Blond Biere de Garde V1,000,000

[serum]

I've made loads of these but as they're on of my favourites I'm always looking at ways to improve them.

It's a very simple recipe but I want to get it super clean with no oxidation. As with my last brew I've gone back to dried yeast because I'm worried about my yeast handling and want to rule that out as a source of off flavours.

The last brew which used T-58 is tasting really good so I think I'm on to something there. I have temp control now and I'm doing big pitches to get a cleaner flavour. I've also read that a few breweries I really like use dried so it can't be all that bad can it?

OG 1.067
Est FG 1.013
IBU: 23

Mash:

6kg Weyermann Premiere Pilsner

Mash in @ 40C
15 mins @ 58C
15 mins @ 62C
30 mins @ 66C
15 mins @ 70C
Mash out @ 76C

Boil - 90 mins
20g Brewers Gold @ 60 mins (19 IBU)
15g Tettnang @ 20 mins (4 IBU)
1/2 Protofloc @ 15 mins

Fermented at 16C with 3 packs of Crossmyloof Kolsch yeast

On the day I actually missed the first hop addition because I was on the phone so extended the boil a bit. Ended up with gravity of 1.068.

I've never tried a Kolsch yeast before and according to the Farmhouse Ales book that's the best for the style. I've already tried White Labs European ale, French Ale and all manner of Saison and Belgian ale strands in this style so let's see what happens. The only thing left to try after this is a lager yeast at higher temps. If this beer goes well I may well attempt an amber or dark version.

 

[dad_of_jon]

I'm happy with the range of dried yeasts available MJ's Fermentis and lallemand i've used so far. Even mj's triple which I thought was poor just needed 8 weeks longer to transform the beer from meh to wow.

 

[serum]

Checked this morning and no bubbles from the blow off tube so far which is unlike the T-58 which got going right away. I had a quick peek under the lid and there's a small krausen so it's getting started. You need a slow and steady fermentation with these beers to keep them clean so I guess it's to be expected. Updates to follow!

 

[serum]

Down to 1.020 after a week and decent taste from what I can tell.

 

[serum]

Bottled this about 3 weeks ago and when drank early it's one of my best I reckon. Hopefully it won't oxidise!

 

[Goulven]

Hi serum, I have questions that comes to me…
Is the @40 rest mandatory? And how much do you put sugar in bottling?