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St. Benedict Belgian Dark Strong Ale (for Advanced Homebrewers)
Photograph: Zack Kinney]
Inspired by the Trappist and abbey beers I drank during a trip to Brussels last fall, I first brewed this Belgian Strong Dark Ale in January. I rebrewed a 15-gallon batch of it earlier this month with a couple of fellow members of the New York City Homebrewers Guild to serve at the club's 25th anniversary celebration next year as well as the National Homebrewers Conference.
Original Gravity: 1.091
Final Gravity: 1.017
ABV: 9.7%
Bitterness: 34 IBUs
Color: 22 SRM (brown to ruby brown)
St. Benedict Belgian Dark Strong Ale (for Advanced Homebrewers)
About This Recipe
| Yield: | makes about 6 gallons (5 gallons in the carboy) |
| Active time: | 5 hours |
| Total time: | 2 to 6 months |
| Special equipment: | 10 gallon mash tun, 8 gallon kettle, basic equipment, oxygenation stone (optional) |
| This recipe appears in: | How to Brew Your Own Belgian Dark Strong Ale |
Ingredients
- 8 pounds Belgian Pilsner malt
- 4 pounds Belgian Pale malt
- 2 pounds Maris Otter malt
- 1 pound flaked oats
- 1 ounce Magnum hops, 13.6% AA (first wort hop)
- 1 pound Dark Candi Inc. D Belgian candi syrup (60 minutes)
- 1 pound Dark Candi Inc. D2 Belgian candi syrup (60 minutes)
- 1 pound turbinado sugar (60 minutes)
- 1 tablet Whirlfloc (15 minutes)
- 1/2 teaspoon Wyeast yeast nutrient blend (10 minutes)
- Wyeast 3787 Trappist High Gravity yeast
Procedures
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1
Heat 19 1/2 quarts tap water to 160°F and add to mash tun.
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2
Mash-in slowly, adding all grains to the mash tun while stirring to prevent clumping. The mash temperature should equalize to 149°F.
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3
In a separate container, heat 12 1/2 quarts tap water to 202°F.
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4
Mash out by adding 12 1/2 quarts of 202°F tap water to mash tun while stirring after allowing the mash to rest for 60 minutes. Temperature should equalize to approximately 168°F.
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5
Leave at mash out temperature for 15 minutes. In a separate container, heat 2 quarts tap water to 172°F.
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6
Slowly drain off wort and add back to mash tun, recirculating until the wort runs clear and free of grain particles.
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7
Drain mash tun to boil kettle, sparging with 2 quarts of 172°F tap water. Add hops.
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8
After all mash runnings are collected, add sugars and record preboil gravity. Bring wort to boil.
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9
Allow wort to boil 60 minutes, adding Whirlfloc and yeast nutrients as noted above. (If your brewing system doesn’t produce a vigorous boil, consider extending the boil to 75 or 90 minutes and adding the hops at 60 minutes.)
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10
Chill wort and transfer to a sanitized carboy or bucket with an airlock. Aerate by shaking or oxygenate with an oxygenation stone.
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11
Pitch yeast and allow to ferment at 66°F for 10 to 14 days.
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12
Rack beer to second sanitized carboy or bucket and allow to condition, tasting periodically to check on flavor development.
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13
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