AG26 - Biere de Printemps

[serum]

This is a re-make of my Ardennes Printemps beer but with a more authentic yeast for this style. I harvested yeast from La Chouffe last time but now I'm using WLP011 which I understand is a German ale yeast so it'll much cleaner. It's one of the yeasts recommended in Farmhouse Ales for the style. A Belgian yeast is nice but not really authentic for a Biere de Garde.

In an effort to recreate the caramelisation that happens during the long boils French brewers supposedly use, I took 1.3L of the first wort and boiled it on an induction hob while sparging. I managed to get it nice and dark and sweet so hopefully that'll come through in the taste.

Recipe:

OG: 1.065
FG: 1.013
IBU: 25.7
Colour: 17.2 EBC
ABV: 6.9%

Mash - 75 mins @ 65C

3kg Pilsner
2kg Wheat Malt
1kg Munich type 1
50g Carafa type 1

Fly sparge and 1.3L of mash boiled down separately and added to the boil.

Boil - 90 mins

70g Fuggles @ 60 mins
12g Hallertau Hersbrucker @ 20 mins
350g sugar & Protofloc @ 15 mins
20g Hallertau Hersbrucker @ 5 mins

Notes:

I had another go at water treatment. This time round I remembered to test Alkalinity at the start and it was slightly lower than I expected. The water I use has very little of anything so I added a little gypsum, aiming for about 50ppm of sulfate and a lot more calcium chloride to get the chloride level up to about 120ppm. Calcium should be at around 90ppm.

I used some lactic acid as the mash pH was too high at the outset. I added 0.5ml at a time and it took three additions to get to a pH of 5.4.

In the spreadsheet I used I expected to have to add 0.7ml. It started at 5.8 after 0.5ml, then went to 5.7 after another 0.5 but then all the way down to 5.4 after another 0.5ml. I got there in the end but it was quite late in the mash. However, I'm starting to get a better idea of where to start and how much I'll need with the acid and water I use. The next brew I do should be darker so I expect I'll get there easier. This grain bill was a bit lighter than the last one and needed a little more acid so this was to be expected.

After boiling down some of the wort and adding all the other wort to the boiler I was about a litre short of what I usually get so I topped up with some bottled water and added the remaining calcium chloride and gypsum. My pre boil gravity was pretty much spot on. 1.044 against a target of 1.045.

I pitched a bit low temperature wise as it was really cold so it all went in at around 16C and it started bubbling almost instantly.

I'm interested to know how this yeast tastes in a beer. Every other beer I've done has used a Belgian yeast that gets to 1.010 or lower so this will be a new experience for me. A bit more sweetness will work great in this type of brew. Fingers crossed!

 

[duncans]

Interesting post. Never heard of splitting part of the boil off like that only during the mash.

Have a biere de garde yeast, wy3725, that I have been wanting to use. Biere de garde style is so varied, just trying to work out a recipe. Looking for something a little lighter for a first batch. Can you recommend any books/resources?

 

[Leon103]

Belgian farmhouse ales book

 

[cheapbrew]

Sounds interesting, keep us posted :thumb:

 

[serum]

Interesting post. Never heard of splitting part of the boil off like that only during the mash.

Have a biere de garde yeast, wy3725, that I have been wanting to use. Biere de garde style is so varied, just trying to work out a recipe. Looking for something a little lighter for a first batch. Can you recommend any books/resources?

Farmhouse Ales is a great book but you'll not find a lighter recipe in there. The style is generally amber coloured.

You could probably do something similar to mine but mainly pilsner and a little munich.

I'm a bit worried about how hot this yeast has got. It's my first time using a fermenter with a thermowell and it's gone a lot higher than I'd expected it would.

From what I've read the yeast you've got isn't actually a Biere de Garde yeast. Apparently it's from Fantome which makes saison.

 

[duncans]

Farmhouse Ales is a great book but you'll not find a lighter recipe in there. The style is generally amber coloured.

You could probably do something similar to mine but mainly pilsner and a little munich.

I'm a bit worried about how hot this yeast has got. It's my first time using a fermenter with a thermowell and it's gone a lot higher than I'd expected it would.

From what I've read the yeast you've got isn't actually a Biere de Garde yeast. Apparently it's from Fantome which makes saison.

Cheers Serum. Amber Ale it is then.

Couldn't find anything about the yeast on a quick search but will keep an eye out.

Guess you are not using a brew fridge? Only reliable way to control the temp AFAIK. Should be fine though. If it its too phenolic-y then that will be why but I bet not many farmhouse ales benefited from a stc-1000 :)

 

[serum]

Cheers Serum. Amber Ale it is then.

Couldn't find anything about the yeast on a quick search but will keep an eye out.

Guess you are not using a brew fridge? Only reliable way to control the temp AFAIK. Should be fine though. If it its too phenolic-y then that will be why but I bet not many farmhouse ales benefited from a stc-1000 :)

Yeah you're correct. I'm going to invest in one of those very soon, I've been waiting on an outbuilding being completed so I'll finally have space for one. I've already got the STC all set up for it, I just need the fridge itself now.

It got to 24-25 degrees at the very peak which was about 36 hours in but started very low, around 14C and was back at 18C by the time three days had passed.

The ferment was pretty vigorous. I'd heard some people say this strain takes three weeks to finish but was all the way down to 1.010 which is lower than predicted after only three days. I had to install a blowoff tube.

I hope this comes out well and that the temperature swing hasn't knackered it!

I put together all the basic BdG recipes from Farmhouse Ales in beersmith if you want me to post them. I'm going to try them all at some point.

 

[duncans]

That's OK, thanks. I bought the book, very interesting.

 

[serum]

That's OK, thanks. I bought the book, very interesting.

Yep it's a goodun

I've read it cover to cover several times, my copy is absolutely battered.