Beer Infinity Beer, Brewing & Beyond
For my fourth entry in the National Homebrew Competition for 2017 I brewed a Belgian Dark Strong Ale (BJCP category 26D).
Recipe
– Belgian Pale malt
– Borlander Munich malt
– Vienna malt
– Caramel 60L malt
This was the second time I had brewed this style so I tweaked an existing recipe which I had formulated based on the guidelines within the book Brew Like a Monk: Trappist, Abbey, and Strong Belgian Ales and How to Brew Them
Here is the recipe I used together with a yeast starter:
- Belgian Pale malt – 14.75 Lbs
- Borlander Munich malt – 9 oz
- Vienna malt – 2.25 Lbs
- Caramel 60L malt – 1.5 Lbs
- Special B malt – 13 oz
- Chocolate malt – 7 oz
- White Wheat malt – 4 oz
- Corn sugar – 2.5 Lbs
- Rice Hulls – 1 lb
- Styrian Goldings hops – 1.25 oz @ 60 mins for bittering
- Styrian Goldings hops – 1.25 oz @ 30 mins for flavoring
- Irish Moss @ 15 mins
- Belgian Strong Ale yeast (WLP545)
Brewing
– Special B malt
– Chocolate malt
– White Wheat malt
– Corn sugar
The brewing schedule included the following steps:
- Mashing @ 152 deg F for 75 mins (pH 5.0)
- Mash out @ 168 deg F for 10 mins
- Bring to the boil then add bittering hops
- Boil for 30 mins then add flavoring hops
- Boil for 15 mins then add Irish Moss for clarifying
- Boil for 15 mins then chill wort
- Cool wort to 64 deg F then pitch the yeast starter
- Ferment @ 68 deg F until complete, allow to settle then keg, carbonate and bottle
The finished beer had the following characteristics (with BJCP standards):
- Starting Gravity: 1.083 (1.075 – 1.110)
- Finishing Gravity: 1.010 (1.010 – 1.024)
- ABV: 9.58% (8.0 – 12.0%)
- SRM: 29.7 (12 – 22)
- IBUs: 28.8 (20 – 35)
Everything was within the relevant ranges apart from the color (SRM) which was a bit high and hence darker.
Results
Each beer is assessed by two judges with marks and attributes assigned under 5 sections.
Judge #1:
- Aroma = 5/12
- Malt: none
- Hops: low-medium and floral
- Esters: dried fruit
- Phenols: none
- Alcohol: medium-high
- Sweetness: low-medium
- Acidity: none
- Sherry: low-medium
- Appearance = 2/3
- Clarity: high
- Head Size: medium-high
- Head Retention: medium
- Beer Color: brown
- Head Color: beige
- Flavor = 10/20
- Malt: low-medium and burnt
- Hops: none
- Esters: none
- Phenols: none
- Sweetness: high
- Bitterness: none
- Alcohol: low
- Acidity: none
- Harshness: none
- Balance: malty
- Mouthfeel = 3/5
- Body: medium
- Carbonation: low-medium
- Warmth: low
- Creaminess: none
- Atsringency: none
- Finish: sweet
- Overall Impression = 5/10
- Stylistic Accuracy: low-medium
- Technical Merit: medium
- Intangibles: low-medium
- TOTAL = 25/50
Judge #2:
- Aroma = 6/12
- Malt: medium and bready, rich & toasty
- Hops: low
- Esters: medium
- Phenols: medium
- Alcohol: medium
- Sweetness: medium
- Appearance = 2/3
- Clarity: medium
- Head Size: low-medium
- Head Retention: low-medium
- Beer Color: brown
- Head Color: beige
- Flavor = 10/20
- Malt: medium-high and bready & rich
- Hops: low
- Esters: low-medium
- Phenols: low-medium
- Sweetness: high
- Bitterness: low
- Alcohol: medium
- Comments: sweet
- Mouthfeel = 3/5
- Body: medium
- Carbonation: medium
- Warmth: low-medium
- Creaminess: medium
- Finish: sweet
- Overall Impression = 6/10
- Stylistic Accuracy: medium
- Technical Merit: low-medium
- Intangibles: low-medium
- Drinkability: I would finish this sample
- TOTAL = 27/50
Assigned consensus score was 26/50.
I was somewhat disappointed with this result as I had incorporated feedback from the previous year’s entry and the resulting outcome was no improvement. Unfortunately this year’s judges provided very little feedback on the sheets which does not really help me develop this beer for future so I will have to look elsewhere for pointers.
Tasting notes:
Dark red in color with a cream head and good clarity. A plum and raisin aroma. Flavor is of dark fruits and peppery. Highly carbonated with a medium body and dry finish.
If you have any comments, questions or suggestions then please feel free to add them below.
