Ode to val d’or

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.056  FG = 1.002
IBU = 33  SRM = 9  ABV = 6.9%

Orval pours orange-brown with a big, rocky head. The very spritzy levels of carbonation with a slight sour note and distinctive Brett character make the beer feel prickly on the tongue. Orval is dry and has little hop bitterness or flavor, although it is the only Trappist ale to be dry hopped. This recipe creates a beer similar to the Orval beer distributed to the US with a higher ABV.

Ingredients
8.5 lbs. (3.8 kg) Pilsner malt
1.3 lbs. (0.6 kg) English light crystal malt (40 °L)
2.2 lbs. (1 kg) candi syrup (1 °L)
4.4 AAU Hallertau-Hersbrücker hops (60 min.) (1.1 oz./31 g of 4% alpha acids)
3.3 AAU Styrian Goldings hops (60 min.) (0.66 oz./19 g of 5% alpha acids)
2.5 AAU Styrian Goldings hops (15 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g of 5% alpha acids)
0.3 oz. (8 g) Strisselspalt whole cone hops (dry hop)
0.25 oz. (7 g) Hallertau-Hersbrücker whole cone hops (dry hop)
1⁄4 tsp. yeast nutrients
White Labs WLP510 (Bastogne Belgian Ale) or Wyeast 3522 (Belgian Ardennes) or LalBrew Abbaye Belgian Ale yeast 
Wyeast 3112 (Brettanomyces bruxellensis) or White Labs WLP650 (Brettanomyces bruxellensis) yeast
1 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step
Heat 3.6 gallons (13.5 L) of water to 163 °F (73 °C), stir in crushed grains and mash at 150 °F (65 °C). Mash for 60 minutes raise grain bed temperature to 162 °F (72 °C). Hold for 15 minutes. Recirculate until wort is clear, then begin running wort off to kettle. Sparge with 170 °F (77 °C) water to collect roughly 7 gallons (26.5 L). Boil wort for 90 minutes, adding hops as indicated. Add yeast nutrients with 15 minutes left in boil and candi syrup at the end of boil. Cool wort down to 59 °F (15 °C), aerate, and pitch the Belgian yeast strain. Fermentation temperature can be slowly raised up to 72 °F (22 °C) to finish. Rack to secondary when active fermentation is complete and add Brettanomyces and dry hops. Let condition for 3 weeks at 59 °F (15 °C) before bottling. Condition warm for 3 weeks in bottles before serving.

Ode to val d’or

(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.056  FG = 1.002
IBU = 33  SRM = 9  ABV = 6.9%

Ingredients
4 lbs. (1.8 kg) Pilsen dried malt extract
1.3 lbs. (0.6 kg) English light crystal malt (40 °L)
2.2 lbs. (1 kg) candi syrup (1 °L)
4.4 AAU Hallertau-Hersbrücker hops (60 min.) (1.1 oz./31 g of 4% alpha acids)
3.3 AAU Styrian Goldings hops (60 min.) (0.66 oz./19 g of 5% alpha acids)
2.5 AAU Styrian Goldings hops (15 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g of 5% alpha acids)
0.3 oz. (8 g) Strisselspalt whole cone hops (dry hop)
0.25 oz. (7 g) Hallertau-Hersbrücker whole cone hops (dry hop)
1⁄4 tsp. yeast nutrients
White Labs WLP510 (Bastogne Belgian Ale) or Wyeast 3522 (Belgian Ardennes) or LalBrew Abbaye Belgian Ale yeast 
Wyeast 3112 (Brettanomyces bruxellensis) or White Labs WLP650 (Brettanomyces bruxellensis) yeast
1 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step
Heat 5 gallons (19 L) of water to 163 °F (73 °C). Steep crushed grains in a grain bag as the water heats. When the temperature hits 170 °F (77 °C) remove the grains. Off heat, stir in dried malt extract until it is fully dissolved. Turn heat back on and bring wort to a boil. Add the first charge of hops and begin the 60-minute boil. Follow the rest of the all-grain recipe, being sure to top off to 5 gallons (19 L) after chilling the wort.