Crafting Your Own Belgian Abbey-Style Ales
Trappist ales are regarded by many as the best beers in the world. A perfect blend of complex aromas, big flavors, and drinkability has made them some of the most sought-after on the market. Crafting them to perfection can be a lifelong pursuit and one that is often challenging, but rewarding.
Discovering the Trappist Ales
As American craft beer drinkers in the South, we had little exposure to Trappist ales before the 2000s. In 1998 Father Jeff Poirot, then a seminarian, went to visit a friend in Leuven, Belgium where he was studying philosophy. Before the trip this friend had mentioned some of the great parts of visiting Belgium. “The countryside is beautiful, the food is great, and the beer is phenomenal.” Jeff packed his bags for spring break and was on his way. Soon he was sitting in a bar drinking his first pints of Jupiler, one of Belgium’s most popular lagers. The friend quickly recommended to Jeff that he try a beer on tap called Westmalle Dubbel. He was immediately floored by the complex and deep flavors of the ale with a perfect balance and easy drinkability. Finding out the beer was brewed in Catholic monasteries by monks was a plus and seemed to deepen his newfound love for the style. When Jeff returned to the States he was saddened to learn that Trappist ales were very scarce, but found that Chimay Red, White, and Blue were available in the better local bottle shops.
The next summer Jeff returned to Belgium and discovered a new beer that was only available in a few select bars, Westvleteren 12. It was love at first sip. It was everything he loved about Westmalle Dubbel but to the extreme. Even with the higher alcohol content and bigger flavors the beer was still balanced and drinkable. Over the next few years Jeff would visit Belgium many times, each time discovering different beers and breweries.
After becoming ordained a Catholic priest, Jeff was assigned to a parish in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex where the two of us met and quickly became friends. Around this time one of Jeff’s lifelong friends was given a Mr. Beer kit for Christmas. He helped the friend make the kit and was given a few of the bottles for helping. Soon, Jeff bought his own starter kit and began crafting homebrews of his own. One of his first batches was a Belgian pale ale. The beer turned out great and he shared a few bottles with his friends. Upon trying the beer, I was floored at how well it turned out and I too got a starter kit.
One afternoon in 2005 we were at a bar in Dallas called the Idle Rich when there it was, a new arrival, Westmalle Dubbel. Upon excitedly inquiring about it, the manager came over and showed us the bottles, stating they had only received a few. Jeff replied, “I will take four please, two for me and two for my friend.” Finally, I got to taste what Jeff had been talking about regarding the beers of Belgium. I, too, loved it. Over the next few years the Dallas-Fort Worth area was inundated with Trappist Ales. Now Orval, Rochefort, and Achel were all available. And since then, we’ve both been hooked on these wonderful beers.
The next year we planned a trip to Belgium where we visited a few monasteries. We visited Westvleteren, Westmalle, and Achel, which were our three favorites. We also visited the popular Belgian bar, Delirium Cafe.
Our Experience Brewing the Style
When Jeff initially started brewing he was attracted to the idea of making beers that he couldn’t find here in the States, particularly Westvleteren 12. He found a clone recipe kit at the local homebrew shop and quickly brewed it. The results were decent in that first try, and over the next few batches he made slight adjustments but became frustrated as the results never seemed to match the original and each batch was inconsistent at best.
By the time we started brewing together the craft beer scene had shifted to hoppy beers and we focused on making those easier to brew styles. Over the next few years we began to perfect our brewing process, now brewing more regularly and upgrading to new equipment. Even though we liked hoppy beers we still really enjoyed making the Belgian styles, particularly Belgian wits. We both had our own recipes, which we entered in competitions and it was through repeatedly making those witbiers that we learned the key to making Belgian ales — fermentation.
As time went on we got better at brewing and began winning at competitions. Our local competition, The Bluebonnet Brew-off, is the largest single-site competition in the US. Winning a first-place stein is a big achievement and a sign that you’re making great beer. Soon we were winning multiple steins per year and really focused on perfecting our recipes and competing.
