Luckyeddie's AG#10 - Belgian Barley Belter

[luckyeddie]

I've decided to go for something really, REALLY strong for my next brew...

I was 'just' going to put together a Barley Wine because I've got a couple of dozen bottles and somewhere to stick them for a year or so, but I've decided to add a little Belgian 'complexity'

Looking to get 12 litres post-boil.

Maris Otter 5.0 kg
Light Candi 0.5 kg (1 litre of 50% syrup)
Belgian Biscuit Malt 0.2 kg
Belgian Special B 0.2 kg

Northern Brewer 40 grams @ 60 minutes
Saaz 10 grams dry hopped

Westmalle Yeast (cultivated from bottle)

Should turn out at around 1.107 OG.
Westmalle should be able to handle that comfortably, and if it ferments down to around 1.024 that'll be around 11.2% alcohol.

 

[luckyeddie]

We're on the go.

Sparged a bit too long (as usual - also, if I'd been thinking, I should have done 'big beer' and 'small beer') and collected 18 litres pre-boil instead of 16 litres. First-wort hops in now (40g of Northern Brewer) and the boiler's just coming up to temperature.

My guess is that we'll probably be looking at around 1.090 post-boil - and seeing as I'm going to be pitching Chimay (changed my mind - was going to use Westmalle but grew on the wrong one - must have been more drunk than usual that night) yeast, it's no big deal. SHOULD turn out to be more a Quadrupel than a Barley Wine (meh, the biscuit malt and Special 'B' will ensure it's a wonderfully complex beer. The colour is so beautiful it makes you want to cry).

I also changed the grainbill a lot - replaced 3 kg of the MO with 2 kg of Pilsner malt and 1 kg of Munich Malt.

Note to self - do not forget the Candi Syrup with 20 minutes of the boil to go.

Pics taken - will upload later.

 

[luckyeddie]

If this one doesn't get infected, then nothing will.

Running off after chilling (and I gave it a good 40 minutes to settle), the (bought) hop strainer blocked up totally within about 50 mls. If I tried to jug and filter, the huge amount of cold break blocked my strainer.

In the end, I scrubbed my arm, reached in and pulled the hop strainer out, took it inside, cleared all the goo, sterilised a hop sock, wrapped the hop strainer in it and put it back in.

Running off fine now.

Memo to self - whenever I use any pilsner malt in future, ALWAYS wrap the hop strainer in a hop sock.

Second memo to self - punch holes where the stupid slots are. People have been brewing AG for years, and the wisdom of those years dictates 'slots for grain, holes for hops' - so why, why, why would anyone produce a hop strainer with slots in it? The perfect shape and size for proteins to clag up. If this had been my first AG and not my tenth this year, I just might have given up and gone back to extract brewing. Grrrrr!

Saying that, 16 litres at a touch under 1.090. I'll have that.

 

[luckyeddie]

And now... the porn:

Grain shot...

Mash on...

First runnings...

Collecting post-mash...

 

[luckyeddie]

40g of Northern Brewer...

Chimay yeasties...

First Wort Hops...

Boil...

 

[luckyeddie]

Candi Syrup... (I really must do a 'how to' next time I make this).

Lunch - cheese on toast with dried chillies

Stuck...

No more piccies. I spent the next hour and a half trying to salvage the brewday following the stuck hop strainer

 

[luckyeddie]

Well, it is absolutely rocking and rolling - an almost continuous venting of CO2.

16 litres in a 23 litre FV leaves A LOT of headspace for krausen, does it not? Actually, don't answer that because the correct answer is 'NOT!!' - complete with exclamation marks.

Fermentation started at 18C, and when I went to bed at 1:30 am, we had occasional gloop. When I got up this morning, the krausen was just about fighting its way out of the airlock having filled the headspace.

I've just top-cropped it, cleaned out the airlock and shifted the FV into the back garden. If the temperature continues to climb, it'll have to go in the bath with cold water.

Unbesmegginglievable - and to think that 4 weeks ago, it was a tiny bit of yeastie in the bottom of a Chimay bottle.

 

[luckyeddie]

It's an animal!!

Two hours ago it was running riot at 25C - this is just 24 hours after pitching. I have put it in the bath in cold water in an attempt to get the temperature under control and have had to fit a blowoff tube and catchpot. Crazy! These monastery yeasts - are they the works of the Lord or the Dark Lord?

Only time will tell.

 

[luckyeddie]

Time has indeed told.

I got the temperature and the fermentation under control for a couple of days, then as it started to tail off (around 1022) I wound the temperature up again to 25C and got a further three days of clonking activity. It eventually stopped at 1010 - this is a phenomenal 10.6% from the 1090 OG. It's probably a good job I didn't boil it down to 12 litres.

The taste is utterly divine - no way is this beer going to sit around maturing for 3 or 4 months, because I'm just not going to be able to leave it alone. Imagine plums, apricots and cloves wrapped up inside a caramel, all wrapped up in warm, freshly baked wholemeal bread and you are getting there.

This yeast originated at the bottom of a bottle of Chimay Blue, and I had the devil of a job with it (only succeeded on my third attempt). I have now moved the beer to secondary and have captured every bit of the yeast cake. I shall wash the yeast over the next 2 or 3 hours before putting it to bed in Grolsch bottles in my yeastie fridge with its cousins.

The beer is also now in the fridge at 2C, and it will stay there for just 3 days before I prime with dark candi syrup, re-pitch and bottle.

I am a happy man. If this beer improves with age (yeah, like it's going to have the chance), it will be unbelievable.

 

[Svarrogh]

10.6% ??? Wow, congratulations!!!

 

[luckyeddie]

10.6% ??? Wow, congratulations!!!

Yes, drinking it is going to be applied lunacy. It's a tough job, but someone's got to do it.

 

[Svarrogh]

One beer, two beers, three beers, floor

 

[luckyeddie]

My son and I shared the fiirst litre to be opened earlier tonight. He said just one word - "Wow" - and I don't think it was in deference to Wurzel either.

I said nothing - I didn't have to. I did have a very silly grin on my face though.

 

[broadfordbrewer]

My son and I shared the fiirst litre to be opened earlier tonight. He said just one word - "Wow" - and I don't think it was in deference to Wurzel either.

I said nothing - I didn't have to. I did have a very silly grin on my face though.

Cool... good work, that is a belter!
I'm really enjoying my Barley Wine's and dubbel's triple's etc at the moment. the stronger the better!

 

[TheMumbler]

Sounds good :thumb: , I really need to brew something Belgian.