Belgian single?

[JKaranka]

Hi guys

Planning on a fairly plain, drinkable and clean single in the Belgian trappist style. Any feedback?

Current thoughts:
OG 1.055, FG ~1.008, 35 IBU, 3SRM.

Mash:
10lb Pilsner malt (UK)

End of boil: 0.5lb table sugar.

Boil:
60m - 2oz Hallertau Mittelfruh
20m - 1oz Saaz

Fermented with a blend of homegrown dregs (Quintine, Rochefort, etc.).

 

[JKaranka]

Crushed 10lb UK Pilsner (Muntons) and 1lb Belgian Ale Malt (Dingelmans). I'll still add 1/4lb to 1/2lb table sugar depending on the efficiency.

 

[Rivenin]

sounds really close to a patersbier. i approve!

 

[JKaranka]

Ah, yes, same thing. I assume you tend to call them paterbiers in the US then?

 

[JKaranka]

Gosh, the H. Mittelfruh was 3% AA and the Saaz 2% AA. Ended up with quite a few ounces of hops in this one to reach 35IBU!

 

[tagz]

It's a little too high abv for a patersbeir; looks closer to a blonde. Should be good though . Interested to hear about your yeast blend.

 

[JKaranka]

@tagz: I had an OG of 1.058 but diluted it down to 1.054. Considering leaving it there but quite tempted to adding 1/4-1/2lb sugar.

The yeast blend seems to work really well. I added the dregs of a Quintine Brune, a Rochefort 8 and a St Stefanus to around 900ml of wort (DME + a bit of sugar). I did that on Tuesday, by Wednesday it was somewhat lively. On Thursday it was going really crazy (like a mini-FV) and I pitched it in the evening. Less than 24 hours after there is plenty of activity in the airlock.

PS: To be fair, they were pretty fresh bottles. I just picked them in Belgium the other month.

 

[JKaranka]

This is good. Finished higher than expected at 1.011 but I did accidentally mash high. Typical Belgian yeast character is the main thing. Like a blonde but lighter. Spicy, some phenols, hint of banana. Bitterness kicks at the very end and keeps it from being heavy. Drank two warm and uncarbed glasses while bottling!

 

[theheroguy]

For a patersbier I would recommend an ABV of around 4-4.6% and fg between 11-13. And ibus below 25. Yours sound like a good blonde but if you want to get something more crushable those parameters are better.

 

[JKaranka]

This works incredibly well. The yeast is not anything I'm used to. It's fairly powdery and forms flakes that don't settle in the bottle.

Appearance is a light yellow, fairly cloudy (specially after chilling the bottle). Aroma is very light malt, very light hops. Decent body (more than I expected). Moderate finish, neither sweet nor dry. Good phenols (slightly smoky and clovey), some very faint fruit esters. The hops come across more now that it has carbonated and they are again fairly spicy.

It's really what I was aiming at: fairly clean but lighter and more bitter than a typical Belgian Blonde. It is instantly recognizable as a Belgian beer from the yeast flavours yet not too sweet nor yeasty. Compared to a Saison it's nowhere as dry nor as spicy. A lot more character than other lawnmower ales but still entirely drinkable and balanced.

I'll drop a few bottles by work tomorrow and see what the feedback is like.

 

[ericbw]

Sounds good and simple - base and sugar should be enough to get you what you want. The yeast is what makes it stand out. The single/patersbier I made last year is one of my best brews ever.