Five years ago, we realized it had been a while since we attempted to make one of our beloved Abbey-style ales. We dusted off Jeff’s old Westvleteren 12 clone and made new adjustments. It turned out amazing, much better than any batch we had made in previous years, and refreshed our love for Trappist beers.
Abbey-style ales were now a focus and we began to perfect recipes for a dubbel, tripel, and quadrupel. The quad was a favorite and we began a tradition of making that beer on Jeff’s birthday, calling it Jeffstical. In 2017 we entered that beer in the Trappist ale category of the National Homebrew Competition and to our shock won first place. We also had a specialty IPA win gold, which helped us to win the Ninkasi, the award for the most final round points at Nationals and generally recognized as the award given to the best homebrewers of the year.
Defining “Trappist Ale”
The Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) divides the Trappist Ales category into four subcategories: Trappist single, dubbel, tripel, and Belgian dark strong ale. To truly appreciate these beer styles, it is important to have at minimum a cursory knowledge of the different monasteries and styles. For a commercial beer to be considered an official “Trappist ale” it must meet the following criteria:
1. The beer must be brewed within the walls of a Trappist monastery, either by the monks themselves or under their supervision.
2. The brewery must be of secondary importance within the monastery and should be witness to the business practices proper to a monastic way of life.
3. The brewery is not intended to be a profit-making venture. The income covers the living expenses of the monks and the maintenance of the buildings and grounds. Whatever remains is donated to charity for social work and to help persons in need.
The monasteries that make these beers live according to the Rule of St. Benedict, a book written by Benedict of Nursia that outlines the way the monasteries and monks should live out their daily lives. One of the main principles of this rule states that monks should live by labors of their own hands and should not need for charity. Monks have been making soaps, cheeses, beer, and other goods for centuries as a means of financial support with any additional proceeds being given to charity.
One of the most remarkable facts about the monks are their dedication to the craft. These brewers make the same style of beer all day every day from the time they start at the monastery until they are no longer able to physically brew anymore. Constantly making minor adjustments trying to perfect each beer to this day.
There are currently nine Trappist monasteries across five countries that make and sell beer. They are:
BELGIUM
* Brasserie de Rochefort
* Brouwerij der Trappisten van Westmalle
* Brouwerij Westvleteren
* Bières de Chimay
* Brasserie d’ Orval
NETHERLANDS
* Brouwerij de Koningshoeven (La Trappe)
* Brouwerij Abdij Maria Toevlucht
AUSTRIA
* Stift Engelszell
ITALY
* Tre Fontane Abbey
Although they are not official Trappist breweries, two other Belgian breweries worth noting as they have had important impacts on the styles are St. Bernardus and Affligem.
Keys to brewing Abbey Ales
Before we get into tips for each specific style and our recipes, let’s go over some of the universal best practices for all of these Abbey-style beers.
Fermentation – Yeast and Temperature
There are a few yeast options appropriate for making these styles, but our favorite is Wyeast 3787 (Trappist High Gravity) or WLP530 (Abbey Ale Yeast.) These are universally known as the Westmalle strain, which is also used at Westvleteren and Achel. Yeast is the main contributor of aroma and perceived flavor in these beers.
Pitching rates on these styles are a point of contention for some brewers. Most of the Trappist ales are relatively high in gravity and pitching a large starter is common practice. However, most of the Trappist breweries will slightly underpitch to intentionally stress out the yeast, which creates more of the desired fruity flavors and aromas. Most of the time we will pitch a traditionally-sized yeast starter but have had success backing off on the amount pitched. If you do decide to use less yeast be sure to monitor fermentation to make sure your beer is finished before transferring to bottles or kegs. Either way, be sure that you make a starter to insure yeast health and limit lag time.
Fermentation temperatures for this strain range from as low as 65 °F
up to the mid-80s °F (18–29 °C) depending on the brewer’s preference. Usually the lower the temperature the less “Belgian” character you will get and vice versa. As a general rule, you do not want to temperature-control the yeast. Typically, we will start fermentation at 65–67 °F (18–19 °C) and hold it there for 24–48 hours. Then we let the temperature rise gradually over a 3- to 5-day period; usually upping the temperature 2 °F (1 °C) a day until we reach our desired temperature in the low- to mid-70s °F (22–24 °C).
