Belgian Blond Ale SWMBO Slayer - Belgian Blonde

[flokason]

I have a really nice 3711 slurry which I want to brew something with. Something like this, something for the swmbo.

Has anyone brewed this with 3711?

 

[madscientist451]

People's tastes regarding saisons are hit and miss. One person's great beer tastes like a foul horse stall to the next person. I've never used the 3711 yeast, but if you like it, just go for it with this recipe.

 

[bolus14]

I've used three different saison strains. More or less same recipe and the only one my wife cared for was the one with 3711. I'm not saying she would ask for it, just that she thought it was less "funky" than the others.

Like flokason said, Saisons tend to be a love or hate type of relationship. People either get intrigued by what the strain brings or they can't get past the funkiness of it.

 

[brewguyver]

Just cracked open my first all grain version - wasn't as sweet as the extract one, and slightly tart, but a damn good beer. I did bottle it young though (thank god for champagne bottles) so that may have contributed.

 

[bunt1828]

I brewed this about a month ago with the suggested WLP400 Wit yeast. It's been on tap for about a week now and it's got a soft but noticeable sent/taste of sulfur that is just strong enough to be obnoxious and make the beer unenjoyable. I understand hydrogen sulfide is a yeast byproduct and should age out, but does anyone know if it'll do so in a pressurized and sealed keg? I relieved the pressure on it last night hoping to release whatever scent was in the headspace (successfully by the smell of it), but I've got to imagine the remaining sulfur compounds will stay in the beer until something happens to allow them to escape? Anyone else have this problem?

The beer underneath is nice. Finished at a refreshingly low 1.004, but has a good sweetness to it that gives the perception of body. I think I'd really enjoy it if not for the sulfur issue. I'll also note I brewed this same recipe about 2 years ago as one of my first few all grain batches and, at that point, it was by far the best beer I had made - the first one I was proud to pour for friends. As such, it only lasted a few weeks

 

[maurtis]

We really screwed up our December batch... Used RO water with no salts added, left it on the trub about a month extra before adding the blackberry juice (got busy and forgot about it), fermented in my closet around 72 degrees. It was a bandaid tasting mess. I gave them all to my brother-in-law who hopes it will become something great with age. Good luck!

So I brewed another batch but this time I used the Bru'n water spreadsheet to get the chemistry I needed for a "Yellow Balanced" profile. I also finally made a fermentation chamber out of a chest freezer and STC-1000, so fermented around 64 degrees, and this time did NOT add blackberry juice to the beer.

And it turned out great! No off tastes, light, and delicious. A very nice changed from the porters and IPAs I have been brewing. Thanks again for the wonderful recipe!

 

[4arrows]

Brewed a 10 gal batch of this yerterday, pitched with Nottingham slurry from a previous brew. First 10 gal batch i have done, looking forward to the results.

 

[stever1000]

Looking to brew the extract next weekend if all goes as planned, probably will change the hops though. Unless the recipe has been modified this is what I'm planning to go with:

3 lbs. Wheat DME
2 lbs. Extra Light DME
8 oz. Caramel 10°L
8 oz. Flaked Wheat
4 oz. Caravienne malt
1 oz Saaz or Hallertauer hops

I'm thinking of splitting the batch and using different yeasts in each:
In Fermentor #1 - WY1214 - Belgian Abbey (The Chimay Strain)
In Fermentor #2 - Harvested Ommegang from Game of Thrones bottle

Since Ommegang uses the same yeast for fermenting and bottling in all their beers, and I've read that it's a Witbier like strain, that one should fit this well. I want to use the 1214 because I'll be moving an Abbey off the cake that weekend and want to see how much the yeast makes a difference.

Any thoughts?

How did your extract version turn out? I want to try this soon

 

[VApatriot]

People's tastes regarding saisons are hit and miss. One person's great beer tastes like a foul horse stall to the next person. I've never used the 3711 yeast, but if you like it, just go for it with this recipe.

