Belgian Strong ale recipes

[lethaldog]

Oh by the way as far as clones go i dare you to put this one beside the real thing and see if you can taste the difference, it is bassically an exact copy of chimay blue label as far as im concerned so have fun with it guys

P.s be careful with this one it comes out at 9.5%

[shane_vor]

If that's it you're my hero!
Next pay I off to the shop with my list...

[lethaldog]

If that's it you're my hero!
Next pay I off to the shop with my list...

haha nice to be someones hero
You wont be disapointed

[rwh]

Hey lethal, I reckon I might give this one a go. A few clarifications:

- What's black grain? Something like Black Malt 1200°EBC?
- What's blended honey? Just the stuff you get from the supermarket?
- The soft dark brown sugar is just from the supermarket too?

Thanks,

Rob

[lethaldog]

Hey lethal, I reckon I might give this one a go. A few clarifications:

- What's black grain? Something like Black Malt 1200°EBC?
- What's blended honey? Just the stuff you get from the supermarket?
- The soft dark brown sugar is just from the supermarket too?

Thanks,

Rob

Yes black grain is black malt grain, you could use a good supermarket honey or maybe go for a clover etc As far as the sugar goes i always use the supermarket variety, just make sure you get a good quality and not homebrand or simmilar, Bassically any of them your not quite sure about just get the best quality you can and you cant go wrong

[rwh]

Sweet, thanks mate. :) Do I have to mash the grain? I thought you weren't supposed to boil it...

[lethaldog]

Sweet, thanks mate. Do I have to mash the grain? I thought you weren't supposed to boil it...

no just crack if its not and steep in hot water although the recipe says to rolling boil for 20 mins on its own then add to the rest of ingredients (after you remove the grain) i always steep or soak in hot water for an hour.

[lethaldog]

ldme 2.3kg
black grain (crushed) 30g
soft dark brown sugar 400g
blended honey 250g
bittering hops hallertau 40g
bittering hops goldings 20g
if you can get hold of a bottle of chimay blue label then make a starter out of it but if not just use a good ale yeast eg. safale or wyeast abbey ale
final volume 15litres

boil all ingredients for 40 min then strain and adjust to 15 litres with cold water, wait to pitch yeast untill it reaches 25*c.

sit back and crack a cold one as usuall

Sorry folks but just to clarify changes to this i should have specified that slow boil all ingredients except yeast and grain for 40 min, steep grain in hot water for 1 hour, then strain in and sparge, the rest is as is

[robertf]

Here's a recipe for Leffe Brune, a wonderful beer:

Leffe Brune:

1. Muntons Continental Lager
2. 1.5kg Pale Liquid Malt
3. 500g Liquid Glucose
4. 25g Saaz Hop Pellets
5. 250g Chocolate Grain (cracked), in a grain bag
6. Safale yeast

Instructions:
Heat 2 litres of water up to 65 degrees, add the grain bag and steep for 20 minutes. Remove grain bag and bring to the boil, add the malt and glucose and stir until dissolved. Add hops, simmer for 1 minute then strain into the fermenter with can of lager. Top up to 21 litres, add yeast and brew in the normal way.

Enjoy it,
Robert

[lethaldog]

Hey lethal, I reckon I might give this one a go. A few clarifications:

- What's black grain? Something like Black Malt 1200°EBC?
- What's blended honey? Just the stuff you get from the supermarket?
- The soft dark brown sugar is just from the supermarket too?

Thanks,

Rob

Just one thing Rob, i have been using clover or yellow box honey depending on availability and have recently been informed that blended honey is a premium blend of a few different styles, although ive never had any dramas using the others i thought id make it a little more authentic and see how it goes, apparently cappilano premium blend is pretty close to the mark and is surprisingly fairly cheap, i just bought a 500gm one for $6 at coles Oh and the soft dark brown sugar is also on special at the moment at coles for $2.80 for 1 kg

[lethaldog]

One more thing, i havent brewed this one for a while and i got myself all excited by posting the recipe, so as a result went and bought myself a chimay from the local innkeeper and am goin to make one myself tomorrow or the next day, just made the starter and poured myself a nice big glass and all i can say is god bless those trapist monks because when it comes to brewing strong ale they realy no their stuff mmmmmmm

[lethaldog]

I feel like ive hijacked this thread but anyway 1 more thing, Usually i would make a yeast starter for this out of a 750ml grand reserve but its not that cost effective being that its $20 a bottle, this time i experimented and made one out of the chimay blue label stubbie (330ml) and bingo shes off and racing, although there wasnt much action in the starter and i was very scheptical, i pitched it anyway and 1 day later shes firing all cylinders.
Just thought i would let anyone whos interested know as the stubbie i bought was $8.50 which is a big difference and i believe you can get them in melbourne for about $7

[shane_vor]

I haven't tried the Grand Reserve, noly the Blue, what's the difference?

also had no problem getting a starter from the little ones!

