Noel Night

Belgian Strong Ale

This is a 2004 BJCP style 18e beer.

Recipe: Belgian Dark Strong Ale
Volume: 5 gallons
Dates:

Brew date: Dec 15, 2007
Transfer to secondary: Dec 29, 2007
Bottling: Jan 12, 2008

Ingredients:

Water source: basement utility sink filtered dispenser
Yeast: WLP500 Belgian Trappist
pitched on yeast bed from Turkey Tripel

Grain bill

	Potential sg pppg	Points per gal
10.0 lbs US Pale 2-row Malt 3.0 lbs British Pale 2-row Malt 3.0 lb Munich Malt 0.5 lb Wheat Malt 1.0 lb Belgian Aromatic Malt 1.25 lb Caramunich Malt 0.75 lbs Special B Malt 5.5 oz Vienna Malt 2.5 oz Biscuit Malt 1 lb Corn Sugar	1.037 1.037 1.035 1.031 1.036 1.034 1.030 1.034 1.035 1.046	370.0 111.0 105.0 15.5 36.0 51.0 22.5 11.7 5.5 46.0
20.5 lbs Total	Ideal: Pre-boil: Target:	774.2 (728.2 (728.2	/ 5 gal = 154.8 >>> 1.155 * 70% + 46)/ 6 gal = 92.6 >>> 1.093 * 70%/ + 46) 5 gal = 111.1 >>> 1.111

Hops (whole leaf)

3.0 oz Hallertauer - 3.6% avg alpha
Utilization: 60 minutes @ 1.090 = 16.1% IBU = 3.0 * 3.6 * 16.1 * 0.75 / 5 = 26.1

Total IBU = 26.1

Activity Log

Mash/Lauter/Sparge:

Heated 5 gallons of water to 170 f in 7 gallon mash tun with Bazooka T-screen. Mixed in grain and tried to keep at 153 f for 60 minutes. Had trouble stirring while heating due to large amount of grain barely fitting into pot. Opened spigot 45 degrees and recycled until relatively clear. Captured 7 gallons into 10 gallon Polarware kettle, sparging with 168 f water.

Boil:

Brought to a boil and added corn sugar. Boiled for 30 minutes then added hops. Boiled for 60 more minutes then cooled by running through counterflow chiller into 6.5 gallon carboy. Took specfic gravity reading of 1.099. This means that about 60% efficiency was achieved instead of the target 70%. Aerated by rocking on folded towel. Fitted stopper and airlock and placed at 70 f.

Fermentation

Observations of primary stage (70 f increasing to 72 f)
(target final gravity = 1.024)

1 day: 70 f, 3 inches of foam, 134 bubbles per minute
3 days: 71 f, 2 inches of foam, 64 bubbles per minute
5 days: 72 f, slight foam, 28 bubbles per minute
14 days: 72 f, patchy slight foam, 4 bubbles per minute

Siphoned to 5 gallon carboy taking specfic gravity reading of 1.050. To help attenuation, boiled 1 lb of corn sugar in 5 cups of water, cooled and added to carboy.

Observations of secondary stage

15 days: 72 f, no foam, 11 bubbles per minute
16 days: 72 f, no foam, 10 bubbles per minute

Bottling:

Discovered that refractometer was not giving the same reading as the hydrometer. Siphoned to bottling bucket taking specific gravity reading of 1.016. This puts ABV at about 10.8%. Filled a 2 liter bottle two thirds full, pressurized to 30 lbs/sq in CO2 and placed in fridge to force carbonate. This left a little more than 4 gallons in the bottling bucket. Boiled 5 oz of corn sugar in 2 cups of water, cooled and stirred into bottling bucket. Filled and capped 43 bottles and placed at 72 f to condition.

After 2 weeks bottles didn't carbonate. Waited 2 more weeks and still no real carbonation. Emptied bottles into corny keg and placed in fridge under 30 lbs/sq in CO2 to force carbonate. Will put on tap and age and bottle from there for competitions.

See Noel Night labels here.

Results:

This beer won second place in the Belgian Strong category of the 2008 BUZZ Boneyard Brew-off
This beer won third place in the Belgian Strong Ale category of the 2008 Spooky Brew Review
This beer won third place in the Belgian Abbey Ales category at the 2009 Drunk Monk Challenge

3.0 oz Hallertauer - 3.6% avg alpha Utilization: 60 minutes @ 1.090 = 16.1%	*IBU = 3.0 3.6 * 16.1 * 0.75 / 5 = 26.1**
	Total IBU = 26.1