Leah The Blond

Belgian Blond Ale

This is a 2004 BJCP style 18a beer.

Recipe: Leffe Clone recipe from Steve McKenna
Volume: 5 gallons
Dates:

Brew date: Jun 25, 2005
Transfer to secondary: Jul 12, 2005
Bottling: Jul 22, 2005

Ingredients:

Water source: basement utility sink filtered dispenser
Yeast: WLP570 Belgian Golden Ale
Pitched on yeast bed from Golden Days.

Grain bill

	Potential sg pppg	Points per gal
12 lbs Pilsener Malt 0.5 lb Carapils Malt 0.5 lb Wheat Malt	1.037 1.034 1.039	444.0 17.0 39.0
	Ideal: Pre-boil: Target:	500.0 500.0 500.0	/ 5 gal = 100.0 >>> 1.100 * 70%/ 6 gal = 58.3 >>> 1.058 * 70%/ 5 gal = 70.0 >>> 1.070
1.5 lbs Corn Sugar (into primary as foam subsides)	1.046	69.0
	Effective::	(69 + 500.0	* 70%)/ 5 gal = 83.8 >>> 1.084

Whole Hops

1 oz Kent Goldings - 5.9% avg alpha Utilization: 60 minutes @ 1.058 = 21.5%	*IBU = 1.0 5.9 * 21.5 * 0.75 / 5 = 19.0**
1.5 oz Saaz - 2.6% avg alpha Utilization: 15 minutes @ 1.058 = 10.7%	*IBU = 1.5 2.6 * 10.7 * 0.75 / 5 = 6.3**
	Total IBU = 25

Other

1 tsp Gypsum in mash
1 tsp Irish Moss (rehydrated) - 15 min 1 tbl Crushed Coriander - 15 min

Activity Log

Mash/Lauter/Sparge:

Added gypsum to 4 gallons of water in 7 gallon pot with Bazooka T-screen and heated to 165 f. Stirred in grain and added cool water to obtain 149 f. Let rest for 60 minutes then added boiling water and heat to bring temperature to 158 f. Let rest for 25 minutes then added boiling water and heat to mash out at 169 f for 10 minutes. Recirculated until clear with spigot open 30 degrees. Rinsed with 170 f water until 6.5 gallons of run-off was obtained.

Boil:

Boiled 30 minutes then added first hops. Boiled for 45 more minutes then added second hops, crushed coriander and irish moss. Boiled for 15 more minutes then removed from heat. Cooled through counterflow chiller into primary carboy containing yeast bed from Golden Days. Took specific gravity reading of 1.069. Rocked on folded towel to aerate, fitted with stopper and airlock and placed at 72f.

Fermentation:

Observations of primary stage

1 day: 1/2 inch foam, 92 bubbles per minute
set temperature to 75 f
3 days: film of foam, 27 bubbles per minute
6 days: film of foam, 5 bubbles per minute
boiled 1.5 lbs of corn sugar in 4 cups of water, cooled and added to carboy
7 days: opened booth and left at basement temperature

Siphoned into 5 gallon carboy, fitted with stopper and airlock. Took specific gravity reading of 1.009.

Bottling:

Siphoned into two 2 liter bottles, pressurized to 30 lbs/sq in of CO2 and placed in fridge. Took specific gravity reading of 1.007 which puts ABV at 9.9%. Boiled 6 ounces of corn sugar in 2 cups of water. Cooled and added to bottling bucket. Siphoned 4 gallons from carboy into bottling bucket. Filled and capped 41 12 ounce bottles.

See Leah The Blond labels here.

Results:

This beer won first place in the Belgian Strong category at the 2005 Spooky Brew Review competition held by the Chicago Beer Society at Emmett's Tavern in Palatine, IL.