Brew Date: 1/23/10
123 Belgian Strong Ale
Brewing
Specialty Grains
0.25 lbs. Special B 110-150º L (German/Weyerman Cara Aroma)
0.5 lbs. Caramunich 50-60º L (German/Weyerman CaraMunich III)
1 lb. Pale 2-row 1.5º L
Steeped 30 minutes in approx. 1 gallon of distilled water starting at 162º F. Washed with an additional 0.75 gallons after steeping. Transferred to large pot and added water to bring total volume up to 3 gallons.
Extract
1 lb. Muntons Extra Light DME
6.6 lbs. Coopers Light LME
Before the boil, only the DME and 2 lbs. of LME added. The rest of the LME was added @ 15 min.
Hops
0.67 oz. Goldings (7.0%) @ 60 min. (pellets)
1 oz. Saaz @ 1 min. (leaf hops in hop bag).
Hop bag remained in the wort during the chilling and was removed with sanitized tongs before transferring to the fermenter.
Extras
1 lb. Dark Belgian Candy Sugar Syrup @ 15 min. [80 srm/ 1.032 ppg]. (Mixed with 1 pint of water and brought to low boil in saucepan before adding to the wort). Took about 17 minutes to prepare.
The addition of the extract and candy syrup @ 15 minutes cooled the wort significantly - took about 6 minutes after adding to bring the wort back to full boil. To compensate, we added 3 minutes to the total boil time.
Chilling
The wort was chilled in an ice bath for approx. 20 minutes. The ice bath did partially drain during the cooling, and we didn’t notice it soon enough. We refilled the bath and cooled the wort for an additional 10 minutes or so before transferring to the carboy. The cold break was not especially noticeable.
Fermenting
Yeast
WYEAST Belgian Strong 1388
Wort was transferred into clear glass carboy with one small spill - a minor splash (total volume loss was less than 1/2 cup). Fully strained in the transfer. Before fermenting, wort was dark brown in color.
The yeast was not fully activated when pitched. The nutrient pack in the yeast package did not break open when we tried to activate the yeast. Sanitizer solution used in the airlock. Wort was 66-68º F when yeast was pitched.
Getting set up! Check out that 7.5 gallon stainless steel pot in all its majesty...
Measuring grains with my so-called "drug scale". I got so much crap for this thing. It's for baking for goodness sakes!
Steeping our specialty grains.
Lighting the spectacularly huge propane burner.
Checking grain steepage with my precision gadgetry. Temp a little low perhaps, but ok.
Boil time!
Gigantic pot full of water + Humongous propane burner = fast boil even in cold weather!
Pretty day...
Steeping is done.
Adding the dry malt extract (DME). It sticks madly to the bag because of the steam.
Ice bath in an actual ice bath.
Great cold break!
Pouring into the plastic carboy.
Lounging about between batches.
Drinking beer while making beer -- some sort of beery vortex! Two great local beers here.
During boil #2 we were sick of being cold...
Boiling 8-dollar Belgian candy sugar with water. What a racket!
Waiting for the wort to chill.
My favorite picture of the day - pouring the wort into the carboy.
The patented Ben Aeration method.
Pitching the yeast in place.
