2021 Batch 13 - Belgian Dark Strong

If you've followed this blog for any length of time, you're probably aware that I'm really fond of Belgian ales, especially the Belgian Dark Strong Ale. A few weeks back, I purchased a large container of Briess Sparkling Amber liquid malt extract (LME) at a discount. I wondered if this extract could be used to produce a reasonable Belgian Dark Strong Ale with a relatively short brew day. This batch is my attempt to prove or disprove that theory.

Ingredients

6 pounds of Breiss CBW Sparkling Amber LME
16 ounces Crystal 80L malt
2 ounces Special B malt
12 ounces Brun Fonce candi sugar
0.5 ounces Hallertau Magnum @ 11.6%AA (FWH)
1.0 ounces Hallertau Mittelfruh @ 3.8% AA (5 min.)
1.0 ounces Czech Saaz @ 3.8% AA (5 min.)
1/2 tsp. Brewtan B (boil)
3/4 tsp. Irish Moss
1/2 tsp. Yeast Nutrients
Dublin Ohio tap water

According to Brewfather, the beer will have the following qualities:

Batch Size: 3.0 gallons
Original Gravity: 1.095 SG estimated (1.095 SG actual)
Final Gravity: 1.024 SG estimated
IBUs: 31 estimated
ABV: 10.6% estimated
BU/GU Ratio: 0.32

Brew schedule:

Heat 2.5 gallons of water to 150F
Add Special B and Crystal 80L malt inside muslin bags
Hold temperature at 150F for 20-30 minutes, then remove the grain
Turn off heat and gradually stir in the LME to dissolve it completely
Turn heat back on and add Hallertau Magnum as first wort hops
When a boil is reached, begin a 60-minute countdown

Boil schedule:

60 minutes: No addition (note Hallertau Magnum was already added)
20 minutes: Add Brewtan B
15 minutes: Add Irish Moss and Yeast Nutrient
5 minutes: Add Saaz and Hallertau Mittelfruh hops in muslin bags

Fermentation plan:

Wyeast 1726 (Belgian Abbey II Ale Yeast) prefers a temperature in the 65-75F range.
My plan is to begin fermentation at 70F and allow the yeast to free-rise until approximately 65-70% of fermentation has completed. At that time, I'll increase the fermentation temp one degree per day until at the maximum temp of 75F. I'll hold it there until fermentation is complete.

Post-Brew Observations and Notes

08/22/2021: The brew day went off without a hitch. I ended up with the expected original gravity and fermenter volume, with just a bit higher temperature. I had to wait for the temperature to drop to approximately 70F before pitching the yeast. The packet of 1762 yeast needed time to swell up anyway.

08/25/2021: Unfortunately, the original package of 1762 yeast must have been dead, despite its November 2021 best-by date. I had to purchase and add another today. There are early indications that this new package is working, but it's too soon to tell yet. I may have to resort to a dry yeast. (Not that I have anything against dry yeasts, but for this recipe I really wanted 1762.)

08/29/2021: When I opened the fermenter earlier in the week to pitch dry yeast, I found mold growing on top of the wort. I was too busy at the time to deal with dumping the batch and cleaning the fermenter, so I left it alone, knowing I'd need to go back later and do that. In the meantime, it seems the 1762 yeast has come to life in side the beer, as the Tilt Hydrometer has been showing rapid drops in gravity consistent with yeast. I'm planning to dump the fermenter and beer today, the clean the fermenter well.

2022 Batch 01 - St. Gambrinus Spiced Holiday Ale (Kit)

I purchased a St. Gambrinus Spiced Holiday Ale Kit from Great Fermentations in Indianapolis a few weeks ago and decided to get it made today... a tad late for the holidays, but it will give me a good idea if I like the recipe for next Christmas. The kit basically comes as a bag of crushed grain with a packet of Northern Brewer hops. You supply your own spices and order yeast separately. Ingredients 8.5 pounds Two-Row Brewer's Malt 2 pounds Munich Dark Malt 1 pound Honey Malt 8 ounces Simpsons Dark Crystal Malt 0.5 ounces Northern Brewer hops (60 min.) 0.5 ounces Northern Brewer hops (30 min.) 1 package White Labs Edinburgh Scottish Ale yeast 1 tsp. Irish Moss (15 min.) 0.5 oz. Bitter Orange Peel (10 min.) 2 cinnamon sticks (I used 3) (10 min.) 0.5 tsp. Ground Ginger (10 min.) 0.25 tsp. Allspice (secondary) 0.25 oz. Ground Cardamom (secondary) 0.25 oz. Ground Cinnamon (secondary) 1 Tbsp. pH 5.2 Stabilizer added to mash after grain 6.8 gallons of RO water, treated with: 3 grams Gyps...

2021 Batch 16/17 - Horseman's Pumpkin Ale Kit from Great Fermentations

Although there are a few pumpkin spice ales on the market that I enjoy (Hoppin' Frog's Double Pumpkin, Samuel Adams Fat Jack, and Heavy Seas Great'r Pumpkin come to mind first), I've yet to brew a pumpkin spice ale that I have been happy with. Either I didn't feel like the base beer was quite right, or the spice mix was too "something" (insert random pie spice there) forward, it was too hop-forward, or it was wrong in some other way. This year, I decided to try the kit from Great Fermentations in Indiana to see if I liked that any better than previous brews. Ingredients 9 pounds 2-row Brewer's Malt 1 pound Munich Malt 8 ounces Crystal 40L Malt 15 ounces Canned Pumpkin (not included in kit) 1/4 tsp. Brewtan B (my addition to kit) 1 ounce Glacier Hops 1/2 tsp. Brewtan B (my addition to kit) 1 tsp. Irish Moss (15 min.) 0.5 tsp. Ground Cinnamon (not included in kit) 0.5 tsp. Vanilla extract (not included in kit) 0.5 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice (not included i...

2022 Batch 02 - Pecan Brandy Mead

I watched an episode of Moonshiners: Master Distiller late in 2020 where one of the contestants made a Pecan Brandy that he (and the judges) described as being very tasty, like drinking a pecan pie. I thought that sounded good, and although distilling it into brandy would not be a legal option for me, turning it into a mead would be quite possible and might be good. The recipe as described on the show was pretty simple... honey, water, yeast, and pecans. Ingredients 12 pounds of Wildflower Honey 2 pounds of Pecans, crushed and ground 4 gallons of water, treated with some gypsum 1 tsp. yeast nutrient 1 package of Premier Des Cotes champagne yeast Batch Size: 5.0 gallons (actual and estimated) Original Gravity: 1.090 (actual and estimated) Final Gravity: 0.984 (estimated) Brewing Instructions Bring water to a boil and sterilize wort chiller. Add half the pecans in a muslin bag. Add the other half, in a different muslin bag, to the fermenter. Gradually add ...

Begin Brewing!

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