Recipe

Spencer Trappist Ale clone

Spencer Trappist Ale clone

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.058 FG = 1.010
IBU = 25 SRM = 8 ABV = 6.5%

Ingredients
10 lbs. (4.5 kg) North American 2-row Pilsner malt
2 lbs. (0.91 kg) North American 6-row pale malt
4 oz. (0.11 kg) caramel Munich malt (60 °L)
6.4 AAU Nugget hops (60 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 12.75% alpha acid)
1.2 AAU Willamette hops (10 min.) (0.25 oz./7 g at 4.75% alpha acid)
1 tsp. Irish moss (15 min.)
Wyeast 3787 (Trappist High Gravity) or White Labs WLP530 (Abbey Ale) yeast
Priming sugar (if bottling)

Step by Step
Use a step-infusion mash starting at 148 °F (64 °C) for 75 minutes, then raise to 162 °F (72 °C) for 15 minutes. Raise grain bed to 168 °F (76 °C) to begin the lauter process. Sparge with enough water to collect about 6.5 gallons (25 L) of wort in the kettle. Boil for 90 minutes, adding the hops and Irish moss at the times indicated. After flameout, chill the wort down to 65 °F (18 °C) and pitch the yeast. You can then place in a warm space to allow fermentation temperature to start to rise to 72 °F (22 °C). Hold at this temperature during active fermentation. When active fermentation begins to settle down (kräusen begins to fall), increase the fermentation to 78 °F (26 °C) to be sure the yeast fements to completion. After all signs of fermentation have dissipated and final gravity has been reached, place the wort in cool storage at 50 °F (10 °C) for approximately 2 weeks. Carbonate to 2.5 to 3.0 volumes.

Spencer Trappist Ale clone

(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.058 FG = 1.010
IBU = 25 SRM = 8 ABV = 6.5%

Ingredients
|6.6 lbs. (3 kg) Pilsen liquid malt extract
1.2 lbs. (0.54 kg) Pilsen dried malt extract
4 oz. (0.11 kg) caramel Munich malt (60 °L)
6.4 AAU Nugget hops (60 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 12.75% alpha acid)
1.2 AAU Willamette hops (10 min.) (0.25 oz./7 g at 4.75% alpha acid)
1 tsp. Irish moss (15 min.)
Wyeast 3787 (Trappist High Gravity) or White Labs WLP530 (Abbey Ale) yeast
Priming sugar (if bottling)

Step by Step
Heat 1 gallon (4 L) of water in a kettle. Place the crushed grains in a muslin bag and soak at 160 °F (71 °C) for 20 minutes. Place the bag in a colander and rinse the grains with 2 quarts (2 L) hot water. Top off the kettle with water to get 6 gallons (23 L) total. Add the liquid and dried malt extract off heat and then bring to a boil. Boil for 60 minutes, adding the hops and Irish moss at the times indicated in the ingredients list. The fermentation and packaging instructions are the same as in the all-grain recipe.

Issue: May-June 2014

The first beer released by the first and only American Trappist brewery, The Spencer Brewery located in Spencer, Massachusetts. This beer was designed to mirror the patersbiers (“fathers’ beer” in Flemish) found in Belgium. They have since released a full line-up of beers, but their original Belgian-style pale ale is something to be savored. Find the recipe here.