You guys. I brewed a monster.

[beerisyummy]

I'm a big fan of Josh Weikert's "Brew Your Best" articles. As I was contemplating what to brew in the warm end-of-summer-beginning-of-fall months here in California, my thoughts turned to Farmhouse Ales and Bière de Garde in particular. I have to admit not being terribly familiar with the style, but I have loved every one I've ever tasted, from Sierra Nevada's Trip in the Woods to Fieldwork Brewing in Berkeley. I became interested, in reading Josh's "Brew your best Biere de Garde," for some reason, in Brewing a Brown Bière de Garde, which I have never had ... it just sounded good. Perhaps because I'm not familiar with it, I went ahead and took some liberties.

The results were so good, I drank the entire hydrometer sample, and I poured the dregs of the bottling bucket into my glass and had that too. I can't WAIT to taste this in six months or so, and I may not show up to work for a few days.

It's going to be big, malty-sweet, aggressively bitter, warmly alcoholic, a little bit "earthy." I think I'm in love.

Here it is:

Method: Brew-in-a-bag

Ingredients for 5 gallons:

Grain bill:
5.5 lb Munich
5.5 lb Pilsner
12 oz Crystal 60L
12 oz Special B
4 oz. Blackprinz

Adjuncts:
1 lb. soft brown Belgian Candi Sugar - boiled in 1 qt water & added to fermentor on day 5.
1.5 tsp. CaCl in mash
4 oz. corn sugar boiled in 2 c. water for priming

Yeast: Omega OYL-057 "Hothead" (2L starter)

Water: municipal water, filtered

Hop bill:
1 oz Magnum (14.4%) for 60 min
1 oz. Tettnanger (3%) for 15 min.
1 oz Fuggles (4.3%) for 5 min.

Mash: 152° for 60 min. Dunk-sparge @ 180°
Mash pH: 5.22

Boil: 60 min

Fermentation: Single stage, 4 weeks

O.G. 1.062 - 1.071 with added sugar.
F.G. 1.016
ABV 7.2%

 

[luckybeagle]

Right on man. I am also a huge, huge fan of Weikert's recipes. I've brewed his Belgian Tripel (and with it took 2nd place for the Trappist category at our local brewfest... thanks, Josh!), his Dubbel, Belgian Dark Strong, Belgian Blonde, American IPA, Irish Red Ale, Dry Irish Stout, Dunkelweizen, Kolsch, Porter, Hefeweizen, and soon.... his English Barleywine. His recipes are so well composed and always turn out great. I use them to then brew my own iteration of it in a subsequent batch (if I feel it's missing something or could benefit from an adjustment).

Where in CA are you? I grew up in Concord and went to college in Sonoma before moving to Oregon--my wife is from Garden Grove/Huntington Beach. Some especially good beers coming out of socal these days (Firestone Walker's barrel aged series for the win!).

Please be sure to update us after you are carbonated, and again as it ages!

 

[bracconiere]

my thoughts turned to Farmhouse Ales

+1, my style of choice! grain bill looks good, i probably would have went all munich for base, and drop the crystal to 8oz......but with the special B, it's a winner! (and i don't really know how to brew beer, so disregard my comment! )

 

[beerisyummy]

His recipes are so well composed and always turn out great. I use them to then brew my own iteration of it in a subsequent batch

Ya dude. That's what I like about his articles, the recipes are very flexible, and he always has great ideas. I made a Belgian Tripel based on his article also, and it was excellent.

 

[beerisyummy]

Where in CA are you?

 

[beerisyummy]

I am in Pleasant Hill, right next door to Concord!

 

[luckybeagle]

I am in Pleasant Hill, right next door to Concord!

Haha, crazy! My family has all moved up to Oregon (we moved up in 2011), but I've got friends from Concord High, College Park, and CVHS that still live down there. Small world!

 

[beerisyummy]

Yes. It is absolutely delicious. It's going to take all the will power I have and then some to let it sit another month before the next taste... But I feel I must.