Candi Syrup
In recent years the availability of quality candi syrup has dramatically improved due to Candi Syrup, Inc. (www.candisyrup.com.) These syrups are mostly made of beet sugar and can be added to the end of the boil. As an alternative, you can add the syrup once primary fermentation begins to slow. This practice allows the fresh yeast to consume the maltose sugars that are harder to process first before moving on to the simple sugars in the candi syrup.
Carbonation
Carbonation is very important to these styles and be careful to use appropriate strength bottles if you are going to be bottle conditioning. Typical carbonation is 2.5–3.25 volumes and often taste effervescent. Many people think that you must bottle condition these styles, but we have had success force carbonating, which is what we did with the first place quadrupel at NHC.
Digestibility and Dry Finish
Although these beers are very full in flavor, carbonation, and alcohol, it is very important to the Belgians that the beers be as “digestible” as possible and finish dry. Digestible, in this case, meaning that the end result is very drinkable and not overly filling. This is achieved through creating a highly fermentable beer, which leads to high attenuation. Mostly, we do this through a step mash schedule and the addition of simple sugars.
Belgian Tafelbier
Although it is not a traditional Trappist beer, we love to make a Belgian Tafelbier, which is similar to Trappist single. The Tafelbier is a low gravity session style beer with a nice Belgian character in the background that is a great beer to drink on brew days when you need to keep your wits about you but would also like to have a few beers. Consider it our own Patersbier.
After trying a recipe we saw from Drew Beechum, we tweaked it a bit by adding the Abbey malt that we had liked in the Tripel and changed the hops slightly. After it has fermented, remember to cold crash it and then bottle or keg it.
This is a beer with a quick turnaround — perfect for those times when you need a beer in a pinch for an upcoming event — and with its low gravity we have found that it is also a good homebrew for those non-craft beer drinking friends that you have. Also, after brewing it once, do not be afraid to play with the gravity of it or even consider adding some different grains. We have brewed a higher gravity version of this with tasty results. As a nice twist, add a pound (0.45 kg) of the D-90 candi syrup at the end of the boil for more complexity.
Belgian Dubbel
The Belgian dubbel can be a bit of a delicate balancing act, but it doesn’t have to be so if you make sure that you pay attention to a few things. When we brewed our first batch of Belgian dubbel we read the descriptions of all kinds of various grains and ended up with a malt bill that was way too complex. The result didn’t taste bad, but finished muddy with few defining characteristics. Making a good dubbel does not require 12 different kinds of malt; it should be much simpler in its design, fermented with the proper yeast strain, and careful monitoring of the temperature during fermentation.
For our Belgian dubbel, we aim for a gravity of 1.070, which fits within the style guidelines of 1.062 to 1.075. We decided on a simple grain bill to allow the yeast to express that Belgian character of fruity esters and some spicy phenols in the aroma that so many of us enjoy when we first take a sip of a well-made dubbel. If you are unable to get Belgian Pilsner malt you can use a German or Czech Pilsner malt, but we both felt there was a slight difference with the Belgian Pilsner malt that warranted its use. Also, we blend the base malts (Pilsner and pale malt) for this style, which is a common practice in Belgium to add a slight complexity.
We convert the grist using a step mash of 144 °F (62 °C) for 30 minutes, 158 °F (70 °C) for 30 minutes, and 172 °F (78 °C) for 5 minutes. This helps with the digestibility and dry finish mentioned earlier. We use a HERMS (heat exchange recirculating mash system) setup to step mash, but this can easily be done through water infusions or direct fire on the mash tun. It is important to this beer that you boil the wort for 90 minutes because of the significant amount of Pilsner malt, and therefore the possibility of Dimethyl Sulfide (DMS) in your beer, which does not make for a
tasty dubbel.
