The many faces of the Pale Ale

Ah, the diversity of beer is such a wonderful thing. Most of the time when I reach for a beer I want something with substance and weight with a big flavor profile I can really sink my teeth into. Other times a more session-able highly quaff-able ale fits the bill. Seeing as I've been focusing on big beers lately (two quads back to back!) I decided I should have a highly drinkable beer on tap when I feel like an easier going refreshment.

Such a seemingly simple task actually turned into a bit of a conundrum. I've been meaning to make a good lightly hoppy crisp American Pale Ale, but I also really love Belgian Pale Ales. The solution? Brew them both! With a little help from another homebrewer I was sure I could pull it off without killing myself. But first, to the drawing board.

 For my American Pale Ale I wanted to build off another APA I did that I thought was pretty good, but a first draft and needed some work. I wanted something with a good malt presence but still light bodied and well attenuated, with a fair amount of bitterness and a good hop flavor/aroma. Balanced malt/bitterness/hop character and easy drinking is the name of the game here. My main inspiration for this style of beer is the Deschutes Red Chair NWPA. Pick this one up, its tasty!

 

For my Belgian Pale Ale I already had a pretty solid recipe I had brewed previously and already had a few things in mind for tweaking it. Mostly it was to see what the Allagash yeast I had cultured up for my Golden Quad would do in a lighter beer. I really dig the spice/ester character and thought these characters would be fantastic in a Belgian Pale Ale. The malt bill is more or less the same as some peoples attempts at a De Koninck clone. The original beer is hit or miss in terms of getting a good bottle in my experience, but its a solid example of a light tasty Belgian Pale Ale. Mine with its higher attenuation would probably be more similar to the Corsendonk Pale Ale, which is another favorite of mine.

For the brewday I got a fellow homebrewing buddy to come over so we could run some extra equipment and increase the brewing throughput to get the double brew day done. It was a brutal day but two batches from making water to cleanup in 8.5 hours isn't too shabby. I also got to break in my new 40-plate heat exchanger which did a magnificent job cooling, under 10 minutes actually. Money WELL spent!

Recipes, Brewing  and Tasting notes

Recipe: The Rabbit Batch2

Style: Belgian Pale Ale

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 5.50 gal     
Boil Size: 6.89 gal
Estimated OG: 1.055 SG
Estimated Color: 8.2 SRM
Estimated IBU: 23.9 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
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Amount        Item                                      Type         % or IBU     
9.00 lb       Pilsner (2 Row) Bel (2.0 SRM)             Grain        80.00 %      
0.75 lb       Caravienne Malt (22.0 SRM)                Grain        6.67 %       
0.50 lb       Biscuit Malt (23.0 SRM)                       Grain        4.44 %       
0.50 lb       Oats, Flaked (1.0 SRM)                       Grain        4.44 %       
0.25 lb       Aromatic Malt  (20.0 SRM)                  Grain        2.22 %       
0.25 lb       Caramunich Malt (56.0 SRM)               Grain        2.22 %       
1.00 oz       Styrian Goldings [4.10 %]  (60 min)       Hops         13.5 IBU     
1.00 oz       Styrian Goldings [4.10 %]  (30 min)       Hops         10.4 IBU     
1 Pkgs        Tripel Reserve (Allagash) [Cultured]      Yeast-Ale                 


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Light Body, No Mash Out
60 min        Mash In            Add 20.00 qt of water at 165.3 F    152.0 F      

Fermentation Schedule: 2 weeks at indoor room temp.

Indoors around 67f. Observed 72f fermentation temps, VERY vigorous ferment. Looks like it finished after day 5, I left it in for a few more days to clean up before moving it into the chest freezer on day 13 to drop the yeast out. This Allagash yeast does not seem to be a good floccutator. Got 86% attenuation or 6% ABV on the button! Attenuation is similar to my other experiences with this yeast, its aggressive!

