Belgian Blonde Ale
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Statistics
Original Gravity 1.046
Final Gravity 1.012
Alcohol Content 4.8%
Ingredients
6.6 lb. Munton’s Extra-Light Malt Extract
½ lb. Dingemans Carapils Malt 7.7° L
2 oz. Styrian Goldings Hop Pellets (Bittering) with 60 minutes left in the boil.
1oz. Styrian Goldings Hop Pellets (Finishing) with 2 minutes left in the boil.
White Labs WLP500 Trappist Ale Yeast
Procedure
A few hours before you begin to brew, prepare your liquid yeast according to the package instructions. We assume that you are familiar with basic homebrewing techniques, so these procedures are abbreviated.
1. Put the cracked grains into 1 of the muslin bags and add them to your brew kettle along with 1½ gallons of cold water. Heat slowly.
2. Steep the grains in hot water (about 145º – 160ºF) to extract flavor and color – do not allow to boil. After about 30 minutes, remove the grain bags and then bring the water to a boil.
3. Remove the pot from the heat and one of the cans of malt extract. Do not add the other can at this time. Keep the kettle off the burner and stir until the malt extract is completely dissolved.
4. Put the pot back on the burner and bring to a boil. Once boiling, place bittering hops into muslin bags (no more than 1 oz. per bag), add to the pot, and set your timer to boil for 1 hour. Keep an eye on the pot to avoid boil-overs.
5. After 40 minutes of boiling, remove the pot from the heat (you do not have to stop the timer) and add the remaining can of malt extract syrup. Keep the kettle off the burner and stir until the syrup is completely dissolved. Bring back to a boil.
6. After 45 minutes, add ½ teaspoon of Irish moss (or 1 Whirlfloc tablet) to help clarify your beer (optional).
7. After 58 minutes of boiling, add the finishing hops (in a muslin bag) and boil for 2 more minutes.
8. After 60 minutes of boiling, turn off the heat. Put a lid on your pot and cool it in an ice bath (use your sink) for about 30 minutes. Remove the hop bags from the kettle.
9. Pour 2 gallons of cold water into your sanitized fermenter, add the cooled wort (the stuff in your pot), and top up with additional water to 5 gallons. Aerate the wort with vigorous stirring, rocking the fermenter, etc.
10. Make sure the wort is below 80°F before adding yeast. Take a hydrometer reading if desired. Add the yeast.
11. Store the fermenter where the temperature will be a fairly constant 65° – 75°F. Active fermentation may take only a few days, or it can last up to 2 weeks. A hydrometer reading is a great way to determine when the fermentation is done. Keep the beer in the primary fermenter for up to two weeks until active fermentation is done (no signs of active fermentation for the last 2-3 days).
12. When ready to bottle, siphon beer into your sanitized bottling bucket, leaving sediment behind. Boil the priming sugar in 1-2 cups of water for a few minutes, gently stir into the beer, and bottle as usual.