I've been meaning to have a go at brewing a Bière de Garde for a while, it's probably been in the "Planning" section of my signature for over a year.
I brewed this last week, but have only just got the chance to do a write-up. This is my second attempt at the write-up, so is a shorter and less-wordy version.
They're not the easiest style to find over here, but those I've had I've loved. Unfortunately the usual place I buy them online from France seemingly no longer delivering to the UK since they were bought out by AB Inbev. I know there are a few posters who also hold them in high regard, and I'd encourage those who haven't tried one to try and pick up a bottle of La Blonde de Ch'Norde from Lidl during their French Week (I think this is next week), I believe this is relabelled Goudale which is a good starting point.
I've read the fantastic Farmhouse Ales cover to cover several times so this recipe is very much influenced by what I gleaned from that - although I've probably used more varieties of malt than most. The stars aligned when my commercial brewer mate donated me his stir plate and The Malt Miller were selling discounted packs of WLP072 French Ale.
Ideally I'd have used French malt and hops, but couldn't source these from one supplier. In the end I opted for mostly Dingeman's malts and the usual My Recipe Kit from The Malt Miller.
Recipe:
Target volume: 11l
Target OG: 1.067
Target FG: 1.013
Target ABV: 7.2
Target Colour: 26.3 EBC
Target IBU: 24.9
Mash Temp: 66ðc
Mash length: 75 minutes
2.32kg Dingeman's Pale Ale (Bel) - 70%
330g Weyermann Munich I (Ger) - 10%
170g Dingeman's Wheat (Bel) - 5%
130g Dingeman's Aromatic (Bel) - 4%
100g Dingeman's CaraVienna (Bel) - 3%
70g Weywemann Acidulated (Ger) - 2%
30g Dingeman's De-Husked Roasted Barley (Bel) - 1%
170g Dextrose - added at start of boil - 5%
16g Northern Brewer (Ger) - 60 mins - 22.4 IBU
10g Saaz (Cze) - 20 mins - 2.5 IBU
2 packets White Labs WLP072 French Ale in 1l starter
The starter was spinning away 2 days before Brewday - I had to use a juice/cocktail jug as don't have a fancy Erlenmeyer flask - something to go on the wish-list.
Le starter
The (longer than usual) mash was fine and remained at 66ðc for the duration. Sparging went well and I achieved pre-boil combined runnings of 17.5l @ 1.051 (estimated was 16.5l @1.050). I carefully added each pot of runnings into the kettle, leaving behind the most powdery of wort each time.
First runnings
Boil and chilling went without incident.
The wort was really clear for the first 5l or so off run-off, then started trickling. I'd been carefully to minimise the amount of powder getting into the kettle and can't blame the small amount of hops - but the filter I use (lauterhexe) had got blocked. This meant scraping a sanitised spoon against the coil to allow the liquid to flow. I'm not overly-concerned, having read the Brulosophy XMBTs on trub making it into the fermenter, but would prefer to have nice clear wort.
Wort before it went pear-shaped
I'm going to try a whirlpool next time, as I've generally not had any issues with the filter, although I know a number of people have. If that doesn't work then I may have to try a new filtering solution - which will be a shame as the lauterhexe is a great concept.
Eventually I ended up with 12.5l @ 1.053 in the FV. It's down to 1.013 already and hoping for it to go another point or two.
This will be lagered for a month, then bottled in recycled cava/prosecco bottles from Christmas. I will cork and cage these and then hope to save the majority for Christmas 2017. I have another vial so may make a less-complex Bière de Mars to enjoy sooner.
I brewed this last week, but have only just got the chance to do a write-up. This is my second attempt at the write-up, so is a shorter and less-wordy version.
They're not the easiest style to find over here, but those I've had I've loved. Unfortunately the usual place I buy them online from France seemingly no longer delivering to the UK since they were bought out by AB Inbev. I know there are a few posters who also hold them in high regard, and I'd encourage those who haven't tried one to try and pick up a bottle of La Blonde de Ch'Norde from Lidl during their French Week (I think this is next week), I believe this is relabelled Goudale which is a good starting point.
I've read the fantastic Farmhouse Ales cover to cover several times so this recipe is very much influenced by what I gleaned from that - although I've probably used more varieties of malt than most. The stars aligned when my commercial brewer mate donated me his stir plate and The Malt Miller were selling discounted packs of WLP072 French Ale.
Ideally I'd have used French malt and hops, but couldn't source these from one supplier. In the end I opted for mostly Dingeman's malts and the usual My Recipe Kit from The Malt Miller.
Recipe:
Target volume: 11l
Target OG: 1.067
Target FG: 1.013
Target ABV: 7.2
Target Colour: 26.3 EBC
Target IBU: 24.9
Mash Temp: 66ðc
Mash length: 75 minutes
2.32kg Dingeman's Pale Ale (Bel) - 70%
330g Weyermann Munich I (Ger) - 10%
170g Dingeman's Wheat (Bel) - 5%
130g Dingeman's Aromatic (Bel) - 4%
100g Dingeman's CaraVienna (Bel) - 3%
70g Weywemann Acidulated (Ger) - 2%
30g Dingeman's De-Husked Roasted Barley (Bel) - 1%
170g Dextrose - added at start of boil - 5%
16g Northern Brewer (Ger) - 60 mins - 22.4 IBU
10g Saaz (Cze) - 20 mins - 2.5 IBU
2 packets White Labs WLP072 French Ale in 1l starter
The starter was spinning away 2 days before Brewday - I had to use a juice/cocktail jug as don't have a fancy Erlenmeyer flask - something to go on the wish-list.
Le starter
The (longer than usual) mash was fine and remained at 66ðc for the duration. Sparging went well and I achieved pre-boil combined runnings of 17.5l @ 1.051 (estimated was 16.5l @1.050). I carefully added each pot of runnings into the kettle, leaving behind the most powdery of wort each time.
First runnings
Boil and chilling went without incident.
The wort was really clear for the first 5l or so off run-off, then started trickling. I'd been carefully to minimise the amount of powder getting into the kettle and can't blame the small amount of hops - but the filter I use (lauterhexe) had got blocked. This meant scraping a sanitised spoon against the coil to allow the liquid to flow. I'm not overly-concerned, having read the Brulosophy XMBTs on trub making it into the fermenter, but would prefer to have nice clear wort.
Wort before it went pear-shaped
I'm going to try a whirlpool next time, as I've generally not had any issues with the filter, although I know a number of people have. If that doesn't work then I may have to try a new filtering solution - which will be a shame as the lauterhexe is a great concept.
Eventually I ended up with 12.5l @ 1.053 in the FV. It's down to 1.013 already and hoping for it to go another point or two.
This will be lagered for a month, then bottled in recycled cava/prosecco bottles from Christmas. I will cork and cage these and then hope to save the majority for Christmas 2017. I have another vial so may make a less-complex Bière de Mars to enjoy sooner.
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