Brugse Zot

[barney]

Has anyone tried to clone this?

I was thinking of,

Ingredients
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
5.75 kg Fawcetts Tipple (5.2 EBC) Grain 1 51.6 %
2.75 kg Lager Malt (3.9 EBC) Grain 2 24.7 %
1.00 kg Wheat Malt, Bel (3.9 EBC) Grain 3 9.0 %
0.40 kg Cara-Pils/Dextrine (3.9 EBC) Grain 4 3.6 %
0.25 kg Aromatic Malt (51.2 EBC) Grain 5 2.2 %
1.00 kg Sugar, Table (Sucrose) (2.0 EBC) Sugar 6 9.0 %
101.00 g Celeia [4.50 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 7 11.1 IBUs
30.00 g Citra [12.00 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 8 8.8 IBUs
2.0 pkg Trappist High Gravity (Wyeast Labs #3787) [124.21 ml] Yeast 9 -

That would give everything that I think I tasted,

Any advices welcome

[seymour]

I haven't seen this beer before, but it looks like they distribute to some parts of the USA, so I'll be on the lookout.

All I can find is "four kinds of malts and two kinds of aromatic hops", 6.0% ABV, 27 IBU, and a top-secret blend of spices which are essential to the beer's profile.

It looks to me like you might need to increase the IBU, perhaps substitute Belgian Pilsener malt for your Tipple and Lager, which would be a good guess at their "four malts" (though, to be honest, the effect may not be noticeable enough to justify special-ordering expensive base malt.) I'm not sure about the Citra, I'd expect something more classic or Continental like a true Golding or Saaz (but don't let me stop you, you know what you tasted, I don't), and consider adding coriander and dried bitter orange or lemon peel. What other spices might you have tasted? Lemongrass? Grains of Paradise? White or pink peppercorns?

[barney]

Hello Seymour, Thanks for your input,

Good luck tracking down the beer, I am sure you will be suitably impressed.
The "four malts" ? I think my attempt is to create the correct body rather than flavour, which was light yet malty. I didn't detect any "lagerishness" at all. neither was there any perceptible hop bitterness. The flavours I picked up on were certainly delicate pineapple followed through by lemon( are there any European hops giving the pineapple flavour?). On a 1-5 assertiveness scale for the flavour I would be looking at perhaps 2-3. I didn't pick up on any spices apart from the spiciness which I thought came from the Westmalle yeast. There could be lemon peel or lemon grass on top it was a pure lemon flavour and not "just a hint of citrus". The spices I have not tasted and would not be able to identify if they were there even if present as a stand out ingredient.

I really must learn to take more care when sampling beer and write down a few notes.

[seymour]

Well, whatever the case, your suggested recipe will certainly produce a true-to-style Belgian golden ale with some additional citrusy, tropical fruity notes. You could always brew as it and take notes on what to tweak next time...

Cheers!

[barney]

Thats a plan Seymour, a couple hits of would have it and I think it would be nice even if it were a bit "wrong" I will do a couple of 19ltr batches.

[barney]

I have just stepped up the starter from 150ml to a litre. I had a taste of the partially fermented Wort and I know its early doors but its a lot of character, unlike other Belgian yeasts I have used, very spicy.

[SiHoltye]

Made a lovely Zot-a-like with WLP575, next try is in a couple of weeks with WLP400. Drink it young and cloudy like it is at the brewery, then brew more quickly. <3 Belgian8-)

[barney]

Made a lovely Zot-a-like with WLP575, next try is in a couple of weeks with WLP400. Drink it young and cloudy like it is at the brewery, then brew more quickly. <3 Belgian8-)

What was your recipe SiHoltye?

[SiHoltye]

Zot-a-like

Ingredients
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
7.50 kg Pilsner (2 Row) Bel (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 62.5 %
3.00 kg Wheat Malt, Bel (2.0 SRM) Grain 2 25.0 %
1.50 kg Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 3 12.5 %
75.00 g Goldings, East Kent [5.50 %] - First Wort 60.0 min Hop 4 24.4 IBUs
20.00 g Goldings, East Kent [5.50 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 5 2.1 IBUs
50.00 g Coriander Seed (Boil 5.0 mins) Spice 6 -
50.00 g Orange Peel, Bitter (Boil 5.0 mins) Spice 7 -
1.00 oz Anise, Star (Boil 5.0 mins) Spice 8 -
1.0 pkg Belgian Style Ale Yeast Blend (White Labs #WLP575) [35.00 ml] Yeast 9 -

Beer Profile
Measured Original Gravity: 1.055 SG
Measured Final Gravity: 1.010 SG
Actual Alcohol by Vol: 5.9 %
Bitterness: 26.5 IBUs Calories: 513.8 kcal/l
Est Color: 5.4 SRM

