Our Belgian Mystery Beer Recipe... Finally

[johnmc]

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Belgian Mystery
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General
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Category: Belgian Strong Ale
Subcategory: Belgian Tripel
Recipe Type: All Grain
Batch Size: 15 gal.
Volume Boiled: 18 gal.
Mash Efficiency: 80 %
Total Grain: 34.13 lbs.
Total Hops: 5.0 oz.
Calories (12 fl. oz.): 252.4
Cost to Brew: $76.69 (USD)
Cost per Bottle (12 fl. oz.): $0.48 (USD)

Ingredients
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5 lbs. American 2-row
4 lbs. Honey Malt
1 lbs. Belgian Aromatic
1 lbs. Maris Otter Pale
10 lbs. Belgian Pils
10 lbs. German 2-row Pils
1 lbs. German Dark Munich
.13 lbs. Carafa
1 lbs. Wheat Flaked
1 lbs. Candi Sugar Clear
1 oz. Spalt Spalter (Pellets, 4.75 %AA) boiled 60 minutes.
1 oz. Spalt Spalter (Pellets, 4.75 %AA) boiled 45 minutes.
1 oz. Hallertau Hersbruck (Pellets, 4.50 %AA) boiled 60 minutes.
1 oz. Fuggle (Pellets, 4.75 %AA) boiled 60 minutes.
1 oz. Hallertau Mittelfruh (Whole, 4.50 %AA) boiled 45 minutes.
1 ounces White Pepper (not included in calculations)
Yeast: WYeast 1214 Belgian Abbey

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Vital Statistics
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Original Gravity: 1.063
Terminal Gravity: 1.010
Color: 12.94 SRM
Bitterness: 31.1 IBU
Alcohol (%volume): 7.0 %

[1 Bad Brewer]

Did you bottle or keg yet?

[johnmc]

Just saw your post Corey, I kegged up the whole thing.
I took a gravity. It was only 1.008 way too dry I think. It smelled great, but the only favors I got were the white pepper and alcohol. No hops at all. I am thinking about boiling up a hop tea and adding it to the keg, so it will have some more flavor. I must admit the dryness really surprised me! I did not think the 4 lbs. of honey malt was that fermentable.... What was our OG? was it 1.060 or 1.065 anyway the ABV is about 7%.

Now I am going to carbonate it a little high, that way the CO2 will give it a little extra bitterness and character. I could smell the malt, especially the honey malt, but not much malt flavor. I will have to let it smooth out and see what happens.....

It was fun to brew, I know that!
John Mc

[1 Bad Brewer]

I wanna say it was 1.062. We added a bunch of hops, and it tasted alright going into primary. Do you think I could dry hop for a couple days? I just kegged, but did not pressure up. I added enough CO2 to purge.

[johnmc]

Actually Corey this is new ground for me. I guess you agree with my assesment of the flavor being too dry and no hop flavor. I thought about dry hopping, but I was affraid of infection so I wanted to boil it. I was thinking about boiling hops on the stove in about 1/2 gallon of water. I was going to add a little LME to help isomerize the hop oils. I was going to do 60, 10 & 1 min hop additions. I need to go to beer tools and decide how much. I am affraid to add too much, because the body is so thin. I will lean toward late addition hops. I will just use the amount of LME to cask condition the keg. I am just rambling on. I still need to hammer out exactly what I am going to do.

Later,
John

[johnmc]

I just had a thought!!!!
I drank a pretty hoppy beer right before I kegged.
I better taste it again with a clean pallet before I do anything.....

[Bob McGill]

Dry & no hops, sounds like a tripple to me if it is light colored, which I suspect it is.

[Bob McGill]

No dry hops. It want be a tripple.

[Transporter]

I am afraid that I was rushed whilst transferring to corney keg.
I did not even attempt to sample it!
But my wife will probably drink it. ;D
I used corn sugar enough for 5 gal. and just closed it up.
I guess I can find a way to pressurize keg later.
Then I can have people over to drink it for me, unless it is good, then I can drink it too!!!