Noob Recipe help...

[KozHops]

Hi everyone, first post here. I am trying to concoct a Belgian (specialty/dark)Ale that highlights the fig and raisin flavors. I am a little stuck here with the use of carapils and crystal and am not sure if I'm using it right. Please let me know what you think about this recipe. This will be my 4th batch and my 3rd all-grain.

Recipe Type: All Grain
Yeast: Safbrew T-58
Yeast Starter: None
Batch Size (Gallons): 5
Original Gravity: 1.075
Final Gravity: 1.018
IBU: 45
Boiling Time (Minutes): 60
Color: 23
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 10 at 63 degrees
Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 10 at 63 degrees

10 Lb. 2-row (US) (74.07%)
1 Lb. Crystal Malt - 60L (7.41%)
1 Lb. Turbinado Sugar (7.41%)
.5 Lb Amber Malt (3.7%)
.5 Lb. Chocolate Malt (3.7%)
.5 LB. Cara-pils Dextrin (3.7%)

8 oz. Pureed Figs - Added to the last 10 minutes of the boil

.75 oz Warrior Hops - 60 Mins (14% AA)
.5 oz. Hallertau Hops - 5 Mins (5% AA)

Single mash infusion @ 153 degrees for 60 mins.

Thanks everyone!

 

[Skyforger]

First - that's quite a bit of chocolate malt. It will make the beer very dark, at least if you use types familiar to me (Muntons' chocolate malt, for instance, is 385 Lovibond, and some are higher). It also tends to be used in things like stouts and porters rather than belgian strong ales. I would consider replacing it with 1/2 lb of Special B, which is a dark Belgian specialty malt known for giving raisiny or plum-like roasted flavors to a beer.

Second, consider using belgian candi syrup instead of turbinado sugar. I've used impure sugars in dark belgians before thinking they were similar to belgian candi, and have not liked the results. The molasses and other impurities in turbinado make for harsh, rummy flavors in the final product - very different than the complex maillard compounds and caramelized sugars in Belgian candi. There's a thread about making your own candi sugar here: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/20-lb-sugar-jar-yeast-nutrient-114837/ If you make it fairly dark, you can get some good plum and dark fruit flavors out of it.

You can also buy candi syrup at some LHBS. It's not the rock sugar they sometimes try to sell you; that's just normal sugar with a jacked-up price. It should come in the form of a syrup. Failing that, I would use an invert sugar, such as Lyle's Golden Syrup, but it's not really the same.

Third, I don't know what yeasts are available to you, but I would at least consider using a liquid yeast. Dry yeasts are fine, but since there's less strains available, they tend to be a bit less focused, more generic. Something like WLP500 (Trappist Ale) might target the qualities you're going for a bit better.

 

[Nateo]

your FG is too high for the style. My dark strong starts at 95 and ends at 10. It's nicely dry, but not overly so. Ditch the crystal, carapils, and amber malts, get some D2 syrup, and use maybe 1/2# of special B. Also, your IBUs are way too high. I wouldn't go over 20, and I'd aim for 10.

 

[rjwhite41]

Also, if you want to get the esters you are looking for consider fermenting at a much warmer temperature. I sometimes go to the low 80s with an ambient temp around 75. It will also help with getting a lower FG. Some start low and raise after a couple of days. I just let mine free rise.

 

[KozHops]

These are great responses. I will decrease the choc and pick up some special b and D2. I think I should be able to get the fermentation temps up (if I put my carboy closer to the heater). I'll knock the Warrior hops down to .5 oz which will bring my IBU's down to around 20.

Will the Special B take the place of the crystal and carapils?

 

[KozHops]

First - that's quite a bit of chocolate malt. It will make the beer very dark, at least if you use types familiar to me (Muntons' chocolate malt, for instance, is 385 Lovibond, and some are higher). It also tends to be used in things like stouts and porters rather than belgian strong ales. I would consider replacing it with 1/2 lb of Special B, which is a dark Belgian specialty malt known for giving raisiny or plum-like roasted flavors to a beer.

Second, consider using belgian candi syrup instead of turbinado sugar. I've used impure sugars in dark belgians before thinking they were similar to belgian candi, and have not liked the results. The molasses and other impurities in turbinado make for harsh, rummy flavors in the final product - very different than the complex maillard compounds and caramelized sugars in Belgian candi. There's a thread about making your own candi sugar here: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/20-lb-sugar-jar-yeast-nutrient-114837/ If you make it fairly dark, you can get some good plum and dark fruit flavors out of it.

You can also buy candi syrup at some LHBS. It's not the rock sugar they sometimes try to sell you; that's just normal sugar with a jacked-up price. It should come in the form of a syrup. Failing that, I would use an invert sugar, such as Lyle's Golden Syrup, but it's not really the same.

Third, I don't know what yeasts are available to you, but I would at least consider using a liquid yeast. Dry yeasts are fine, but since there's less strains available, they tend to be a bit less focused, more generic. Something like WLP500 (Trappist Ale) might target the qualities you're going for a bit better.

Unfortunately - I can't get my hands on any belgian liquid yeasts and have to go with the T-58. I know it's not as regarded as some of the other dry yeasts like S-04, S-05 and Notty but I'm hoping it pulls through.

 

[Skyforger]

T-58 should work fine. For belgian ales, it's to be preferred to S-04 and so on - at least so far as flavors go.
Special B doesn't exactly replace crystal and carapils; those give a more caramel and toffee sort of flavor, and special b gives a bit more of a aromatic, dark fruit sort of flavor (still quite a bit of caramel in it, though). I can't speak for Nateo, but I feel it would be good to eliminate some of the specialties as he (she?) suggested just from the standpoint of simplicity. Beer tends to work better when it's not a hodgepodge of every malt the brewer thought might taste good in there; a couple suitable adjustments and ornaments is all a good base malt really needs.
When I started brewing, I devised recipes with tons of malts just because the flavor descriptions for each one sounded so interesting, I wanted to try them all. The result is kind of like a cocktail with too many ingredients; you end up being able to taste nothing clearly.