I found a Leffe clone

[landy813]

I am going to have a go at this one as its one of my favourites but not sure about the Pride of Ringwood hops seems they have got a bad rep. Any other thoughts on hops for a leffe would be appreciated.

OG=1.067, FG=1.016, SRM=7, IBU=26, abv=6.5

Mash:

11.75# Belgian Two-row Pilsner Malt
4 oz. (113 g) Belgian Biscuit Malt
4 oz. (113 g) Belgian Aromatic Malt
4 oz. (113 g) German Munich Malt
2 oz. (57 g) Honey Malt

Mash at 152F (65.6C).

Bring the water to a boil, remove from the heat and add:

8 oz. (226 g) Belgian Clear Candi Sugar
2 oz. (57 g) Malto Dextrin
3/4 oz. (21 g) Pride of Ringwood at 9.3AA (4.7 HBU) (bittering hop)

Boil for 45 minutes then add:

1/2 oz. (14 g) Styrian Goldings (flavor hop)
1 tsp. (5 ml) Irish Moss

Boil for 15 minutes.

Chill and pitch.

1st choice yeast: Wyeast 1762 Belgian Abbey II; Ferment at 68-72F
(20-22C)
2nd choice yeast: Wyeast 3522 Belgian Ardennes; Ferment at 68-72F
(20-22C)

[mysterio]

I wonder why that recipe includes sugar and malto-dextin, you would have thought those two would cancel each other out

Brewing Classic Styles has a Leffe 'clone' recipe, it uses a single addition of hallertau hops for bittering for 25 IBUs, along with pilsner, wheat and aromatic malts & sugar.

[steve_flack]

The OP's recipe looks like a Clone Brews recipe....usually they aren't viewed as that accurate. FWIW Brew Like a Monk gives the hops in Leffe as Hallertau and Saaz to 25 IBU.

I've made similar style beers before and stuck to a simple Pilsner malt, Aromatic malt and Sucrose recipe. I've used Whitelabs WLP-575 blend before with good results. IMO the yeast is probably the most important ingredient in this style. It needs to be Belgian and you'll need to do a starter.

[landy813]

The thread i found the recipe in came from a book called Captured Beer. I have never made and tasted a home brewed Belgium beer, i made a 50/50 pale malt and wheat malt with cascade for 90 and sazz for 15 mins with T-58 on Sunday. I ended up with 22ltr @ OG 1060. Looking forward to tasting it.

[steve_flack]

The thread i found the recipe in came from a book called Captured Beer.

'Beer Captured' is from the same people as 'Clone Brews'.

For my Abbey Blonde I used 80% Pale (I thought I used pils but my records say otherwise), 4% aromatic and 16% table sugar (all %ages by weight). I hopped with Challenger for bittering and Saaz for aroma and flavour.

[mysterio]

What yeast did you use in there Steve? I'm thinking it might be time to get another Belgian beer brewed.

I have never made and tasted a home brewed Belgium beer, i made a 50/50 pale malt and wheat malt with cascade for 90 and sazz for 15 mins with T-58 on Sunday. I ended up with 22ltr @ OG 1060.

Sounds good

[steve_flack]

What yeast did you use in there Steve? I'm thinking it might be time to get another Belgian beer brewed.

In that brew I used the Whitelabs 575 Belgian Blend which which worked out well. My OG was 1.068 and it finished at 1.012 for 7.5% ABV, 82% attenuation. IIRC it was very Leffe like but a tad stronger.

Next weekend I'm planning on doing a Belgian Enkel and I'll use WLP500 for that. I'm using the Enkel as a starter for the Dubbel I'll do after it.

[Barley Water]

I'm really happy you guys have started discussing this particular project as I would like to develop something similar as well. I would be very interested in learning what yeast to use and related fermentation temperatures etc. Once I get something more or less like Leffe, I would then of course be obligated to mess with things and try and put my own stamp on the beer.