Brew day notes: Started with this recipe due to the short boil time. Hit mash temps pretty solidly and got 75% attenuation, which was directly on mark. Yay! Wort smells fantastic! The new plate chiller did a pretty good job just off the water from the garden hose. About 18-20 minutes. The water coming out wasn't very warm and so I slowed down the water going out of the garden hose to reduce water consumption.

The Rabbit Batch 2 Belgian Pale Ale Tasting

Appearance: A bit of a cloudy dark gold color that I'm sure will clarify with time. Voluptuous satiny smooth white head that leaves good lacing and maintains a small head throughout the experience.

Aroma: Fruity and spicey esters. Fruit is like a light strawberry minus the tartness, spice is like a hint of soft lavender. In the background a little bit of Belgian-y malt sweetness makes it way through. Very nice!

Flavor: Again the light strawberry fruit and lavender spicey esters dominate, but are very soft and smooth. Some malt sweetness present, low bitterness and no hop character. Hints of biscuit pop in along with some smooth oatiness. Nice, pleasant, subtle but flavorful.

Mouthfeel: The Belgians would definitely say this is "easily digestible" meaning well attenuated and not thick but light and pleasant. The oats and cara-malts leave a little body behind in this highly attenuated beer giving it a nice smoothness.

Overall: This is shaping up into being a really great Belgian Pale Ale! The main showing here is the signature Belgian fruity/spicy esters that are delicious sitting on top of a drinkable Belgian session ale. The flavors blend together subtly and remain delicate but engaging. Really enjoyable!

Notes for tweaks: This Allagash yeast is highly attenuative even at lower fermentation temperatures, would probably be suited towards a Trappist Style beer that is low in specialty malts as they don't get much room to shine here.

Recipe: The Trinity Batch 2

Style: American Pale Ale

Batch Size: 5.50 gal     
Boil Size: 7.62 gal
Estimated OG: 1.043 SG
Estimated Color: 8.4 SRM
Estimated IBU: 38.2 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 53.00 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Ingredients:
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Amount        Item                                      Type         % or IBU     
10.00 lb      Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM)            Grain        80.84 %      
1.50 lb       Munich Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM)                Grain        12.13 %      
0.50 lb       Carastan (37.0 SRM)                                Grain        4.04 %       
0.25 lb       Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM)                    Grain        2.02 %       
0.12 lb       Caramel/Crystal Malt -120L (120.0 SRM) Grain        0.97 %       
0.50 oz       Apollo Pellet [17.50 %]  (90 min)              Hops       34.7 IBU     
0.91 oz       Simcoe Leaf [12.70 %]  (1 min)                Hops         1.8 IBU      
0.94 oz       Citra Leaf [11.00 %]  (1 min)                    Hops         1.7 IBU      
3.5L Starter  Nottingham Ale Yeast (White Labs #WLP039) Yeast-Ale                 

0.50 oz       Simcoe [12.70 %]  (Dry Hop 5 days)        Hops
0.50 oz       Citra [11.00 %]  (Dry Hop 5 days)         Hops

Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Light Body
60 min        Mash In            Add 21.43 qt of water at 160.4 F    152.0 F 

Fermentation Schedule: In the chest freezer at 60f for 2 weeks. Dry hop after 8 days.

Observed fermentation temperature of 64f for the first few days, I think the chest freezer was a little colder than 60f. It took off quick and finished quick, also probably around day 5. On day 8 added the dry hops. At day 13 I turned the chest freezer down to 35f to crash this beer and also. The Nottingham White Labs tube I had was a little old, so I gave it an extra day on the stirplate at a little bit larger than usual volume. I'm not sure that it needed it because it ripped through this beer and took it down to 1.005, or 85% attenuation. Very dry!

Brewing notes: We kind of rushed the American Pale Ale as my buddy needed to get going and so we only ended up doing about a 30-40 minute mash and did a very short recirculation and sparge. This accounting for fairly low efficiency of about 53%, oops! I cooled this beer with 10g of water with 20lbs of ice in it and I had it under 60f so quick I didn't get an accurate time. It was under 10 minutes. Quite impressive.

