Rochefort Yeast Propagation beer

[chthon]

Rochefort II - Blonde Ale (6B)

Batch Size  5,497 L           
Boil Size   7,497 L           
Boil Time   60,000 min        
Efficiency  90%               
OG          1,044 sg          
FG          1,009 sg          
ABV         4,6%              
Bitterness  31,8 IBU (Noonan) 
Color       5,5 ebc (Morey)

Fermentables

Name                 Type   Amount     Mashed  Late  Yield  Color   
Pilsner (2 Row) Bel  Grain  644,000 g  Yes     No    79%    3,9 ebc 
Wheat Malt, Bel      Grain  183,000 g  Yes     No    81%    2,9 ebc 
Wheat, Flaked        Grain  92,000 g   Yes     No    77%    3,9 ebc 
Total grain: 919,000 g

Hops

Name              Alpha  Amount    Use    Time        Form  IBU  
Eastwell Golding  4,8%   6,000 g   Boil   60,000 min  Leaf  14,2 
Eastwell Golding  4,8%   8,000 g   Boil   30,000 min  Leaf  10,7 
Eastwell Golding  4,8%   10,000 g  Boil   15,000 min  Leaf  7,0  
Eastwell Golding  4,8%   6,000 g   Aroma  10,000 min  Leaf  0,0

Yeasts

Name       Type  Form    Amount    Stage   
Rochefort  Ale   Liquid  20,00 mL  Primary

Mash

Name                Type      Amount   Temp      Target    Time   
Conversion          Infusion  3,664 L  74,566 C  66,667 C  1 hr   
Final Batch Sparge  Infusion  4,830 L  79,681 C  74,000 C  15 min

 

[chthon]

I brewed this beer to further propagate my Rochefort yeast, after I had a starter of about 0,5 liter, so I brewed around 5,5 litres.

The recipe says flaked wheat, but that can be substituted by any grain-based adunct. I used wheat flour.

I used 90% extract efficiency, but the actual was more like 85%. I always use a step mash of 62-65-70.

 

[Dutto]

I mistook Rochefort for Roquefort ...

... and was about to ask if the brew tasted of cheese! Doh!

I put it down to Old Age and too many ...

 

[chthon]

 

[stevey]

Are Eastwell Goldings the same as East Kent Goldings?

 

[chthon]

Practically, yes.

I suppose the cultivator chose this breed in function of the terroir, because these were bred in Poperinge.

 

[stevey]

Thanks, might try this one, I have everything but the yeast. I presume it's available in UK?

 

[stevey]

Ah, a little research tells me Wyeast 1762 is the correct strain.

 

[strange-steve]

Ah, a little research tells me Wyeast 1762 is the correct strain.

Supposedly yes, but in my experience it's not quite the same. The ester profile is a bit different. Even though Rochefort is probably my favourite beer my go to yeast for Belgian beers is WLP530 (Westmalle) rather than 1762. I'm interested to hear what the propagated yeast is like cos I have a bottle of R8 at home.

 

[chthon]

I am busy taking notes of the propagation, because the Rochefort is different from the Westmalle (which I cultured two years ago), and the St.-Bernardus (which I cultured last year). These two flocculate well. What I mean by this is not that they flocculate fast, but that the wort in which was used cleared nicely. After some time you have a clear supernatant.

The Rochefort stays hazy for a long time, even in the fridge. I also think it is more active at lower temperatures, there stayed little islands of foam on it, like the start of fermentation. Despite this, this recipe was reasonably clear after one week of fermentation and two weeks of secondary.

Tasting notes need to be done separately, because I really haven't paid attention to that yet.