Beer Style: Belgian Strong and Abbey Ales
Belgian Tripel
With the popularity and availability of Westmalle Tripel in the United States over the years, it seems hard to believe that my first real taste of Westmalle Tripel was while wandering around
Belgian Strong Golden
by the numbers OG: 1.070–1.095 (17.1–22.7) FG: 1.005–1.016 (1.3–4.1 °P) SRM: 3–6 IBU: 22–35 ABV: 7.5–10.5% Duvel is considered the ultimate example of Belgian strong golden ale and I think they also
Belgian Dubbel
by the numbers OG: 1.062–1.075 (15.2–18.2 °P) FG: 1.008–1.018 (2.0–4.6 °P) SRM: 10–17 IBU: 15–25 ABV: 6–7.6% I fondly remember my very first trip to Belgium. I was already passionate about homebrewing
Belgian Single
by the numbers OG: 1.044-1.054 FG:1.004-1.010 SRM:3-5 IBU:25-45 ABV:4.8-6.0% Trappist monasteries are rightfully known for their excellent beers. Brewed with devotion and service in mind, these beers are used to generate money
Brewing Better Belgians
Belgian ales are complex and elegant. They’re my favorites to homebrew and drink. One issue I’ve had, however, is finding a Belgian beer that’s less than six months old in the
Belgian Dubbel
by the numbers OG:1.062–1.075 (15.2–18.2 °P) FG:1.008–1.018 (2.0–4.6 °P) SRM: 10–17 IBU:15–25 ABV:6–7.6% I fondly remember my very first trip to Belgium. I was already passionate about homebrewing and great beer, and
Belgian Dark Strong Ale
by the numbers OG:1.075–1.110 (18.2–25.9 °P) FG:1.010–1.024 (2.6–6.1 °P) SRM:12–22 IBU:20–35 ABV8–11% I used to hate judging the Belgian strong category in competitions. Long ago, so many of the beers were syrupy
Cooking With Tripel
The Trappist tripel ale is a beautiful beverage. My first experience with a tripel was back in 1993 when I had generally been consuming mostly what could be found in the grocery
Brewing Belgian-Style Tripels
Tripel is pale to golden in color, and strong (the BJCP guidelines list it as OG 1.075–1.085, and 7.5–9.5% ABV). However, three things keep it from seeming like a big beer — it’s
Belgian Tripel
OG = 1.065 to 1.095; FG = 1.013 to 1.020; IBU = 20 to 35; SRM = 3.5 to 6 Belgian tripel is a pale to deep gold beer with good clarity.
Chimay Cinq Cents clone
Deep copper to light brown, fruity and rich, there just isn’t a better beer in the world than this Belgian Trappist ale. This is essentially an all-grain recipe, although there are some sugar adjuncts for higher alcohol content. The yeast is essential. I carefully saved the dregs from an entire six-pack of the White Label and a 22-oz. bottle of the Cinq Cents (which Michael Jackson says are the same thing) and built up to a half-gallon starter. Golden syrup is an English sweetener (increasingly easy to find here; check your gourmet bakery shop if your homebrew supplier isn’t carrying it yet), which is essentially invert sugar.
Dubbel Halo Ale
Horst Dornbusch lays out a recipe with fermentation tips for those looking to brew up a Belgian Dubbel.