[lethaldog]

The grand reserve is just the chimay blue in a 750ml bottle, for some reason they name them different but the are the same thing, they also have a 1.5L one that i think is called the magnum

[damonpeyo]

I made this one just after I made the Sparkling Ale, simple, no fuss.

Brewcraft's Belgian Ale Kit
500g Unhopped Wheat Malt
1kg Dry Light Malt
200g Dark Malt
10g Saaz Hops Pellets simmered for 10 minutes
Safale yeast

Made up to 21 Litres, then late hopped other 15 grams Saaz Hops in boiling water and left in water for 10 minutes, then drained into the barrel two days before bottling.

Tasted some after 2 weeks... got nice Saaz aromas and slight honey aftertaste... pretty happy with it.

[damonpeyo]

ldme 2.3kg
black grain (crushed) 30g
soft dark brown sugar 400g
blended honey 250g
bittering hops hallertau 40g
bittering hops goldings 20g
if you can get hold of a bottle of chimay blue label then make a starter out of it but if not just use a good ale yeast eg. safale or wyeast abbey ale
final volume 15litres

boil all ingredients for 40 min then strain and adjust to 15 litres with cold water, wait to pitch yeast untill it reaches 25*c.

sit back and crack a cold one as usuall

I am thinking about trying this

Sorry folks but just to clarify changes to this i should have specified that slow boil all ingredients except yeast and grain for 40 min, steep grain in hot water for 1 hour, then strain in and sparge, the rest is as is

I have been thinking about following your recipes but I was wondering if I try this way, as I currently don't have access to few things due my location, but looked up in my cupboard as it's often stocked up to last me a several batches, could order few products off the internet or get my Hobart supplier to send them up to me I guess.

I also have several bottles of Chimay Blue Label vintage 2004 and 2005 they were on special while back for like $14-15 for 750ml of the blue label.


- Yeast starter from Chimay Grande Reserve Blue Label.
- 1.8kg Brewcraft Belgian Ale Kit
- 1.5kg Light Malt Extract
- 250g Light Dried Malt
- 400g Brown Sugar
- 250g Blended Honey
- 40g Tettnanger pellets
- 20g Fuggles pellets

Final volume will be roughly around 17 litres.

calucated roughly OG will be around 1.080-1.085 FG will be around 1.018-20? around 8.8-9.3%? I am learning... sorry.

Don't have Goldings or Hallertau hops at the moment and also don't have Black malt grain.

Blended honey you day Lethaldog? what about other types of honey... I work near a honey shop sells sh*tloads of different honey from around Tasmania.

This will be my first attempt to start yeast up from brought bottles, looks easy to follow.

Thanks to anyone who could help me giving me some advice.

[lethaldog]

You can buy blended honey from any supermarket i used capilano premium blend this time around and have used clover in the past although the clover is not as easy to find, and as far as the recipe goes it sounds ok but id think about dropping the kit and just adding more malt, i realise access to ingredients is a hassle for you though so the best i can do is say try it and let us know how it goes as ive never done it before like this, also never used those hops in it, i just stick to my recipe and it comes out spot on, the only difference i have noticed is that its slightly lighter in colour than the real thing but not much, you would have to stand them side by side to really notice, Just have fun with it and even if its not exactly the same it will still be good, it is beer after all who knows you may stumble over a new taste sensation

[lethaldog]

Tried this one today, its been in the bottle for a few weeks now and mmmmmmmmmm
Needs a little more time but damn if its not the same as the original

cant have to many though its got a fair kick

[mikey]

ldme 2.3kg
black grain (crushed) 30g
soft dark brown sugar 400g
blended honey 250g
bittering hops hallertau 40g
bittering hops goldings 20g
if you can get hold of a bottle of chimay blue label then make a starter out of it but if not just use a good ale yeast eg. safale or wyeast abbey ale
final volume 15litres

boil all ingredients for 40 min then strain and adjust to 15 litres with cold water, wait to pitch yeast untill it reaches 25*c.

sit back and crack a cold one as usuall

Sorry folks but just to clarify changes to this i should have specified that slow boil all ingredients except yeast and grain for 40 min, steep grain in hot water for 1 hour, then strain in and sparge, the rest is as is

Lethal

Is there any specific timing on the hops for this or is it all in at the same time?

[lethaldog]

All in at the same time for 40 mins