Brewed on 23 September 2017.
Belgian brewers typically de-emphasize hops, and they’re famously loose on style descriptions, so a Trappist-style gruit ale didn’t seem like a terribly radical departure. And in fact, I found it delicious — and very Belgian. Which goes to show the central role of the yeast in shaping the flavor profile, because my grain bill is hardly authentic. I aged it for three months in a carboy before bottling.
Recipe Details
| Batch Size |
Boil Time |
IBU |
SRM |
Est. OG |
Est. FG |
ABV |
| 5.5 gal |
60 min |
0.0 IBUs |
21.0 SRM |
1.056 |
1.011 |
5.9 % |
Fermentables
| Name |
Amount |
% |
| Pale 2-Row - US |
9 lbs |
78.26 |
| Biscuit Malt - BE |
1 lbs |
8.7 |
| Caramel/Crystal 90 - US |
1 lbs |
8.7 |
| Belgian Dark Candi Sugar - BE |
8 oz |
4.35 |
Miscs
| Name |
Amount |
min |
|
Type |
| staghorn sumac heads, frozen and thawed |
12.00 Items |
0 min |
Boil |
Other |
| sweetfern leaves, dried |
2.00 oz |
0 min |
Boil |
Other |
| sweetfern leaves, dried |
2.00 oz |
0 min |
Boil |
Other |
| mugwort leaves, dried |
1.00 oz |
0 min |
Boil |
Other |
| yarrow tops, dried |
1.00 oz |
0 min |
Boil |
Other |
| juniper berries, crushed |
0.50 oz |
0 min |
Boil |
Other |
Yeast
| Name |
Lab |
Attenuation |
Temperature |
| White Labs Trappist Ale WLP500 |
|
77% |
64°F - 69°F |
Notes
One of my typical gruit blends meets White Labs Trappist Ale (aka Monastery) yeast. I made a gallon of tea ahead of time from the staghorn sumac, mugwort, yarrow, and 2 oz. of the sweetfern, then heated it up and added it to the boil just before the end, after a long boil to reduce the volume of the wort to ~4 gallons. This was probably more work than is absolutely necessary, though I think the caramelization was an asset.
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