I'm glad I have no frame of reference for what a "foul horse stall" would taste like. I feel bad that you do

 

[bolus14]

How did your extract version turn out? I want to try this soon

From what I recall it was ok. Not what I would make again, although I'm not sure if that was due to the recipe or the yeast or the extract. I made that almost 2 yrs ago, I believe, and my taste and knowledge has grown a lot since then and I would say that for me blondes are too "neutral or subtle" for me. I want something that has a little more punch when it comes to taste and aroma, more like a Pale Ale I guess.

I might give this another go in a few months when I start brewing again. If I make it I'll likely peak around at some other Blonde recipe's and compare it to what I think I like and go from there. I'm pretty much going to stick with Belgians this coming year, and likely slip a couple porters/stouts and might try my hand with a sour/Brett beer as well.

 

[4arrows]

Ok, so i bottled 12 gallons of this on Saturday and realized that I had a question.
Is its a Wit or a Blonde? I originally thought I was a Wit because of the yeast uesd, and I guess I misses the Blonde in the title. Any clarification? And yes I need to study up on the difference in styles I guess.

 

[smitty8202]

May have already been asked but honestly I'm too lazy to read 450 posts to find it. Haha. Is a secondary fermentation necessary with this beer? I plan on making a 3 gallon test run of this this weekend and hope to have it ready by thanksgiving. I do however plan to cold crash in the keg for about 48-72 hours before carbing.

 

[bolus14]

No reason to secondary and doesn't need much aging time you should be fine having it ready by Thanksgiving.

 

[4arrows]

I was impatient, did 2 weeks in primary, 2 days cold crash, and 1 week in the bottle. It was delicious that young and getting better. Wife's favorite so far.

 

[grevengrevs]

Brewed this up today per the original recipe. About the 4th time I have brewed this but this time my starting gravity came in at 1.068 !

Not sure what happened but should I add water to it or just leave it be and ride it out?

I have already pitched the yeast and tossed it in the ghetto fermentor.

 

[maurtis]

I would just let 'er rip.

I really need to make another batch, this was such a great beer. Nice and light, really excellent.

 

[grevengrevs]

I forgot to come back and update. I did hit my mark, 1.058. Eyes are failing me! Thankfully I left the hydro sample and didn't dump it so I was able to recheck the gravity and it was right on point.

 

[cerna348]

Tewsday Bruesday!
I brewed this beer for the third time tonight. Contrary to the name, my wife drinks none of it. She is more of an amber fan. Anyway I am a big fan of this recipe. It sits in the keg and I sip on it every now and then. Not many people come drink at my house, I usually end up taking my homebrews elsewhere, so this beer is the only one that has never been shared outside my house. I have only kegged this beer and this is the only beer I have kegged. The other keg was quickly commandeered by the kids for rootbeer. So, cheers to you BierMuncher!

 

[Devon]

Thanks for another great recipe BM. I made this with a packet of Danstar Belle Saison yeast - it was the only thing remotely Belgian at the LHBS - turned out great.

 

[grevengrevs]

About to make this again Thursday. I've been using Wyeast 3944 instead WLP400 with no real difference. At least none that I can taste. I don't drink it a lot, maybe a glass every few days but I have a lot buddies who are big Bud Light fans that love this stuff. They drink it like crazy. Any time it's empty they get sad HAHAHAHA!

 

[grevengrevs]

Made a 5.5 gallon batch of this today with Wyeast 3944 and Tettnang hops. Couldn't get williamette so went with that.

 

[wamooreiv]

I brewed this yesterday as a 2.5 gal BIAB. Used Wyeast #3944, that is some serious fermentation! I used fermcap s to keep the krausen low, checked it about 20 hours later to find the airlock just about plugged. Hooked up two blowout tubes just to safe.
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[BigTerp]

I'm entering this into an upcoming local homebrew competition under the saison/belgian category. It's just a local competition sponsored by the local homebrew shop, so nothing fancy. Was wondering what I should label this beer as. A Belgian Blonde? Or Belgian Wheat?

