few years ago. Not sure where you are in relation to them.

We get some 7th Sun stuff in Orlando and I do stop in when I am on that coast. Otherwise, my local place Bowigens, does a Triple and Saison in the summer. Still not enough!