In fermenting this beer, it is important to pitch a healthy starter of yeast. Start fermentation in the mid-60s °F (~18 °C) and rise to the low/mid 70s °F (22–24 °C). When the fermentation begins to slow, combine the Belgian candi syrup/sugar with 2 cups of water and bring this mixture to a boil. Boil for 15 minutes and then chill until it is close to the same temperature as your fermenting beer. Add this to the fermenter and give it a gentle swirl to make sure it is incorporated into the fermenting beer. A good cold crashing helps clarify the beer after fermentation is complete. Carbonation needs to be around 2.5 volumes.
Belgian Tripel
For the Belgian tripel we went with a standard grain bill and a process like our Belgian dubbel for the time and manner that we added the candi syrup, but with a slight twist. After tasting many commercial and homebrew tripels, it always seemed that the homebrew versions, even the well-made ones, were lacking something that gave the beer a little more complexity and character. We wanted to be sure that it didn’t taste like a Belgian golden strong and a Belgian tripel had a baby together.
With the standard grain bill of Belgian Pilsner malt we added a small addition of Weyermann Abbey Malt® to the grain bill. The Abbey malt gave the finished Tripel more malt character that made for a more appealing Tripel. If you can’t find Abbey malt you can still make a wonderful Tripel, but if you can get your hands on it you will love what a small percentage of it will do for your Tripel.
The grain bill for this beer is almost solely Pilsner malt and has no crystal or dark grains, so it’s important to watch your mash pH as it can get a little high. It may be necessary to add a small amount of acid depending on your specific water profile to bring it back down to an ideal range. Boil for 90 minutes to avoid DMS. Also, the simple grain bill leaves nowhere for off flavors to hide, so pay close attention to your process of sanitation and fermentation.
Belgian Quadrupel
Ever since Jeff first had Westvleteren 12 in Belgium, brewing a beer that is close to that has been his “white whale.” After countless renditions, varied grain bills, different yeast strains, one or two exploding bottles, and reading Stan Hieronymus’ Brew Like a Monk, he settled on a simple grain bill. Belgian Pilsner malt for the base and a little bit of Special B to emphasize the dark fruit character in the finished beer and give it a little bit of a different malt character.
Our starting gravity was on the high side for the style because we wanted it to be a big bold beer, but we also wanted it to attenuate well so that it didn’t end up a sugary, sweet, and cloying beer. That is why it is so important for this as well as the other styles we have mentioned already to add the candi syrup during the last part of fermentation. It results in a much more drinkable beer. The hops we went with were chosen to give a little bit of a spicy background character that works well with the fruity and slightly spicy character of the Trappist High Gravity yeast.
You may notice that for a higher gravity beer, our IBUs are on the low side. We like the hops to take a backseat to the rich malt and yeast characters in this beer. Also, the more your Belgian dark strong attenuates and dries out the more the hop flavor will come through in the final flavor. So be careful not to over-hop your recipe and create an unbalanced beer. A 90-minute boil is important for this beer, and watch your fermentation temperature carefully as we have mentioned. You may need to give this beer a little extra time to ferment because of its high gravity, and to make sure that you avoid it finishing fermentation in your bottles resulting in bottle grenades!
Trappist Ales (Category 26) are broken up by the BJCP into four main subcategories:
Trappist Single (26A)
Usually light in color and body, this fruity-spice ale is often brewed by the monks for their own consumption and is not commonly available. Sometimes called Patersbier, meaning “Father’s Beer”.
Our favorite examples: Achel Blond and Westvleteren Blond
Trappist Dubbel (26B)
Deep copper in color. The malty body of this ale is complemented with fruit esters and a dry finish. Traditionally, this beer was the most made beer of the monasteries for purchase.
Our favorite examples: Westmalle Dubbel and Rochefort 6
Trappist Tripel (26C)
Yellow or golden in color. This highly-carbonated ale is often spicy and dry with a good hop firmness.
