As you know, I'm always hunting for good beer recipes. You may have noticed lately I'm getting some proven ones directly from maltsters. This makes perfect sense when you think about it, because the companies producing the malt ought to know how it performs best, which malts go best together, etc. It's also in their best interest to recommend the best possible recipes because if the brewer produces great beer, they'll keep coming back for more of that particular malt.
Today I'll share some from Castle Malting in Belgium. Their slogans are straight-forward and honest, "Belgian Malts That Make Your Beer So Special" and "Malts From The Country Famous For Its Beer."
Castle Malting: Belgian Red Pure Malt Beer
DESCRIPTION:
A bit sweet, with a lightly hopped tea-like flavour. Well-rounded and balanced flavors and a pleasant toasted malt character. A drying finish is common. This is a beer with no colour additives, the coloration is obtained using malts only!
Original gravity: 13.5° Plato or 1055
Alcohol: 6.5%
Colour: 60 EBC
Bitterness: 22 - 27 EBU
INGREDIENTS:
Malts:
60% Pilsen
25% Melano
10% Munich
5% CaraGold
Hops:
Saaz early and Hallertauer late
Yeast:
Safale US-05 (primary and secondary)
Step 1: Mashing
-Mash in at 62°C and rest for 50 minutes
-Raise the temperature to 72°C, rest for 20 minutes
-Raise the temperature to 78°C, rest for 2 minutes
Step 2: Boiling
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes; the volume of wort declines by 6 - 10%
-After 15 minutes add Saaz, after 80 minutes add Hallertauer Aroma and sugar, if necessary
*Sugar option: Soft light brown sugar (0.5 kg/hl)
Step 3: Fermentation
Start at 20°C, raise the temperature to 22°C, allow the diacetyl to rest for 24 hours at the end of fermentation prior to yeast removal.
Step 4: Lagering
minimum 2 weeks at 4°C
CASTLE MALTING: BELGIAN RED PURE MALT BEER