Leffe Blonde clone: experience of using cloves and vanilla?

[Sea brewer]

Hi All

I'm now on my 3rd BIAB batch, learning fast and loving the hobby. My first batch is a passable attempt at a single hopped Kent pale ale, despite the emergency deployment of bread yeast! I'm attempting a Leffe Blonde clone because one of my relatives really rates it. After following the basic recipe from the Malt Miller (that suggested coriander as an addition) I've taken a closer look at Leffe bottles and found that the ingredients include subtle amounts of cloves and vanilla. Does anyone have experience of adding these two flavours? How much should I add (I'm on day 2 in the fermenter so was going to do a day 4 addition)?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Clint]

It doesn't have any cloves or vanilla in it,the spicy "notes" are produced by the coriander addition if you do one and moreso by the Belgian ale yeast.

 

[Sea brewer]

Thanks Clint.

 

[Sadfield]

The blonde doesn't have coriander either, the Tripel does though.

https://www.beertourism.com/blogs/belgian-beer/leffe-blonde
Spice character is more likely from the yeast in Belgian beers, with coriander being used more for it's citrus notes.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/beerandbrewing.com/amp/the-creative-potential-of-coriander/

 

[Rwilts]

My saison had coriander seed and Paradise seeds in the boil.And my leffe clone had no other additions apart from candy sugar, again In the boil.
Too late for you but FYI

 

[Sea brewer]

Thanks for all your response. I’ve got a rather lovely fermentation going on in the garage and won’t be adding any flavours based on your advice.

 

[Ross1974]

Which recipe are you using for this? Do like a Leffe Blonde myself.

Got a Beavertown Neck Oil clone preparing now, but Leffe could be a good one for the festive period.

 

[Sea brewer]

Which recipe are you using for this? Do like a Leffe Blonde myself.

Got a Beavertown Neck Oil clone preparing now, but Leffe could be a good one for the festive period.

Which recipe are you using for this? Do like a Leffe Blonde myself.

Got a Beavertown Neck Oil clone preparing now, but Leffe could be a good one for the festive period.

https://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/product/belgian-blonde-leffe-clone/
This is the one I’m following but with Belgian Abbey yeast. Am using rudimentary plastic brewing vessels and BIAB as it’s my 3rd brew. I’ll let you know how it goes. Will start sampling the bottles from end of Oct.

 

[Ross1974]

https://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/product/belgian-blonde-leffe-clone/
This is the one I’m following but with Belgian Abbey yeast. Am using rudimentary plastic brewing vessels and BIAB as it’s my 3rd brew. I’ll let you know how it goes. Will start sampling the bottles from end of Oct.

Nice one. Be interested to know how it went.

 

[Ross1974]

How did it go? My Neck oil turned out great, after letting it age for about 8 weeks in a cold room. Now looking for ideas, and I reckon this might hit the spot.

 

[Ross1974]

Bought it from TMM. New keg to go with it , so next reasonably sunny day, I'll be on this.

 

[Sea brewer]

Just to follow up on this thread after many many weeks of waiting for the beer to come good. It was a disaster. The beer still tastes of ash, months after conditioning started. I am pretty sure this was down to scorched wort. The immersion element was black when I emptied the wort.

Oh well.

The less likely possibility might be that the ingredients led to a particularly smokey taste, beyond what my pallet would consider pleasant .

 

[tondy79]

Did you dissolve the Candi sugar well before adding it to the kettle? I burnt a batch of this by being impatient with getting all the sugar dissolved well into the wort outside of the kettle before dumping it in

 

[Agentgonzo]

Did you dissolve the Candi sugar well before adding it to the kettle? I burnt a batch of this by being impatient with getting all the sugar dissolved well into the wort outside of the kettle before dumping it in

I chuck my (granulated) sugar into the hop spider. It stays there in a pile until it dissolves.

 

[tondy79]

I chuck my (granulated) sugar into the hop spider. It stays there in a pile until it dissolves.

Sounds like a good idea, I tend not to use a spider but I do have one so might give that a go. The Candi sugar in the malt miller kit for this clone come as big rocks, but imagine the hop spider approach would still work

 

[Sadfield]

I'd scoop a jug full of boiling wort out of the kettle, dissolve sugar in it and return.

 

[Mash Monster]

Just to follow up on this thread after many many weeks of waiting for the beer to come good. It was a disaster. The beer still tastes of ash, months after conditioning started. I am pretty sure this was down to scorched wort. The immersion element was black when I emptied the wort.

Oh well.

The less likely possibility might be that the ingredients led to a particularly smokey taste, beyond what my pallet would consider pleasant .

I brewed this kit sometime ago and it turned out great.I think you have found the culprit for the smoky ash taste - the scorched element.
Don’t be discouraged give it another go I’m sure you will be pleased with the result especially as Leffe is now only 6% ABV.
If I remember correctly I dissolved the candi sugar in a jug of wort before adding to the kettle but the spider would work too. Good luck

 

[Ross1974]

Just brewed this a few days ago. Yeah the 500g took more than a few jug fulls to melt.
Hop spider seemed a bit useless in retaining the hops, so I think the idea of adding the sugar to it is a great idea.
Currently bubbling away rapidly in the fermenter.
@Mash Monster how long did you leave it to condition? I'm planning to decant it into a Corny under some Co2 for a good few weeks.

 

[Mash Monster]

Just brewed this a few days ago. Yeah the 500g took more than a few jug fulls to melt.
Hop spider seemed a bit useless in retaining the hops, so I think the idea of adding the sugar to it is a great idea.
Currently bubbling away rapidly in the fermenter.
@Mash Monster how long did you leave it to condition? I'm planning to decant it into a Corny under some Co2 for a good few weeks.

Hi
I bottle conditioned this one (as I always do with Belgian beers ) and according to my notes I bottled on 13/12/22
First recorded taste was 23/1/23 and reported a very strong banana / bubble gum taste.
By 24/2/23 the flavour had mellowed and was really close to the original
So it looks like it was at its best after about 10 weeks
It came out at 6.6% ABV
Hope that helps

 

[Ross1974]

Cheers.
Its been a week in the fermenter and SG is down to 1.008 which is not a mile off 1.010 as the recipe states. It looks like is actually settled at that, as it's not moved much over the last few days. It's expected as the OG was a little down on spec too at 1.055 vs 1.060.

So, questioning wether to hit it with more Belgian yeast, or leave it as is. Its quite cloudy, despite protoflac, but I guess that'll settle over the next few weeks.

Taste is surprisingly Leffe at the moment, so I'm quite pleased with that.

Any advice on the above?