The Trinity Batch 2 American Pale Ale Tasting Notes

Appearance: Still a bit cloudy, so it comes off as a dirty gold with light white head that leaves some solid lacing and a nice lasting crown. Good carbonation keeps that crown going.

Aroma: Mild malt character with some fresh baked bread from probably both the malt and the yeast. Fresh grassy citrusy hops. The simcoe is lightly detectable, and the citra is a bit of an afterthought. Good combo.

Flavor: Some light malt sweetness is attached to the fresh bread character, backed by light but present bitterness and some hop flavors. The high attenuation off the yeast really did a number here, but it brought it all into a good balance.

Mouthfeel: Very dry but not biting. Goes down easy, very refreshing.

Overall: Definitely a session beer. The yeast overdid it some and attenuated the hell out of it, but its still pretty good and stands on its own. Not a bad APA.

Notes for tweaks: Get your planned efficiency (duh) and use a less attenuative yeast for things to come into balance better.

Tale of two quads update

When I left you in my last update I went on a bit about quads, and the two that I was going to brew. Both of them have finished their primary fermentation, and have been put into kegs for the 60 day aging periods I have my quads undergo where it clarifies and matures to perfection. I use a cornelius keg for this application, as they are light proof, sturdy, easily movable and can be easily hooked up to dump any particulates or yeast that accumulate.

In some beers aging is a subtle endeavor, smoothing things out and making it more pleasant. With the Westmalle yeast, which was used in the Dark Strong Ale, the 60 day conditioning period turns the beer into something that doesn't resemble the fresh beer at all. The malt flavors develop into complex toffee, plum and cocoa flavors and everything just gets a lot more enjoyable.

Other Belgian yeasts are known for doing dramatic things while aging, but since I've never used the Allagash yeast before I don't know what to expect. As it is a big beer, complete with big complex flavors, its pretty assured to develop more in its aging period.

Here are my tasting notes for the beers. Note they are not carbonated since they are just starting their maturation process.

The Pious Batch 3 - Belgian Dark Strong 18E - Brewed 1-2-2010.
OG: 1.093 - 76% efficiency, more or less as planned.
FG: 1.013 - 10.5% ABV and 85% attenuation, also about as planned.

Appearance: Quite dark. My last brewing of The Pious used D1 syrup and the color came out kind of a dark golden color, reminiscent of Gulden Draak. My favorite quad, Westvleteren 12, is a bit darker and this comes in more or less in line. A little cloudy which isn't a problem as its going to clarify into a nice sparkling jewel.

Aroma: The lack of carbonation is muting the aroma some, but some hints of date, plum and toffee come out with a little bit of burnt banana and dark cocoa, not much in the way of spices.

Flavor: Rich malts, dark toffee, cocoa and burnt banana, very rich and complex. A little higher bitterness than usual, but that is because it is still quite young. No hop character which is per style guidelines. A little soft alcohol can be perceived.

Mouthfeel: Big but not as big as the original gravity would imply, quote smooth with a little warmth from the 10.5% ABV. The addition of 15% of highly fermentable sugar keeps the beer from getting too thick and leaves it nice and lively on the palate. The Belgians say this makes it more "digestible".

The Devout Batch 1 - 18D Belgian Golden Strong, brewed 1-9-2010.
OG: 1.093, also 76% efficiency as planned.
FG: 1.016, about 10.08% ABV and 81-82% attenuation. I was hoping for more so it would be comparable to The Pious, perhaps keeping the fermentation temperature hotter for a little longer would help.

Appearance: Light gold in color, but quite cloudy like I brewed with oats. After letting the sample sit in the glass for a while I could see some yeast that floccuated down to the bottom of the glass. The aging process will definitely help here.

Aroma: Lots of really spicey, potent fruity esters from this fantastic yeast. It's kind of like a slice of candied banana but a little spicier. A little toffee comes out in the finish.