Our favorite examples: Westmalle Tripel and Affligem Tripel
Belgian Dark Strong Ale (26D)
Dark in color. This beer is high in alcohol with a strong ester and phenolic aromas. Often made for special occasions like Christmas and Easter, this beer was originally brewed as a celebration ale for the monks. Commonly referred to as quadrupel (quad) or extra.
Our favorite examples: Achel Extra, Westvleteren 12, and Rochefort 10
At competitions these categories are regularly split and regrouped with other similar Belgian styles.
Recipes
Tafelbier
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.024 FG = 1.007
IBU = 6 SRM = 10 ABV = 2.2%
Similar to Trappist single, Tafelbier is a low-gravity session style beer with a nice Belgian character in the background that is a great beer to drink on brew days when you need to keep your wits about you but would also like to have a few beers. It also has a quick turnaround, so it’s perfect for brewing when you need a beer for a fast-approaching event.
Ingredients
2 lbs. (0.91 kg) Pilsner malt
2.1 lbs. (0.95 kg) Abbey malt (26 °L)
0.6 lb. (0.27 kg) Belgian caramel Vienna malt (25 °L)
0.4 lb. (0.18 kg) torrified wheat
0.25 lb. (113 g) Belgian aromatic malt (19 °L)
1.9 AAU Saaz hops (60 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 3.75% alpha acids)
Wyeast 3787 (Trappist Style High Gravity) or White Labs WLP530 (Abbey Ale) or Lallemand Abbaye or Safbrew BE-256 yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
This is a multi-step mash. Mill the grains, then mix with 2 gallons (7.6 L) of 154 °F (72 °C) strike water to reach a mash temperature of 144 °F (66 °C). Hold this temperature for 30 minutes. Raise the mash temperature through infusion of boiling water or recirculating system up to 158 °F (70°C). Hold this temperature for 30 minutes.
Due to the very low enzymatic power of this mash, it is recommended to perform an iodine test to confirm starch conversion before beginning to lauter. If iodine test confirms conversion, then you can raise the mash up to mash out at 172 °F (78 °C). If iodine test is negative, continue to hold at 158 °F (70 °C) until iodine test is clear. Vorlauf until your runnings are clear, then begin sparge. Sparge about 2 gallons (7.6 L) of water then top off your kettle to 6.5 gallons (24.6 L).
Boil for 90 minutes, adding hops according to the ingredient list. After the boil, whirlpool for 5 minutes, then let settle for 5 minutes. Chill the wort to about 65 °F (18 °C) and then pitch yeast and aerate wort.
Once fermentation commences, allow beer to free rise up to 70 °F (21 °C). You can hold this temperature for ten days or until the completion of primary fermentation, whichever is later. Bottle or keg the beer and carbonate to approximately 2.3 volumes.
Tafelbier
(5 gallons/19 L, partial mash)
OG = 1.025 FG = 1.008
IBU = 6 SRM = 7 ABV = 2.2%
Due to the high percentage of non-steepable malts and grains in the all-grain version of this recipe, the final beer produced with the partial mash recipe will be different than the all-grain beer. That said, this will still be a complex, yet easy-drinking beer.
Ingredients
2 lbs. (0.91 kg) Briess Goldpils Vienna liquid malt extract
1 lb. (0.45 kg) Pilsner malt
0.6 lb. (0.27 kg) Abbey malt (26 °L)
0.6 lb. (0.27 kg) Belgian caramel Vienna malt (25 °L)
0.4 lb. (0.18 kg) torrified wheat
0.25 lb. (113 g) Belgian aromatic malt (19 °L)
1.9 AAU Saaz hops (60 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 3.75% alpha acids)
Wyeast 3787 (Trappist Style High Gravity) or White Labs WLP530 (Abbey Ale) or Lallemand Abbaye or Safbrew BE-256 yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Bring 1 gallon (3.8 L) of water to approximately 165 °F (74 °C). Place crushed malts and torrified wheat in one or more grain bags and submerge in water. Temperature should stabilize around 152 °F (67 °C). Maintain this temperature for 45 minutes.
