Belgian Blonde Recipe- Converting All grain to partial mash

[Tahir]

Hey guys,

I've been wanting to brew a leffe style Belgian blonde for a while.

I found this all grain recipe on AHB by user Revvy and used my limited knowledge to convert it into a partial mash. I'm looking for thoughts, comments, feedback on whether you reckon this would/would not work and any suggestions or changes:

Original Recipe:

Quote

Revvy's Blonde
Brew Type: All Grain Date: 4/25/2010 
Style: Belgian Blond Ale
Batch Size: 5.00 gal 
Boil Volume: 6.41 gal 
Boil Time: 90 min (Pilsner malts)

Ingredients Amount Item Type % or IBU 
9 lbs 13.0 oz Pilsner (2 Row) Bel (2.0 SRM) Grain 81.61 % 
1 lbs Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 8.32 % 
5.3 oz Biscuit Malt (23.0 SRM) Grain 2.75 % 
3.5 oz Melanoiden Malt (20.0 SRM) Grain 1.83 % 
1.36 oz Styrian Goldings [5.40 %] (60 min) Hops 23.4 IBU 
0.71 oz Saaz [4.00 %] (30 min) Hops 7.0 IBU 
10.6 oz Sugar, Table (Last 15 minutes of boil) (1.0 SRM) Sugar 5.49 % 
1 Pkgs Abbey Ale (White Labs #WLP530) Yeast-Ale

Mash In: Add 14.20 qt of water at 178.4 F 
Hold mash at 158.0 F for 45 min 

Sparge with 4.47 gal of 168.0 F water. 
Add water to achieve boil volume of 6.41 gal

Note #1 edited from an answer given earlier in the thread)
The reason for mashing at 158 came from doing research into the style reason is that Beta Amylase enzymes denature at 158. This leaves more unfermentable long chain dextrins, you will have more "weight" and more mouthfeel with the 158f mash temp but about the same starting gravity, and the final gravity will be higher as well.

You get more mouthfeel this way so that when you add the table sugar to the boil, you get the gravity boost but it's not "thin and cidery" like happens with many beers when you boost with a simple sugar. With this higher temp mash there still is decent mouthfeel and even great lacing on the glass from the proteins. "

Partial Mash conversion:

Batch size 23L

3Kg DME extract Pilsen Light (Briess)

550g Munich Malt

200g Victory Malt

150 Honey Malt

30g Table sugar

100g Styrian Goldings

50g Saaz

Yeast : SafAle S-33 & Safeale T-58 ferment @ 15-20 C

Beer smith has it within the style guidelines:

SG : 1.063

FG: 1.014

IBUS: 16.6

Colour: 12 EBC

ABV : 6.42%

 

Thank you in advance for spending the time to read and share your thoughts.

[Naughty Corner Brewing]

Hmmm. I’ve only done a couple but I’d probably drop half the extract to 1.5KG and mash with 2 to 3 kg of the Pilsner malt.

Your probably going to need a chunk of base malt to give you enough enzymatic action to chew through all the specialty malts.

It’ll probably improve/freshen the taste as well.

Cheers

Jamie

[Tahir]

30 minutes ago, NewBrews said:

Hmmm. I’ve only done a couple but I’d probably drop half the extract to 1.5KG and mash with 2 to 3 kg of the Pilsner malt.

Your probably going to need a chunk of base malt to give you enough enzymatic action to chew through all the specialty malts.

It’ll probably improve/freshen the taste as well.

Cheers

Jamie

Hey mate, 

 

cheers for for your response.

the Munich malts are base malts so there should be enough enzymes to break through the Vic and Honey. In addition, the honey malts are similar to Melanoidin malts so I don’t have any steeping grains in there. Nevertheless, the base malt ratio is still higher then the other two grain so I reckon that side of things should be right ?

[Hairy]

Munich 1 has sufficient diastatic power.

But if you are to do a bigger mash then mashing some Pilsner malt and reducing the extract will make a better beer.

Where are you based Tahir? I have never seen honey malt in Australia and haven’t been able to get Victory for years. I really liked Victory.

[Tahir]

3 minutes ago, Hairy said:

Munich 1 has sufficient diastatic power.

But if you are to do a bigger mash then mashing some Pilsner malt and reducing the extract will make a better beer.

Where are you based Tahir? I have never seen honey malt in Australia and haven’t been able to get Victory for years. I really liked Victory.

Hey mate,

So I reckon I'd struggle with adding significantly more grains as I won't have enough space in the pot to sparge I believe. Thats my main concern. My pot is only 8 litres. So i'm thinking 900 grams would already be pushing the limit.

I live in Melbourne mate.  Grain and grape is a home brew store that sell victory here and can but as much or as little as you need. if you're interstate then the country trading store on ebay has Victory by the kilo @ $6.2 per kg before postage but if buying more stuff (yeasts , malts etc) you can offset postage I suppose. They're based in Vic too search ebay for "country-trading-store".  Honey malts I get from Amazon.com (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007NM9AVI/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) its a bit expensive at due to postage ,  with postage it ended up at $21 for 1lb. Seems expensive but you only end up using very little per brew and it adds an amazing honey aroma and sweetness that I have not been able to replicate with anything else.

[Greenyinthewestofsydney]

Your recipe looks nice mate. I have done a few blondes and while I haven't used the s33 and T58 combo I can vouch for the danstar abbaye yeast. It's a noticeable but milder Belgium strain compared to all the other liquid strains.

Also as far as a fermentation schedule. Pitch at 18c. Wait for the krausen. Then raise one degree each day to 24 till done. 

[BlackSands]

15 hours ago, Tahir said:

So I reckon I'd struggle with adding significantly more grains as I won't have enough space in the pot to sparge I believe. Thats my main concern. My pot is only 8 litres. So i'm thinking 900 grams would already be pushing the limit.

I think you could get more grain in there.   I used to use a 11 litre pot and mashed up to 2kg grain in a bag in around 6 litres of water.   When the grain bag was lifted out the pot was only around half full of wort.  I then sparged until it was filled up to around 10 litres.  During the boil I had to keep a close eye on the hot break  as spill over was very likely with it being so full! 

I think at a stretch you could probably mash up to 1.5kg grain.   

    

Edited May 29, 2019 by BlackSands

[porschemad911]

Mashing 1.5kg base malt in a grain bag in 6l strike water (5.8l at room temp) will take up around 7l volume once mixed. You'll get around 4.9l runnings at 1.064 SG from that once you lift and drain the grain bag. 

If you then sit the grain bag on a colander on top of the pot and sparge with another 2l water you'll have around 6.9l at 1.052 SG in total pre-boil all going well. 

If you then boil for 30 mins and lose 1.5l volume, you'll have 5.4l of 1.066 SG wort. The volumes are a little rubbery as the wort will expand as it is coming to a boil, but near enough. 

Diluting that to 23l will give you a SG of 1.015. 3kg LDM in 23l will give you an SG of 1.048, so combining these will hit your 1.063 SG target.

If 350g of your grain bill is specialty malt your yield will be a bit lower, but near enough. 

Cheers, 

John