Tragen Babbel (Belgian IPA)
Belgian IPAs can be a challenge, balancing the Belgian yeast character with the hop character. You don’t want one to overpower the other. This recipe helps toe that line.
Tragen Babbel, All-Grain
(5 gallons/19L, all-grain)
OG = 1.064 FG = 1.014
IBU = 37 SRM = 11 ABV = 6.9%
Ingredients
9.5 lbs. (4.3 kg) 2-row pale malt
1 lb. (0.45 kg) flaked wheat
8 oz. (0.23 kg) Vienna malt
8 oz. (0.23 kg) Caravienne® malt
8 oz. (0.23 kg) aromatic malt
1 lb. (0.45 kg) clear Belgian candi sugar (15 min.)
7.5 AAU Crystal hops (60 min.) (2.5 oz./71 g at 3% alpha acids)
3 AAU Crystal hops (15 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 3% alpha acids)
4 AAU Saaz hops (15 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 4% alpha acids)
1 oz. (28 g) Citra® hops (dry hop)
1 oz. (28 g) Amarillo® hops (dry hop)
1⁄2 whirlfloc tablet (5 min.)
Safale US-05 yeast
White Labs WLP500 (Trappist Ale) yeast
1 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Mash grains at 152 °F (67 °C) for 45 minutes in 15 qts. (14 L) of water.
Boil wort for 60 minutes, adding your first hop addition at the beginning of the boil. Add second hop addition and sugar with 15 minutes left in the boil and whirlfloc with 5 minutes remaining. Cool wort below 70 °F (21 °C) and pitch dried yeast. After signs of active fermentation are present, approximately 12–24 hours, pitch the Belgian yeast.
After primary fermentation is complete, add dry hops to secondary and allow 4 to 14 days before bottling. For a higher carbonation level, use 13⁄4 cups of corn sugar when using thicker Champagne-style bottles or other bottles that are rated for high pressure.
Tragen Babbel, Partial Mash
(5 gallons/19L, partial mash)
OG = 1.064 FG = 1.014
IBU = 37 SRM = 11 ABV = 6.9%
Ingredients
4 lbs. (1.8 kg) Pilsen liquid malt extract.
1.25 lbs. (0.57 kg) light dried malt extract
1.5 lbs. (0.68 kg) 2-row pale malt
8 oz. (0.23 kg) wheat malt
8 oz. (0.23 kg) flaked wheat
8 oz. (0.23 kg) Vienna malt
8 oz. (0.23 kg) Caravienne® malt
8 oz. (0.23 kg) aromatic malt
7.5 AAU Crystal hops (60 min.) (2.5 oz./71 g at 3% alpha acids)
3 AAU Crystal hops (15 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 3% alpha acids)
4 AAU Saaz hops (15 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 4% alpha acids)
1 oz. (28 g) Citra® hops (dry hop)
1 oz. (28 g) Amarillo® hops (dry hop)
1⁄2 whirlfloc tablet (5 min.)
Safale US-05 yeast
White Labs WLP500 (Trappist Ale) yeast
1 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
If you can find a malt extract made from Belgian pale or Pilsner malt, use that, otherwise use English malt extract. You will need a 2-gallon (7.6-L) beverage cooler and a large steeping bag to follow these instructions.
Add crushed grains and flaked wheat to grain bag. Add 5.5 qts. (5.2 L) of 163 °F (73 °C) water to cooler and submerge bag. Mash for 45 minutes at 152 °F (67 °C). Heat 5.5 qts. (5.2 L) of water to 180 °F (82 °C) near end of mash. Run off wort by collecting about 2 cups of wort from the cooler, then adding the same volume of hot water to the top of the grain bed. Repeat until you collect about 2.5 gallons (9.5 L) of wort this way. (Don’t let the grain bed temperature rise above 170 °F/77 °C.) Stir in dried malt extract and bring wort to a boil.
Boil wort for 60 minutes, adding your first hop addition at the beginning of the boil. Add second hop addition and sugar with 15 minutes left in the boil and whirl-floc with 5 minutes remaining.
Cool wort and transfer to fermenter. Top up to 5 gallons (19 L), aerate and pitch dried yeast. Pitch Belgian yeast once fermentation starts. Dry hop for 4 to 14 days. For a higher carbonation level, use 13⁄4 cups of cornnsugar when using thicker Champagne-style bottles or other bottles that are rated for high pressure.
Tips for Success: For a “cleaner” beer, hold the fermentation temperature steady around 68–70 °F (20–21 °C). For a beer with more “Belgian-y” esters, let the fermentation climb after the first couple days to the mid 70s °F (~24 °C).