Remove the grain bag, and place in a colander. Wash grains with 1 gallon (3.8 L) hot water. Top off kettle to 5 gallons (19 L). Add the malt extract while stirring, and stir until completely dissolved. Boil for 60 minutes, adding hops according to the ingredient list.
After the boil, whirlpool for 5 minutes, then let settle for 5 minutes. Chill the wort to about 65 °F (18 °C), top off to 5.25 gallons (20 L) and then pitch yeast and aerate wort.
Once fermentation commences, allow beer to free rise up to 70 °F (21 °C). You can hold this temperature for ten days or until the completion of primary fermentation, whichever is later. Bottle or keg the beer and carbonate to approximately 2.3 volumes.
Abbey-Style Dubbel
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.070 FG = 1.012
IBU = 20 SRM = 15 ABV = 7.5%
We decided on a simple grain bill for our dubbel to allow the yeast to express that Belgian character of fruity esters and some spicy phenols in the aroma that so many of us enjoy when we first take a sip of a well-made dubbel.
Ingredients
10 lbs. (4.5 kg) Belgian Pilsner malt
3 lbs. (1.4 kg) Dingeman’s pale malt
7 oz. (0.2 kg) Belgian caramel Munich malt (56 °L)
1 lb. (0.45 kg) Belgian candi syrup D-90 (near end of fermentation)
4.8 AAU Hallertauer hops (60 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 4.8% alpha acids)
2.4 AAU Hallertauer hops (20 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 4.8% alpha acids)
Wyeast 3787 (Trappist Style High Gravity) or White Labs WLP530 (Abbey Ale) or Lallemand Abbaye or Safbrew BE-256 yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
This is a multi-step mash. Mill the grains, then mix with 5.1 gallons (19.4 L) of 154 °F (72 °C) strike water to reach a mash temperature of 144 °F (66 °C). Hold this temperature for 30 minutes. Raise the mash temperature through infusion of boiling water or recirculating system up to 158 °F (70°C). Hold this temperature for 30 minutes. Raise the mash temperature to mash out at 172 °F (78 °C). Vorlauf until your runnings are clear, then begin sparge. Sparge the grains with enough water to obtain 7 gallons (26.5 L) of wort.
Boil for 90 minutes, adding hops according to the ingredient list. After the boil, whirlpool the hot wort for 5 minutes, then let settle for 5 minutes. Chill the wort to about 65 °F (18 °C) and then pitch yeast and aerate wort.
Once fermentation commences, allow beer to free rise up to 70 °F (21 °C). You can hold this temperature for ten days or until the completion of primary fermentation, whichever is later. Add the candi syrup once fermentation begins to slow down. Bottle or keg the beer and carbonate to approximately 2.5 volumes.
Abbey-Style Dubbel
(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.070 FG = 1.012
IBU = 20 SRM = 15 ABV = 7.5%
Ingredients
5.5 lbs. (2.5 kg) Pilsen dried malt extract
2 lbs. (0.91 kg) Maris Otter liquid malt extract
7 oz. (0.2 kg) Belgian caramel Munich malt (56 °L)
1 lb. (0.45 kg) Belgian candi syrup D-90 (near end of fermentation)
4.8 AAU Hallertauer hops (60 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 4.8% alpha acids)
2.4 AAU Hallertauer hops (20 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 4.8% alpha acids)
Wyeast 3787 (Trappist Style High Gravity) or White Labs WLP530 (Abbey Ale) or Lallemand Abbaye or Safbrew BE-256 yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Bring 5 gallons (19 L) of water to approximately 165 °F (74 °C) and hold there, steeping the specialty malts in grain bags for 15 minutes. Remove the grain bags and let drain fully. Add the malt extracts while stirring, and stir until completely dissolved.
Boil for 60 minutes, adding hops according to the ingredient list. After the boil, whirlpool the hot wort for 5 minutes, then let settle for 5 minutes. Chill the wort to about 65 °F (18 °C), top off to 5.25 gallons (20 L) and then pitch yeast and aerate wort.