Flavor: The flavor really follows the aroma here, with the addition of some more malt characters and a little bit of alcohol in the finish. Quite complex and more or less what I was hoping to get out of the Allagash yeast.

Mouthfeel: A little thicker than The Pious due to its slightly lower attenuation, but still not thick or cloying. A little sweet, quite intense.

Combined Overall: The beers are still quite young, but they are on the way towards what I had in mind for them. No off flavors or anything out of place which is always a relief. I Look forward to carbing these up in 2 months and pontificating over their finer assets further.

I plan on these beers being entered into the National Homebrew Competition and Sam Adams Longshot 2010 competition, where they will hopefully rack me up some points/medals. They should be nice and mature by the time they are judged which should bode well for medal contention.

A tale of two quads

One of my favorite beer styles is the "Belgian quad", better defined by the Beer Judging Certificate Program as categories 18D - Belgian Golden Strong Ale and 18E - Belgian Dark Strong Ale. So many interesting, complex, smooth and ultimately highly drinkable flavors emerge from the glass like few other styles. They are big beers yes, but I usually prefer to drink big beers in general. They are something to be savored slowly and really enjoy the whole glass as opposed to quaffing down quickly.

The immediately noticeable difference between the two quads is the color, and that generally (though not always) comes from one minor change in ingredients: The sugar. Belgians are known for using "Candi Sugar" in their beers, a key element towards making big Belgian beers feel lighter and easier drinking but still have a lot of flavor and complexity. Hops and IBUs don't play much of a role in Belgian beers and quads aren't an exception.

Like beer, the Belgians came up with different kinds of candi sugar/syrup (originally sugar beet based) depending upon what temperature and length they were "cooked" for. I've tried making my own "Candi Syrup" using some guides and it didn't go too well, much less turn out like the stellar products turned out by Dark Candi Inc which I prefer to use instead. I'm not sure what their secret is but when I made some dark candi syrup it turned out dark, acrid, slightly bitter and about as thick as taffy, while their product is super thin, like maple syrup.

The Golden Strong Ale aka the "golden quad" is very light in color, almost like a pilsner, and uses clear candi syrup or just maybe straight granulated white sugar. This light colored sugar only adds a little bit of flavor, even when used up to 20% of gravity points, but keeps the body drinkable and lets some of the complex malt characters and spicy/estery yeast characters shine through The end result is a slightly malty, spicey, complex, strong, light colored but big beer.

Commercial Examples: Duvel, Russian River Damnation, Hapkin, Lucifer, Brigand, Judas, Delirium Tremens, Dulle Teve, Piraat, Great Divide Hades, Avery Salvation, North Coast Pranqster, Unibroue Eau Benite, AleSmith Horny Devil (ripped right from the BJCP guide)

The Dark Strong Ale aka the ever popular "dark quad" is very dark in color, almost like a stout, uses dark candi sugar/syrup. This dark candi syrup is the secret sauce if you will. It is cooked to a certain temperature in liquid form where it caramelizes and develops complex toffee, plum, chocolate and rum flavors that taste pretty wonderful. These flavors meld with some bready, somewhat sweet malt flavors and some spicey/estering yeast flavors to make a magnificent beer. The best examples of these styles are consistently rated at/near the top of the big beer rating websites like RateBeer and Beer Advocate as some of the best beers in the world.

Commercial Examples: Westvleteren 12 (yellow cap), Rochefort 10 (blue cap), St. Bernardus Abt 12, Gouden Carolus Grand Cru of the Emperor, Achel Extra Brune, Rochefort 8 (green cap), Southampton Abbot 12, Chimay Grande Reserve (Blue), Brasserie des Rocs Grand Cru, Gulden Draak, Kasteelbier Bière du Chateau Donker, Lost Abbey Judgment Day, Russian River Salvation

I've brewed quads a number of times (all dark) and have been pretty pleased with their results. I'm currently down to about 4 bottles of my last dark quad and with the competition year starting I want to be prepared with one of my favorite recipes.
Last weekend I brewed The Pious, my dark strong ale, and its fermenting away as we speak. This coming weekend I'll be brewing again and with a new recipe which I am calling The Devout and it will be my Golden Strong Ale.
Everything about these beers is intended to be as similar as possible with two exceptions: Sugar and Yeast. The Westmalle yeast and D2 Dark Syrup in The Pious and the lovely Allagash Tripel Reserve yeast and white beet sugar in The Devout. I think this will be a good experiment and produce some really great beer!

