Belgian Ale(s)

Belgian Ales
o.g. 1.060
27 ibu

DSB6 Ardennes
F.G. = 1.010
6.55% ABV

DSB6 Belgian Strong:
F.G = 1.007
6.9% ABV

Fermentables:

18 lbs Pilsener Malt
2 lbs Malted Wheat
1.5 lbs Caramunich
1.5 lbs Biscuit Malt
3 lbs Piloncillo (in boil)

Hops:

2 oz East Kent Goldings (5.6% AA) -- 60 minutes
1.5 0z Sterling (7% AA) -- 20 minutes

27 IBU

Half will be fermented with Wyeast Ardennes, and the other half with Wyeast Belgian Strong Ale Yeast.

Brewday notes:

Doughed-in at around 6:30 a.m. / 15 minutes in - about 150 / set temp loss to .2, but still too warm / started run-off around 7:30 / ended at 8:12 / boil begins at 9:31 / ends at 10:30 / chilling begins in earnest around 11:00 after some system issues / chilling ends at 12:30/ ice bath begins / gravity 1.060 after temp adjustment / (1.058 @ 80 degrees) / loss of efficiency due to fast run-off? / less than 45 minutes / about 1/2 gal left in boiler too; maybe that is it (too watered down) /80 degrees when bath started /glass (ardennes) bath lasted 35 minutes / bucket (Belgian) 1:05 - 1:25

Reflections on Brewday:
Horrible efficiency, probably due to such a quick run-off. Last time when I accedentally only mashed for 60 minutes, I made sure I ran-off very slowly, but I do not know why I did not do it this time. Efficiency was around 67%. Gravity is still right at 1.060 when I cooled the sample down to 60 degrees. If I get the attenuation I got from these yeasts last time, everything should be fine.

This was the first time using my old chiller as a pre-chiller and my new one in the wort. Aside from some technical troubles (hoses blowing off and squirting me), it worked very well. I was able to chill the wort down to 80 degrees in about 1.5 hours. I was able to get it down farther with an ice bath. I am unsure of the pitching temp, but I would guess somewhere around 70, or maybe a little lower.

DSB6 Ardennes Notes:
8.07.09 -- Gravity down to 1.010 at 60 degrees (83% attenuated) tastes much cleaner than the Belgian Blonde, probably due to chilling the wort better.
8.11.09 -- Gravity still 1.010 at 60 degrees. I am going to cold crash this starting tomorrow or the next days so I can bottle it this weekend. The sample tasted very good. There was a good toastyness as well as a rummy note. This one is going to be nice.
8.13.09 -- Racked into a keg and put into chest freezer at 34 degrees.
8.22.09 -- Bottled at 3 volumes using around 6oz corn sugar. Realized that the temperature to enter into the carbonation calculator is the fermentation temperature, not the secondary chilling temperature. This means my strong golden ale from another batch is not really four volumes.
1.16.10 -- As I am finishing a glass of this beer now, I think back on its life thus far. Initially thought of in lofty esteem, and then regarded in mediocrity, some age has done this chap quite well. His more piercing and uncomfortable qualities have tempered substantially allowing true personality to show. I do not think we are all the way there yet, but I am encouraged by how phenolic off-flavors can fade. This one only had a hint of it, but now it is almost undetectable. I hope the same is true for the BS version, which I initially liked better. I am not sure if this is still the case.

DSB6 Belgian Strong Notes:
8.07.09 -- Down to 1.012 at 60 degrees (80% attenuated). I think this one is going to have to wait a little longer to get the terminal gravity lower. It is still bubbling, and I got close to 90% last time I used this yeast.
8.11.09 -- Down to 1.009 (85% attenuated). Going to let this one go a little more to see if I can get a few more points out of it.
8.20.09 -- Racked into a keg and put into the refrigerator at around 40 degrees. Final gravity was at 1.007.
8.22.09 -- Moved from refrigerator to chest freezer (34 degrees)
8.29.09 -- Bottled at 2.75 volumes instead of three since I am a little concerned about bombs. This required 5.4 oz of corn sugar.