Once fermentation commences, allow beer to free rise up to 70 °F (21 °C). You can hold this temperature for ten days or until the completion of primary fermentation, whichever is later. Add the candi syrup once fermentation begins to slow down. Bottle or keg the beer and carbonate to approximately 2.5 volumes.
Tips for success:
If you are unable to get Belgian Pilsner malt you can use a German or Czech Pilsner malt, but we both feel there is a slight difference with the Belgian Pilsner malt that warrants its use.
Abbey-Style Tripel
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.082 FG = 1.013
IBU = 32 SRM = 6 ABV = 8.9%
This tripel has a standard grain bill and a process like our Belgian dubbel with one twist —the addition of Weyermann Abbey malt. The Abbey malt gives the finished Tripel more malt character that the best commercial examples in Belgium all have.
Ingredients
15.75 lbs. (7.2 kg) Pilsner malt
7 oz. (0.2 kg) Weyermann Abbey Malt® (26 °L)
1 lb. (0.45 kg) Belgian candi syrup (1 °L) (near end of fermentation)
8.3 AAU Premiant hops (60 min.) (1.1 oz./31 g at 7.5% alpha acids)
2.6 AAU Saaz hops (30 min.) (0.7 oz./20 g at 3.75% alpha acids)
Wyeast 3787 (Trappist Style High Gravity) or White Labs WLP530 (Abbey Ale) or Lallemand Abbaye or Safbrew BE-256 yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
This is a multi-step mash. Mill the grains, then mix with 6.1 gallons (23 L) of 154 °F (72 °C) strike water to reach a mash temperature of 144 °F (66 °C). Hold this temperature for 30 minutes. Raise the mash temperature through infusion of boiling water or recirculating system up to 158 °F (70°C). Hold this temperature for 30 minutes. Raise the mash to mash out at 172 °F (78 °C). Vorlauf until your runnings are clear, then begin sparge. Sparge the grains with enough water to obtain 7 gallons (26.5 L) of wort.
Boil for 90 minutes, adding hops according to the ingredient list. After the boil, whirlpool for 5 minutes, then let settle for 5 minutes. Chill the wort to about 65 °F (18 °C) and then pitch yeast and aerate wort.
Once fermentation commences, allow beer to free rise up to 70 °F (21 °C). You can hold this temperature for ten days or until the completion of primary fermentation, whichever is later. Add the candi syrup once fermentation begins to slow down. Bottle or keg the beer and carbonate to approximately 2.8 volumes.
Abbey-Style Tripel
(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.082 FG = 1.013
IBU = 32 SRM = 6 ABV = 8.9%
Ingredients
8.5 lbs. (3.9 kg) Pilsen dried malt extract
7 oz. (0.2 kg) Weyermann Abbey Malt® (26 °L)
1 lb. (0.45 kg) Belgian candi syrup (1 °L) (near end of fermentation)
8.3 AAU Premiant hops (60 min.) (1.1 oz./31 g at 7.5% alpha acids)
2.6 AAU Saaz hops (30 min.) (0.7 oz./20 g at 3.75% alpha acids)
Wyeast 3787 (Trappist Style High Gravity) or White Labs WLP530 (Abbey Ale) or Lallemand Abbaye or Safbrew BE-256 yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Bring 5 gallons (19 L) of water to approximately 165 °F (74 °C) and hold there, steeping the specialty malt in a grain bags for 20 minutes. Remove the grain bag, and let drain fully. Add the malt extract while stirring, and stir until completely dissolved.
Boil for 60 minutes, adding hops according to the ingredient list. After the boil, whirlpool for 5 minutes, then let settle for 5 minutes.
Chill the wort to about 65 °F (18 °C), top off to 5.25 gallons (20 L) and then pitch yeast and aerate wort.
Once fermentation commences, allow beer to free rise up to 70 °F (21 °C). You can hold this temperature for ten days or until the completion of primary fermentation, whichever is later. Add the candi syrup once fermentation begins to slow down. Bottle or keg the beer and carbonate to approximately 2.8 volumes.
