Ok... so it's my big 60th! (brew that is) and I decided to brew a Belgian Honey Beer inspired by this: http://www.crackedkettle.com/store/inde ... cts_id=367
Decided to use the Duvel yeast strain again as my last Belgian turned out superb... only 2 bottles left!
This time, however, I underpitched - just to see if the yeast would get stressed and throw up some new flavours for me. 
Here's how it ended:
Belgian Honey Beer
16-E Belgian Specialty Ale
Date: 15/01/2011
Size: 24 L
Efficiency: 80.0%
Attenuation: 87.0% (prediction)
Original Gravity: 1.081 (1.026 - 1.120)
Terminal Gravity: 1.011 (0.995 - 1.035)
Color: 3.84 (1.0 - 50.0)
Alcohol: 9.34% (2.5% - 14.5%)
Bitterness: 31.8 (0.0 - 100.0)
Ingredients:
6.0 kg Lager Malt
150.0 g Torrified Wheat
1kg White Table Sugar (Sucrose)
20.0 g Hallertau Hersbruck (6%) - added during boil, boiled 90 min
40.0 g Saaz (3.5%) - added during boil, boiled 90 min
12.0 g Hallertau Hersbruck (6%) - added during boil, boiled 10 min
12.0 g Saaz (3.5%) - added during boil, boiled 10 min
10.0 g Crushed Coriander - added during boil, boiled 10 min
8.0 g Grains of Paradise - added during boil, boiled 10 min http://www.ehow.com/how_5798676_add-gra ... -beer.html
20.0 g Orange zest - added during boil, boiled 5 min
500.0 g Honey - to add to secondary fermenter
1.0 L Duvel - Cultured
Began my starter last Sunday using my usual method: viewtopic.php?f=12&t=37582&hilit=+pressure
Put it in the fridge around 10 hours before pitching so that the yeast in suspension could 'fall out' and settle on the yeast bed.
Here are some pics. Didn't take too many as my process is the same as always.
My new (crap!) thermometer bringing the hot liquor to temp:
Transferring the hot liquor to the mash tun:
The beautiful mash:
The whole coriander and grains of paradise:
And after a whizzing:
The orange zest:
Hot break:
The chill:
.Settling before the run off:
In the fermenter now. Recipe above is how it all ended up... Apart from the honey addition of course as that has yet to be added. However, based on previous experience, I'm pretty confident that it should end up as above. In saying that though... I did end up mashing at around 63c so could end up with a lower FG.
Plan now:
Bring to 28c over 7 days. Come on Duvel yeast, do your stuff!
