Is anyone familiar enough with Midwest's Noble Trappist ale to help me select my next recipe or kit? I'm a newbie planning to brew my third batch with extract or partial mash. I would love to make another brew like Noble Trappist, but with a higher alcohol content.
Should I just go with a Dubbel? Other ideas?
Someone at Midwest Supplies suggested using the Noble Trappist kit again, but increasing the amount of malt extract to raise the alcohol content. Would that work? How would I plan how much malt to use? (Brewsmith?)
I also very much enjoy Brooklyn Brewery's Sorachi Ace and another beer made with Sorachi Ace, New Belgium's Lips of Faith Biere de Garde. Any risk in switching out one of the hops in the Noble Trappist kit for Sorachi? If that sounds like a fairly good plan, would it be best to switch out the aroma or bittering hops? And Sorachi Ace uses champagne yeast--how about using that in addition to some Wyeast Trappist, probably high gravity?
I know: this question is probably getting out of hand and I may need to be referred to another site or read a couple of books on the subject of recipe tinkering. But I always get such good help here, that I think it's worth asking.
Here is how Midwest describes Noble Trappist:
"Sweet, semi-dry ale with dark brown color
Hints of banana and cloves
Yeast cultured from a bottle of Chimay (liquid yeast strains) will perfect this recipe; Wyeast recommended for best results
Ingredients include: 6 lb. Pilsen liquid malt extract, 1 lb. clear candi sugar, 8 oz. Caramel 40L, 8 oz. Carapils specialty grains, 2 oz. Hallertau, 1 oz. Styrian Goldings pellet hops, yeast, priming sugar and a grain bag"
Thanks for any help! I'm sharing my last 4 bottles of Noble Trappist with friends later today and am itching to get brewing again.
Should I just go with a Dubbel? Other ideas?
Someone at Midwest Supplies suggested using the Noble Trappist kit again, but increasing the amount of malt extract to raise the alcohol content. Would that work? How would I plan how much malt to use? (Brewsmith?)
I also very much enjoy Brooklyn Brewery's Sorachi Ace and another beer made with Sorachi Ace, New Belgium's Lips of Faith Biere de Garde. Any risk in switching out one of the hops in the Noble Trappist kit for Sorachi? If that sounds like a fairly good plan, would it be best to switch out the aroma or bittering hops? And Sorachi Ace uses champagne yeast--how about using that in addition to some Wyeast Trappist, probably high gravity?
I know: this question is probably getting out of hand and I may need to be referred to another site or read a couple of books on the subject of recipe tinkering. But I always get such good help here, that I think it's worth asking.
Here is how Midwest describes Noble Trappist:
"Sweet, semi-dry ale with dark brown color
Hints of banana and cloves
Yeast cultured from a bottle of Chimay (liquid yeast strains) will perfect this recipe; Wyeast recommended for best results
Ingredients include: 6 lb. Pilsen liquid malt extract, 1 lb. clear candi sugar, 8 oz. Caramel 40L, 8 oz. Carapils specialty grains, 2 oz. Hallertau, 1 oz. Styrian Goldings pellet hops, yeast, priming sugar and a grain bag"
Thanks for any help! I'm sharing my last 4 bottles of Noble Trappist with friends later today and am itching to get brewing again.