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 Dark Abbey Beer
DESCRIPTION:
A beer of character with a rich sweet malt flavour and a well-balanced taste. Leaves a subtle aftertaste of burnt wood.
Original gravity: 13 - 14° Plato, 1053-1057
Alcohol: 8.5 - 9 %
Colour: 55 - 65 EBC
Bitterness: 25 - 30 IBU
INGREDIENTS:
Malts:
32% Pilsen
32% Pale Ale
20% CaraBlond
14% Crystal
2% Chocolate
Hops:
Hallertauer early and Tettnang late
Yeast:
Safbrew T-58
Step 1: Mashing
-Mash in at 65°C and rest for 60 minutes
-Rest at 72°C for 15 minutes
-Rest at 78°C for 2 minutes
Step 2: Boiling
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes; the volume of wort declines by 8 - 10%
-After 15 minutes add Hallertauer, after 85 minutes add Tettnanger and sugar, if necessary
*Spices option: Coriander (1 g/hl) and cinnamon (4 g/hl)
**Sugar option: Dark candy 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 DARK ABBEY BEER