De Koninck

[TheMumbler]

I'd like to have a go at a De Koninck Clone. With November fast approaching I should hopefully be able to get some Antwerp Ale Yeast in fairly soon.
According to Brew Like a Monk, the brewery use only Pale Malt and Vienna, GW suggests a touch of chocolate as well. So does anybody have any recipes, tips or advice?

[Manx Guy]

Sorry I don't have a recipe...

I hope you find a good recipe as I really like this beer!

Let us know how you get on!



Guy

[micmacmoc]

This is all I could find:
http://www.byo.com/component/resource/a ... de-koninck

G'luck!
ps
where do you get hops for your NZ brews? My brother did some brew-course or other and was full of praise for Motuka, said they'd be right up my streeet.

[TheMumbler]

...where do you get hops for your NZ brews? My brother did some brew-course or other and was full of praise for Motuka, said they'd be right up my streeet.

I got those from The Thrifty Shopper but they only had Green Bullet and Pacific Gem. I think Hop and Grape carry Motueka, I don't remember seeing them available from any of the cheaper sellers.

[Barley Water]

Yeah, I always wait in anticipation for the Antwerp yeast to come out so I can do my yearly "DeKonick like" beer. The formulation I use is very close to the one in Jamil Z's book if I remember correctly. I will try to remember to to check my brewing notes and post the recipe I currently use, it always comes out pretty well and is easy to make (and has done well in contests). I don't know that I would put chocolate malt in a Belgian pale ale though, the roast flavors would not work in my opinion. If that is being added for color, I would consider the debittered Carafa instead just to avoid the roast. I know I don't add any malts for color to mine I and would say it comes out light copper colored, well within the style guidelines (if that makes a difference to anybody). I want to say I add some Victory malt to mine but I really need to look at my notes since I haven't brewed this one since last year. The great thing about this beer though is the slight hint of pear that the yeast produces, really neat taste. I also use Saaz since I am trying for a slightly fruity, spicy flavor which of course it is very restrained as compared to say a Belgian Dubbel. I have had folks tell me that the beer is very lager like but there is a definate fruity thing going on there, it's just not in your face like most other Belgians. I really need to buy myself a DeKonick glass so I can quaff the stuff just like out buddies do in Antwerp.

[steve_flack]

I did a recipe similar to the JZ recipe and entered it in the CBA comp. I didn't think it was a fantastic beer and it was judged by a BJCP judge who in discussions that he thought it was a bit too much like a clean English Bitter than a Belgian Pale and that he would expect more biscuity flavours than the caramel the Caramunich imparts. Given that maybe a beer heavy on the Vienna would get you nearer?

I think with this beer the carbonation level is very important. Too much and it loses a lot of the rounded maltiness you want. I think you see this in the difference between the draught and bottled versions of the real thing. The draught version is beautifully balanced, the fizzier bottled version is a bit meh IMO.

[mysterio]

I seem to remember draught DeKoninck not having much if any 'Belgian' character, years since I had it though.

[steve_flack]

It doesn't. The Antwerp Ale yeast from White Labs is also very clean. You could probably get similar results with a German Alt or Kolsch yeast.

[Manx Guy]

Interesting...

So to get the belgian-y flavours does anyone use another eyast (other than the Antwerp) ?

I was planning to get a Kolsch type yeast in the near future, so could give a 'De Konnick -a-like' a go

I found this on another HB forum:

I am thinking, for 5 gallons of 1.048 OG, 25 IBUs DeKoninck clone:

8 lbs. pils
2.5 lbs. Vienna

1.5 oz. Saaz 60 min
0.5 oz. Saaz 15 min
0.5 oz. Saaz 0 min

WLP515 Antwerp yeast

Ferment in the low 60s?

Any thoughts?



Guy

[Barley Water]

Well, I think that beers like this are somewhat misunderstood by beer judges. Most of them think that the beer needs to have the really fruity/spicy flavors similar to other Belgian products and I really don't think this beer needs to be done that way, it should be fairly close to a lager. Subtle balance is the order of the day although there is just a bit of fruit going on. I agree, Kolsch and Alt yeast might also make something similar although I have not tried it myself. The problem with putting stuff like this in contests is that the judges are always looking for more so sometimes beers like this don't really do that well. Over here, if you want to enter a beer as a regular American IPA, the stuff needs to have an O.G. of around 1.070 and an IBU level of 70 or 80, it's crazy. Oh well, I mostly make the stuff because I like to drink it.

If you want something that is more agressive at roughly the same original gravity, might I suggest trying an Abby Single? If you go that route, do the Single then use all that nice yeast for a Triple or Strong Dark (hum, maybe I should do that). One thing you might consider playing with when doing a Belgian pale ale is hopping levels. The stuff I make is not very bitter but I bet the style could handle more bittering, flavor and aroma although I wouldn't go nuts with the hops, it's a more malt focused beer.

[TheMumbler]

thanks for all the replies

So for a 23l brewlength I'm thinking something along the lines of

3kg MO
2kg Vienna

OG 1050
25 IBU from saaz

Maybe 50/50 following Steve Flack's idea or would that be too much?

Is the MO a bad plan? I could get lager malt instead of MO but I was thinking that would add a little more malt flavour and darken the it a touch.

If I get the brew fridge up an running for controlled temps then I'll pitch at 18 and raise it to 25 over a couple of days. Then cold secondary for a couple of weeks. How does that sound?

Any ideas on the hopping schedule?

Barley Water - I'd be interested to see your recipe.

[steve_flack]

It seems that 2:1 pale to Vienna seems popular. You may want a tiny bit of carafa special to darken it but that's not important. For hops I think just Saaz is what's in the original.

[TheMumbler]

Saaz according to every source or recipe I have looked at.

[Grot]

A few recipes and some discussion here. Thristy claims his recipe on the first page is very close.
http://forum.northernbrewer.com/viewtop ... =4&t=19038

[TheMumbler]

Thanks for the links Grot. Food for thought.