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I know that the style guidelines read that the Belgian character for a blonde should be reserved. Since this is a competition beer, I suppose that I'll do that.
But, let say that I was looking to emphasize the Belgian fruitiness from WLP500. Besides a temperature schedule that, say, starts medium warm and ramps up to be pretty hot, would you do anything else?
I know that some are proponents of underpitching Belgians a bit, and some go for minimal oxygen to start with. I also know that these can be risky ideas.
Does anyone have practical experience with this? Thanks!
Posted 34 days ago.
Just let the yeast do its thing. It has plenty of character.
Posted 34 days ago.
C'mon, Ray. That's not an answer.
Posted 34 days ago.
OK, choose your favorite placebo. Seriously, what do you expect given that 1. I've fucked with yeast a few times and gotten "null" results...I'm starting to think it isn't that sensitive. And 2. I've used wlp500 probably a half dozen times and really like the character without monkeying with it.
4:15 strike heating until clrean, pitched, put away - not bad.
Posted 34 days ago.
And I honestly mean no snark. Was just finishing brew cleanup.
Posted 34 days ago.
Well... Heironymus talks about underpitching. It seems that this is considered a viable option that has a real impact... I don't know if "placebo" is a fair statement. Suuuure you didn't mean any snark. ;)
This time around, I'll probably pitch off of the normal rate. I mean, if the Belgian character is supposed to be more reserved, anyway... were this for my use only, I'd probably try to emphasize it.
You know, this should be a really easy one to test. I think that, at some point, I ought to split up a batch. It should be pretty easy to take the same wort, treat it identical aside from pitch rate, no?
I was just curious if anyone had tried this and had first hand experience.
Posted 34 days ago.
Yeah, I mean, I have done that now twice in different iterations with "Clean yeasts" - Need to try again with something more characterful for sure... I mean try it - if you want - but I don't know how you'd ever go back and identify what proportion of the character is from underpitching vs. just the normal character. Unless you did a well controlled split batch, which I promise I will get to at some point, but I haven't been brewing belgians lately.
Posted 34 days ago.
Yeah, a well controlled split batch is in order. Wort from the same boil, split into the same sized fermentors, kept in the same chamber, with the only variable being the pitch rate.
Posted 34 days ago.
You have the ability/time to do that with the one you're brewing this weekend??!?! Do it!!!
Posted 34 days ago.
I'm trying to figure out how I could swing it. I was planning on doing a 6.5 gallon batch (grains are already purchased). 5 gallons into a carboy for Festbier, 1.5 gallons into a 2 gallon bucket for Belgian blonde.
Hmm. I could use a 5 gallon carboy for the festbier, and only use, say, 4.5 gallons for it. Then split a gallon into two different 2 gallon buckets.
That might work, no? Or even 4 gallons of Festbier, and two 1.25 gallon batches?
I think I like the sound of this.
Posted 34 days ago.
I mean, gee. That would almost qualify as a "real" exBEERiment.
Posted 34 days ago.
You should get some of those 3Gal carboys and brew 3 x 2.16Gallon batches.
Posted 34 days ago.
2.16. Perfect. :P
Posted 34 days ago.
add enough sugar to make it drinkable despite being sweet.
Posted 34 days ago.
Agreed, ingoogni. I won't be adding a ton of sugar, but I'll add enough to dry it out a bit. I think my FG is projecting at 1.009, which is at the dry end for the style. I'm looking at an effective OG of 1.073.
Posted 34 days ago.