Recipes follow.

The Pious
Batch Size: 5.75 gal
Boil Size: 7.81 gal
Estimated OG: 1.093 SG
Estimated Color: 32.7 SRM
Estimated IBU: 31.2 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
8.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) Bel (3.0 SRM) Grain 42.11 %
8.00 lb Pilsner (2 Row) Bel (1.7 SRM) Grain 42.11 %
1.00 oz Northern Brewer [8.50 %] (90 min) Hops 23.1 IBU
1.00 oz Styrian Goldings [4.10 %] (15 min) Hops 5.2 IBU
1.00 oz Hallertauer Hersbrucker [2.40 %] (15 min)Hops 3.0 IBU
3.00 lb Dark 2 Belgian Candi Syrup (160.0 SRM) Sugar 15.79 %
1 Pkgs Abbey Ale (White Labs #WLP530) Yeast-Ale

Mash Schedule: Decoction Mash, Double
Total Grain Weight: 16.00 lb
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Decoction Mash, Double
Step Time Name Description Step Temp
30 min Infusion Add 28.00 qt of water at 153.9 F 146.0 F
30 min Saccharification Decoct 6.00 qt of mash and boil it 158.0 F
15 min Saccharification Decoct 7.33 qt of mash and boil it 170.0 F

Notes:
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water: 1g gypsum, 1.5g epsom, 2.5g cacl2
ionic profile: 48.3ppm CA, 7.8ppm MG, 2ppm NA, 0ppm HCO3, 60.3ppm SO4, 63.7ppm CL
Added 1lbs D2 at beginning of boil, 1lbs D2 at the 15 minute mark, and 1lbs D2 in the fermenter
Ferment at 82f for 5 days, then drop to 65f for 2 days, then rack off yeast to a keg to cold condition at 50f for 60 days.

The Devout
Batch Size: 5.75 gal
Boil Size: 7.81 gal
Estimated OG: 1.092 SG
Estimated Color: 5.5 SRM
Estimated IBU: 31.4 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
8.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) Bel (3.0 SRM) Grain 44.44 %
8.00 lb Pilsner (2 Row) Bel (1.7 SRM) Grain 44.44 %
1.00 oz Northern Brewer [8.50 %] (90 min) Hops 23.2 IBU
1.00 oz Hallertauer Hersbrucker [2.40 %] (15 min)Hops 3.0 IBU
1.00 oz Styrian Goldings [4.10 %] (15 min) Hops 5.2 IBU
2.00 lb Sugar, Table (Sucrose) (0.5 SRM) Sugar 11.11 %
1 Pkgs Tripel Reserve (Allagash) Yeast-Ale

Mash Schedule: Decoction Mash, Double
Total Grain Weight: 16.00 lb
----------------------------
Decoction Mash, Double
Step Time Name Description Step Temp
30 min Infusion Add 28.00 qt of water at 153.7 F 146.0 F
30 min Saccharification Decoct 5.00 qt of mash and boil it 156.0 F
10 min Saccharification Decoct 8.25 qt of mash and boil it 170.0 F

Notes: ------
water treatment: 1g gypsum, 1.5g epsom, 2.5g cacl2
ionic profile: 48.3ppm CA, 7.8ppm MG, 2ppm NA, 0ppm HCO3, 60.3ppm SO4, 63.7ppm CL
Going to add the sugar gradually during the boil to prevent scorching since its in powder form.