Tips for success:
The grain bill for this beer is almost solely Pilsner malt, so it’s important to watch your mash pH as it can get a little high. It may be necessary to add a small amount of acid depending on your specific water profile to bring it back down to an ideal range.
Abbey-Style Quad
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.098 FG = 1.018
IBU = 25 SRM = 30 ABV = 10.5%
We keep the IBUs on the low side for this beer in relation to the style because we like the hops to take a backseat to the rich malt and yeast characters in this beer. The more this beer attenuates and dries out the more the hop flavor will come through in the final flavor.
Ingredients
18 lbs. (4.5 kg) Pilsner malt
0.8 lb. (0.36 kg) Dingeman’s Special B malt
1 lb. (0.45 kg) Belgian candi syrup D-180 (near end of fermentation)
1 lb. (0.45 kg) Belgian candi syrup D-90 (near end of fermentation)
5.6 AAU Premiant hops (60 min.) (0.75 oz./21 g at 7.5% alpha acids)
3.4 AAU Tettnang hops (30 min.) (0.75 oz./21 g at 4.5% alpha acids)
Wyeast 3787 (Trappist Style High Gravity) or White Labs WLP530 (Abbey Ale) or Lallemand Abbaye or Safbrew BE-256 yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
This is a multi-step mash. Mill the grains, then mix with 6.9 gallons (26 L) of 154 °F (72 °C) strike water to reach a mash temperature of 144 °F (66 °C). Hold this temperature for 30 minutes. Raise the mash temperature through infusion of boiling water or recirculating system up to 158 °F (70°C). Hold this temperature for 30 minutes. Raise the mash to mash out at 172 °F (78 °C).
Vorlauf until your runnings are clear, then begin sparge. Sparge the grains with enough water to obtain 7.5 gallons (28.4 L) of wort.
Boil for 120 minutes, adding hops according to the ingredient list. After the boil, whirlpool for 5 minutes, then let settle for 5 minutes. Chill the wort to about 65 °F (18 °C) and then pitch yeast and aerate.
Once fermentation commences, allow beer to free rise up to 70 °F (21 °C). You can hold this temperature for ten days or until the completion of primary fermentation, whichever is later. Add the candi syrups once fermentation begins to slow down. Bottle or keg the beer and carbonate to approximately 2.5 volumes.
Abbey-Style Quad
(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.098 FG = 1.018
IBU = 25 SRM = 30 ABV = 10.5%
Ingredients
9.5 lbs. (4.3 kg) Pilsen dried malt extract0.8 lb. (0.36 kg) Dingeman’s Special B malt
1 lb. (0.45 kg) Belgian candi syrup D-180 (near end of fermentation)
1 lb. (0.45 kg) Belgian candi syrup D-90 (near end of fermentation)
5.6 AAU Premiant hops (60 min.) (0.75 oz./21 g at 7.5% alpha acids)
3.4 AAU Tettnang hops (30 min.) (0.75 oz./21 g at 4.5% alpha acids)
Wyeast 3787 (Trappist Style High Gravity) or White Labs WLP530 (Abbey Ale) or Lallemand Abbaye or Safbrew BE-256 yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by step
Bring 5 gallons (19 L) of water to approximately 165 °F (74 °C) and hold there, steeping the specialty malt in a grain bag for 15 minutes. Remove the grain bag, and let drain fully. Add the malt extract while stirring, and stir until completely dissolved.
Boil for 60 minutes, adding hops according to the ingredient list. After the boil, whirlpool for 5 minutes, then let settle for 5 minutes. Chill the wort to about 65 °F (18 °C), top off to 5.25 gallons (20 L) and then pitch yeast and aerate.
Once fermentation commences, allow beer to free rise up to 70 °F (21 °C). You can hold this temperature for ten days or until the completion of primary fermentation, whichever is later. Add the candi syrups once fermentation begins to slow down. Bottle or keg the beer and carbonate to approximately 2.5 volumes.
