Headstrong Dark

Belgian Strong Ale

This is a 2004 BJCP style 18e beer.

Recipe: Belgian Dark Strong Ale (based on Recipe from January/February Zymurgy)
Volume: 5 gallons
Dates:

Brew date: May 7, 2005
Transfer to secondary: May 21, 2005
Bottling: Jun 5, 2005

Ingredients:

Water source: basement utility sink filtered dispenser
Yeast: WLP500 Belgian Trappist
Pitched on yeast bed from Three A Day Tripel

Grain bill

	Potential sg pppg	Points per gal
12.5 lbs Pilsener Malt 2.25 lbs Vienna Malt 1 lb Munich Malt 1 lb Caramunich Malt 0.75 lb Carapils Malt 0.1 oz Chocolate Malt 1 lb Corn Sugar	1.037 1.035 1.035 1.034 1.034 1.030 1.046	462.5 78.8 35.0 34.0 25.5 0.2 46.0
	Ideal: Pre-boil: Target:	682.0 682.0 682.0	/ 5 gal = 136.4 >>> 1.136 * 70%/ 6 gal = 79.6 >>> 1.080 * 70%/ 5 gal = 95.5 >>> 1.096

Hops

1.5 oz Hallertauer - 4.2% avg alpha Utilization: 60 minutes @ 1.080 = 17.6%	*IBU = 1.5 4.2 * 17.6 * 0.75 / 5 = 16.6**
0.5 oz Hallertauer - 4.2% avg alpha Utilization: 10 minutes @ 1.080 = 6.4%	*IBU = 0.5 4.2 * 6.4 * 0.75 / 5 = 2.0**
0.5 oz Hallertauer - 4.2% avg alpha Utilization: 3 minutes @ 1.080 = 2.1%	*IBU = 0.5 4.2 * 2.1 * 0.75 / 5 = 0.7**
	Total IBU = 19

Activity Log

Mash/Lauter/Sparge:

Heated 5 gallons of water to 170 f in 7.5 gallon pot with new Bazooka T-screen and spigot. Added grain and adjusted to 152 f. Let mash for 60 minutes. Added boiling water and heated to mash out at 170 f. Recirculated until clear and sparged with 170 f water to obtain 7.5 gallons of runoff.

Boil:

Boiled for 50 minutes and added first hops. Boiled for 50 minutes and added second hops. Boiled for 7 minutes and added third hops. Boiled for 3 minutes. Cooled through counterflow chiller into primary carboy. Took specific gravity reading of 1.085 (lower than expected gravity due to ending volume of 5.6 gallons instead of 5). Rocked on folded towel to aerate. Fitted stopper and airlock. Placed at 70 f.

Fermentation

Observations of primary stage (14 days @ 70 f)

1 day: carboy filled with foam so switched to blow-off tube.
2 days: foam expelled through blow-off tube caused flask to bubble over. Changed to flask with clean water. Counted 133 glubbles (groups of 4 to 5 bubbles) per minute.
3 days: 78 glubbles per minute.
4 days: 70 glubbles per minute.
5 days: 50 glubbles per minute.
6 days: 30 glubbles per minute.
7 days: 17 glubbles per minute.
8 days: 5 glubbles per minute.
9 days: 3 glubbles per minute.

Siphoned to 5 gallon carboy. Took specific gravity reading of 1.021. Fitted with stopper and airlock and placed at 70 f. Filled 2 liter bottle 4/5 full, pressurized to 30 lbs/sq in and put in fridge.

Observations of secondary stage (14 days)

15 days: 1 bubble per minute
Put temperature at 72 f
17 days: 1 bubble every 2 minutes
20 days: 1 bubble every 4 minutes 50 seconds

Bottling:

Boiled 5 ounces of corn sugar in 2 cups of water. Cooled and added to bottling bucket. Siphoned from carboy into two 2 liter bottles until 4/5 full. Pressurized to 30 lbs/sq in of CO2 and placed in fridge. Took specific gravity reading of 1.020 which puts ABV at 8.5%. Siphoned 4 gallons into bottling bucket. Filled and capped 40 bottles.

See Headstrong Dark labels here.

Results:

TBD