Brewery Ommegang: Abbey Ale clone

Brewery Ommegang: Abbey Ale

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.075 FG = 1.013
IBU = 22 SRM = 22 ABV = 8.2%

“The crystal and roasted malts merge well together to yield soft caramel and raisin notes. These flavors will evolve gracefully as the beer ages.” — Randy Thiel, Brewer.

Ingredients
5.6 lbs. (2.54 kg) Pilsner malt
2.25 lbs. (1.02 kg) Munich malt (10 °L)
2.25 lbs. (1.02 kg) amber malt (30 °L)
1 lb. (0.45 kg) Weyermann Caraaroma® malt (150 °L)
2.66 lbs. (1.21 kg) corn sugar (90 min.)
6.25 AAU Styrian Golding hops (60 min.) (1.25 oz./35 g at 5% alpha acids)
0.33 oz. Styrian Golding hops (0 min.)
0.5 oz. (14 g) sweet orange peel (1 min.)
0.5 oz. (14 g) licorice root (1 min.)
0.25 oz. (7 g) crushed, toasted coriander seed (1 min.)
0.25 oz. (7 g) crushed, toasted cumin seed (1 min.)
0.1 oz. (3 g) star anise (1 min.)
Wyeast 1214 (Belgian Ale) or White Labs WLP500 (Monastery Ale) or cultured Ommegang yeast
1.2 cups (240 g) dextrose (if priming)

Step by Step
Step mash with a 10-minute rest at 113 °F (45 °C), a 10-minute rest at 144 °F (62 °C), a 15-minute rest at 154 °F (68 °C), a 15-minute rest at 162 °F (72 °C) and a 5-minute rest at 169 °F (76 °C). Mash out, vorlauf, and then sparge at 170 °F (77 °C) to collect about 7 gallons (27 L) of wort. Boil for 90 minutes, adding sugar, hops and spices as indicated. After the boil, give the wort a stir to create a whirlpool and let settle for 15 minutes. Cool, aerate, and pitch yeast. Start fermentation cool at 68–70 °F (20–21 °C), then allow temperature to rise during fermentation, or you can ramp up the fermentation temperature until all signs of fermentation are complete. Condition for 2 weeks at 32 °F (0 °C). Keg and adjust to 3.5 volumes CO2, or bottle in heavy bottles with dextrose with a target of 3.5 volumes of CO2.

Partial mash option: Reduce the Pilsner malt in the all-grain recipe to 1 lb. 2 oz. (0.51 kg) and add 3.33 lbs. (1.5 kg) Weyermann Bavarian Pilsner liquid malt extract. Heat 10.5 qts. (9.9 L) of steeping water in your brewpot to 124 °F (51 °C). In a separate pot, heat 7.9 qts. (7.4 L) of rinse water to 170 °F (77 °C). Place crushed grains in a large steeping bag and submerge bag in your brewpot. Heat steeping water quickly to 144 °F (62 °C), stirring occasionally, then turn down heat and slowly raise temperature to 169 °F (76 °C). It should take about 30 minutes to go from 144 °F (62 °C) to 169 °F (76 °C). Remove the grain bag and place in a colander over your brewpot. Rinse grains slowly and evenly with hot rinse water. Heat this “grain tea” — approximately 17.4 qts. (16.4 L) — to a boil. Boil 60 minutes, adding corn sugar at the beginning of the boil and hops at time indicated. Follow the remaining portion of the all-grain recipe and top off to 5 gallons (19 L) after cooling.