La Debut Du Monde

Belgian Strong Ale

This is a 2004 BJCP style 18c beer.

Recipe: Unibroue La Fin Du Monde Clone
Volume: 5 gallons
Dates:

Brew date: Jan 26, 2008
Transfer to secondary: Feb 9, 2008
Bottling: Feb 23, 2008

Ingredients:

Water source: basement utility sink filtered dispenser
Yeast: Wyeast 3864VSS Canadian/Belgian Ale

Grain bill

	Potential sg pppg	Points per gal
10.0 lbs Pilsener Malt 1.5 lb Wheat Malt 0.5 lb Aromatic Malt 2.0 lbs Corn Sugar	1.037 1.038 1.036 1.046	370.0 57.0 18.0 92.0
	Ideal: Pre-boil: Target:	537.0 (445.0 (445.0	/ 5 gal = 107.4 >>> 1.107 * 70% + 92.0)/ 6 gal = 67.5 >>> 1.068 * 70% + 92.0)/ 5 gal = 80.7 >>> 1.081

Hops (whole leaf)

1 oz Hallertaur - 4.0% avg alpha Utilization: 60 minutes @ 1.070 = 19.3%	*IBU = 1 4.0 * 19.3 * 0.75 / 5 = 11.6**
0.75 oz Hallertaur - 4.0% avg alpha Utilization: 20 minutes @ 1.070 = 14.8%	*IBU = 0.75 4.0 * 14.8 * 0.75 / 5 = 6.7**
	Total IBU = 22

Other

1 tsp Irish Moss (rehydrated) - 15 min 1 tbsp zest from orange - 15 min 2 tsp crushed coriander - 15 min

Activity Log

Yeast Starter:

Two days before brew, took yeast smack pack out of fridge, smacked to break the nutrient ball and placed at 72f. One day before brew, boiled 5 oz of DME in 1.4L of water in flask and cooled. Shook to aerate, pitched yeast, covered top with alumininum foil and placed at 72 f.

Mash/Lauter/Sparge:

Heated 4.5 gallons of water to 168f and mixed in grain. Added cool water to bring temperature to 149 f. Let rest for 60 minutes adding heat at 30 minutes to keep temperature at 149. Added boiling water to bring to 168 f for mashout for 10 minutes. Recycled until relatively clear and collected 6.5 gallons in boil pot.

Boil:

Brought to boil and added sugar. Boiled for 30 minutes and added first hops. Boiled for 40 minutes and added second hops. Boiled for 5 minutes and added coriander, orange zest and irish moss. Boiled for 15 minutes and turned off heat. Ran through counterflow chiller and collected 5 gallons in 6.5 gallon carboy. Took specific gravity reading of 1.088 with refractometer. Thanks to Ed Seamen for pointing out that refractometer is only good for original gravity reading. Aerated by shaking carboy on folded towel and pitched yeast. Fitted with airlock and placed at 70 f.

Fermentation (target final gravity = 1.011):

Observations of primary stage
(14 days w/temp increasing to 72 f))

1 day: 70 f, 3/4 inch foam, 109 bubbles per minute
2 days: 71 f, 1/4 inch foam, 43 bubbles per minute
3 days: placed in office at 72 f while we were gone to Peoria
7 days: returned to fermenting booth at 72 f
8 days: 72 f, thin layer of foam, 6 bubbles per minute
11 days: 72 f, thin layer of foam, 5 bubbles per minute

Siphoned to 5 gallon carboy taking specfic gravity reading of 1.034. Filled 2 liter bottle 4/5 full, pressurized with 30 lb/sq in CO2 and put in fridge to force carbonate.

Observations of secondary stage
(14 days @ 70 f))

17 days: 75 f, thin layer of foam, 6 bubbles per minute
19 days: 76 f, thin layer of foam, 10 bubbles per minute
20 days: 77 f, patches of bubbles, 9 bubbles per minute
22 days: 78 f, patches of bubbles, 8 bubbles per minute
24 days: 79 f, patches of bubbles, 6 bubbles per minute

Bottling:

Boiled 5 ounces of corn sugar in 4 cups of water, cooled and added to bottling bucket. Siphoned 4 gallons to bottling bucket taking specfic gravity reading of 1.016. Filled 1 1/2 2 liter bottles 4/5 full, pressurized with 30 lb/sq in CO2 and put in fridge to force carbonate. Filled and capped 40 bottles and placed at 80 f to bottle condition.

See La Debut Du Monde labels here.

Results:

This beer won first place in the Belgian Specialty category of the 2008 National Homebrew Competition 1st round where it was entered as a Don De Dieu clone.
This beer won first place in the Belgian Strong category of the 2008 BUZZ Boneyard Brew-off. It was also entered as a Don De Dieu clone where it won 3rd place in the Belgian Specialty category and 3rd place in the high gravity category.
This beer won second place in the Belgian Dubbel/Tripel category of the 2008 Spooky Brew Review.
This beer, entered as Don De Thomas in the Belgian Specialty category, won first place in the mini-competition held December 21, 2008 by UKG. It was selected as the UKG entry for the Nation-wide Club-only Belgian and French Ale competition to be held by the Silverado Homebrew Club.