 

[fun4stuff]

Brewed 5.5 gallon batch BIAB yesterday. Added some dried sweet orange peel during last 15 mins of the boil, otherwise stuck to the recipe.

 

[GatorWayne]

The day brewing beer went to hell and took the expressway should be the name of my batch. This was the first batch of beer I brewed as an all grain around two years ago and it came out fine great considering my lack of technique, experience, and equipment. Many batches later I have refined my techniques, have about 20 brew days experience, and definitely upgraded my equipment.

So how did it all fall apart? I am still trying to figure it out.

1. I call my “brewery” Wayniac’s poolside brewery. Being in Florida this usually means some brewing on the deck, some consuming on the deck, and some jumping into the pool to cool off. Saturday was in the 40s so the chance to get halfway through the process inside sounded great.

2. I heated up the strike water on the stove and cleaned/sanitized the MLT. My SS water heater braid was on its second brew day. I already knew I was tired of keggles for MLT and planned on buying a 10 gallon drink cooler to mash in. I probably could have been a bit more gentler on the braid. Strike water hits the right beersmith temp, dough in, and I’m 7 degrees below temp. WTF? Water on stove heating, water in hot water kettle heating, add heated water, shoot over by 3 degrees. Add a quart from the sink and down 4 degrees. ARGH! Finally get close and quit for an hour.

3. An hour is up. Drain to buckets as I am set up to boil out by the pool. The pound of rice hulls clearly failed to do their job. Nope. I am the idiot who stretched the braid and severely restricted the flow after getting most of the first runnings out. Just stab me as I am now short on wort and it is Florida freezing outside. Even though I had extra water from above trying to get the damn temperature balanced, I somehow end up short on wort. Sparge water heated and added but is also nowhere near enough to boil. I feel compelled to grab the sprayer from the sink and just spray the damn grains. Thankfully sprayer hose is not long enough. Add some room temperature water and manage sieve the grain to the garbage and pour, as in lift big cooler and pour, the liquid into a bucket.

4. Outside time. My arms and legs are covered, it is cold but I have a 13,500 gallon water tank ready to cool my wort when I am done brewing. I put the first three gallons of first runnings in the keggle and then the crap from step three happened. I started this on the flame so a bit back and forth but this initial wort was boiling or on the verge when I killed the flame due to the disaster going on inside. I’m straining grains through a colander to get wort. This sucks.

5. Finally I get 6 gallons in the keggle to boil. Hops in and timer on. The next hour goes great! And then…

6. 5 minutes to go! Pump is ready to priming, hose all connected to run wort through counterflow chiller and back to brew keggle to sanitize CFC. Damn pump sitting below the keggle will not prime. Finagle the hoses and for some stupid reason now the flow starts. I KNOW both ball valves were open.

7. Cold pool water = rapidly chilled beer! If only the bazooka screen did not get clogged with hops I would have not had to reach into the keggle (with clean and sanitized hands) to remove the screen. Open ball valve and fill fermenting bucket. 4.5 gallons of trub, break, and probably a few love bugs. A southern treat normally encountered around Mother’s day and later in the fall. Since we spent most of December in the mid 80s, well above normal, these ******* insect are now all over my pool deck and my gear. I considered calling this batch “love bug juice”.

8. Dump my 2 day stir plate starter into who knows what is in that bucket and hope it comes out better than last time. 4 days on it gently ferments. Where did the violent, blow the top off the fermenter, go?

One of the worst brew days in a long time. I’m certain the beer will taste great!!!!!!

 

[fun4stuff]

Brewed 5.5 gallon batch BIAB yesterday. Added some dried sweet orange peel during last 15 mins of the boil, otherwise stuck to the recipe.

Turned out great. Carbonating now. Forced carb'd a couple pints using a carbonator cap- very nice and refreshing. Perfect summer beer.