Zot-a-like 2 (to be brewed ina few weeks and adjusted from the original recipe to be more Zotty

Ingredients
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
9.00 kg Pilsner (2 Row) Bel (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 69.2 %
3.00 kg Wheat Malt, Bel (2.0 SRM) Grain 2 23.1 %
0.50 kg Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 3 3.8 %
75.00 g Goldings, East Kent [5.50 %] - First Wort 60.0 min Hop 4 26.3 IBUs
0.50 kg Candi Sugar, Clear (0.5 SRM) Sugar 5 3.8 %
20.00 g Goldings, East Kent [5.50 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 6 2.3 IBUs
50.00 g Coriander Seed (Boil 5.0 mins) Spice 7 -
50.00 g Grains Of Paradise (Boil 5.0 mins) Spice 8 -
50.00 g Orange Peel, Bitter (Boil 5.0 mins) Spice 9 -
3.00 Items Anise, Star (Boil 5.0 mins) Spice 10 -
1.0 pkg Belgian Wit Ale (White Labs #WLP400) [35.49 ml] Yeast 11 -

Beer Profile
Est Original Gravity: 1.062 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.011 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 6.7 %
Bitterness: 28.6 IBUs Calories: 654.4 kcal/l
Est Color: 4.9 SRM

[barney]

Zot-a-like

Ingredients
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
7.50 kg Pilsner (2 Row) Bel (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 62.5 %
3.00 kg Wheat Malt, Bel (2.0 SRM) Grain 2 25.0 %
1.50 kg Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 3 12.5 %
75.00 g Goldings, East Kent [5.50 %] - First Wort 60.0 min Hop 4 24.4 IBUs
20.00 g Goldings, East Kent [5.50 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 5 2.1 IBUs
50.00 g Coriander Seed (Boil 5.0 mins) Spice 6 -
50.00 g Orange Peel, Bitter (Boil 5.0 mins) Spice 7 -
1.00 oz Anise, Star (Boil 5.0 mins) Spice 8 -
1.0 pkg Belgian Style Ale Yeast Blend (White Labs #WLP575) [35.00 ml] Yeast 9 -

Beer Profile
Measured Original Gravity: 1.055 SG
Measured Final Gravity: 1.010 SG
Actual Alcohol by Vol: 5.9 %
Bitterness: 26.5 IBUs Calories: 513.8 kcal/l
Est Color: 5.4 SRM

Zot-a-like 2 (to be brewed ina few weeks and adjusted from the original recipe to be more Zotty

Ingredients
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
9.00 kg Pilsner (2 Row) Bel (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 69.2 %
3.00 kg Wheat Malt, Bel (2.0 SRM) Grain 2 23.1 %
0.50 kg Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 3 3.8 %
75.00 g Goldings, East Kent [5.50 %] - First Wort 60.0 min Hop 4 26.3 IBUs
0.50 kg Candi Sugar, Clear (0.5 SRM) Sugar 5 3.8 %
20.00 g Goldings, East Kent [5.50 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 6 2.3 IBUs
50.00 g Coriander Seed (Boil 5.0 mins) Spice 7 -
50.00 g Grains Of Paradise (Boil 5.0 mins) Spice 8 -
50.00 g Orange Peel, Bitter (Boil 5.0 mins) Spice 9 -
3.00 Items Anise, Star (Boil 5.0 mins) Spice 10 -
1.0 pkg Belgian Wit Ale (White Labs #WLP400) [35.49 ml] Yeast 11 -

Beer Profile
Est Original Gravity: 1.062 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.011 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 6.7 %
Bitterness: 28.6 IBUs Calories: 654.4 kcal/l
Est Color: 4.9 SRM

Thanks for that Si

I would be very worried about 1 oz of star anise

you would not be able to drink that for 3 year, I put one star in a Christmas beer in September and I can just barely drink it now.LOL

[SiHoltye]

Seven days into the ferment, 4 rouses, 2 krausens through airlock (42L in a 60L bucket), temp raised to encourage to 23°C, 1.056 to 1.025, 54% attenuation of a predicted 78-80% when complete This beer appears to be squatting in my fermenter Move along I want to brew other beers, honestly what a messy cantankerous PITA yeast. Some reviews I've read say the same about WLP400. Hydro jar tastes lovely though

[seymour]

Only 7 days, really? Set it aside and do your best to forget about it for many weeks, maybe rack to a secondary for a couple months even. It'll be worth the wait. In the meantime, buy another fermentor for your next batch in order to keep from driving yourself crazy. Cheers!

[SiHoltye]

The last temp increase and rouse combo seemed to do the trick and I got down to 1.011 and kegged it. Can't tell much on tasting yet as it's very yeasty this young. Looking forward to trying in a month and chilled.