 

[WhoDatDad78]

I have this one on the burner now. 1st time doing biab PM with flaked wheat. This stuff is going to be mush at the end.

 

[WhoDatDad78]

Ok, so this has almost been in the fermenter 2 weeks. Me thinks something has gone wrong. Included a pic of the gravity reading and what looks to be some sort of infection....

I'm gonna put this lid back on til someone reassures me.

OG was 1.070
Today 1.021

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[WhoDatDad78]

I just dipped my finger in the sample and tasted it. My tounge had a numb sensation. The smell from the fermenter stings the nostrils, might be the Co2. Otherwise smells "normal". I've kept the fermenter between 58F and 64F, changing out ice packs twice daily. I added the LME at flameout and stirred. One hour of 155°F mash for the flaked wheat. Pretty neurotic about sanitizing with a spray bottle of sanstar. Used a wort chiller and ice to get to pitching temp. Fermentation started within 12 hours of pitching. IDK, I'm at a loss.

 

[fun4stuff]

I just dipped my finger in the sample and tasted it. My tounge had a numb sensation. The smell from the fermenter stings the nostrils, might be the Co2. Otherwise smells "normal". I've kept the fermenter between 58F and 64F, changing out ice packs twice daily. I added the LME at flameout and stirred. One hour of 155°F mash for the flaked wheat. Pretty neurotic about sanitizing with a spray bottle of sanstar. Used a wort chiller and ice to get to pitching temp. Fermentation started within 12 hours of pitching. IDK, I'm at a loss.

Did you make a yeast starter? Wlp400 is known to take longer to reach fg. When I made this it took a good 3 weeks (with a healthy 1.25 L starter).

Did you try your hydrometer in room temp water to make sure it's still accurate?

 

[brew703]

Looks like it's still fermenting. Still getting airlock activity? doesn't look like an infection to me. I would let it go another week.

 

[burninator]

Not quite 2 weeks in primary? I'd say it's not done.

 

[WhoDatDad78]

Hydrometer works fine. There's alot of particulate floating around in there from the flaked wheat, I wonder if maybe I did something wrong there, this is supposed to clear right? I have a blowoff on it now, so no airlock yet. Is it possible for me to put a whirfloc tablet in water to boil for 15 mins and add to primary to clear it up?

 

[WhoDatDad78]

Did you make a yeast starter? Wlp400 is known to take longer to reach fg. When I made this it took a good 3 weeks (with a healthy 1.25 L starter).

Did you try your hydrometer in room temp water to make sure it's still accurate?

No starter. I haven't done a starter yet on any of my brews. Thinking of doing one for the next brew though.

 

[brew703]

You have the other end of the blowoff tube in starsan? is that end bubbling?
I would not add any whirlfloc at this point. You can always add gelatin later and cold crash for a couple of days.

 

[WhoDatDad78]

You have the other end of the blowoff tube in starsan? is that end bubbling?
I would not add any whirlfloc at this point. You can always add gelatin later and cold crash for a couple of days.

Vodka in a growler. I haven't seen any bubbling, but this doesn't mean anything really.

 

[brew703]

No activity doesn't mean anything. I've never had a batch take two weeks to ferment but it depends on a lot of variables. I say let it go another week then check the gravity. I had a batch where I used US-04 and it was very active for 7 days.
Judging by the photo it would seem there would be some bubbling in your growler from the co2 escaping. are you sure the tube is submerged in the vodka?
Also what was the gravity reading you took? Sorry if I missed that.

 

[WhoDatDad78]

3/5 OG was 1.070
3/17 Yesterday 1.021

I made sure the blowoff was submerged. There is even vodka in the tube. It's a dark growler and I haven't really payed attention to bubbling.

 

[brew703]

I say let it go another week then re-check.

 

[WhoDatDad78]

That seems to be the way to go. I'll have to get some gelatin for this. Let it sit another week, take a reading next weekend and add the gelatin then cold crash for a bit. Man I hope I don't have to toss it.