New Brunswick Craft Brewers Association

Beer Recipes and Food => All Grain => 16 - Belgian and French Ale => Topic started by: sdixon on November 06, 2011, 02:00:27 PM

Title: Beggar de Garde
Post by: sdixon on November 06, 2011, 02:00:27 PM
So considering beggars can't be choosers, I am adjusting my recipe based on what I can get. "Brew" was kind enough to front me some grain. Here is my adjusted plan (an experiment). I have 3 yeasts to choose from an S-04, Wyeast 1214 (would have to repitch) and a Wyeast Kolsch 2565 slant in my fridge. After looking at Wyeasts website to see about the characteristics of the 2565 I decided on a Biere de Garde. Several sources suggest a Biere de Garde can be fermented with lager or ale yeasts, but it's better if you ferment on the low temp side... I should be ok, since by basement fermentation temps hover around 65 - 68.

Biere de Gardes can be made with an ale, lager, or wild yeast http://([url=http://www.bieredegarde.com]http://www.bieredegarde.com[/url])

I'm using BrewMate to build my recipe and I'm bumping up against the style limits for SRM and IBU. I'm going low on the SRM for a lighter color and towards the high end of the IBU (24.3 where the max is suggested at 28).

Beggar de Garde (Biere de Garde)

Recipe Specs
----------------
Batch Size (L):              22.0
Total Grain (kg):              6.450
Total Hops (g):              25.00
Original Gravity (OG):       1.063  (°P): 15.4
Final Gravity (FG):           1.016  (°P): 4.1
Alcohol by Volume (ABV):  6.19 %
Colour (SRM):                  7.6
Bitterness (IBU):             24.3   (Average)
Brewhouse Efficiency (%):70
Boil Time (Minutes):         60

Grain Bill
----------------
6.000 kg (13 lbs) Pilsner (93.02%)
0.450 kg (1 lb) Crystal 40 (6.98%)

Hop Bill
----------------
15.0 g Magnum Pellet (12.5% Alpha) @ 60 Minutes (Boil) (0.7 g/L)
5.0 g Willamette Pellet (7.1% Alpha) @ 15 Minutes (Boil) (0.2 g/L)
5.0 g Hallertau Tradition Pellet (5.7% Alpha) @ 1 Minutes (Boil) (0.2 g/L)
Misc Bill
----------------
Single step Infusion at 151°F for 90 Minutes.

Comments welcome :-)
Title: Re: Beggar de Garde
Post by: Richard on November 06, 2011, 04:17:38 PM
I think Biere de Garde's are generally considered to be malty counterpoint to the hoppier saisons... I read that a 90-minute (or even longer boil) to bring out the malty/caramel flavours in the wort for a Garde is a good idea. Can't remember where though.
Title: Re: Beggar de Garde
Post by: sdixon on November 06, 2011, 04:45:47 PM
You are quite right Richard. I had the mash and boil times reversed in the BrewMate program. I meant to have a 60 min mash and 90 min boil. Boil for 30 min then start hop schedule. I also just added 1 lb of honey to the recipe, bringing OSG to 1.069 and ~ 7% ABV. May also be able to call this a Belgian Winter Warmer ;-) But since I begged the grains... I'll stick with Beggar de Garde... kinda a good ring to it I think.
Title: Re: Beggar de Garde
Post by: sdixon on November 07, 2011, 11:19:00 PM
Made a starter for this from a Kolsch slant tonight in order to pitch on Saturday. I'm still pretty new to making starters from slants, but it went well last time with the Belgian 1214. This time I started with a much larger starter, 1L vs. 500ml.
Title: Re: Beggar de Garde
Post by: Kyle on November 08, 2011, 08:23:36 AM
sounds really good. Now, I have no idea what impact spunding would have, but I find beers with honey in them take a while (up to 3 months) to reach their peak, by which time, hops are faded/fading. You've only added a pound, so it will probably be less time than that.
Title: Re: Beggar de Garde
Post by: Richard on November 08, 2011, 10:57:08 AM
Also if you add honey to the boil (or even the hot wort) it just ends up as a bunch of sucrose/fructose with some proteins floating about - all the aromatics are lost. Save that stuff for the cold side.
Title: Re: Beggar de Garde
Post by: sdixon on November 09, 2011, 12:14:23 PM
Starter from slant is working nicely... I have good activity after 36 hours. I plan to let it peak and then put in fridge to slow, then drain off beer and pitch slurry. Doesn't seem to be a lot of slurry yet though. But last time Belgian 1214 worked well. On that one I pitched the whole jar of starter, beer and all (it was only 500ml though). This time it's 1000ml.

I'm liking this slant library thing we have! Thanks to Thomas (and others) for making it happen! Much appreciated.
Title: Re: Beggar de Garde
Post by: Richard on November 09, 2011, 12:17:36 PM
if it's active, the yeast will be in suspension doing their thing. If it's krausening, supposedly that's a good time to pitch (the whole thing). The refrigeration shocks the yeast into flocculating out, but according to the book "Yeast", it's not a good idea to pitch that as the yeast are "expressing shock proteins", which I take to mean "freaking the f*** out".
Title: Re: Beggar de Garde
Post by: Jake on November 09, 2011, 01:40:39 PM
Ok, so when is it good to chill, let everything drop to bottom and dump out beer? after the krausen has settled?
Title: Re: Beggar de Garde
Post by: sdixon on November 09, 2011, 04:02:54 PM
Jake - That's what I understood from Thomas' post yes.
Title: Re: Beggar de Garde
Post by: Jake on November 09, 2011, 04:21:40 PM
Mine's just starting to get goin now. Heading home from work here shortly and looked like the krausen was just starting to form ... so still have a couple days yet to go it looks like.

Or I may dump it all in at high krausen, which I also think is fine based on what I've been reading.
Title: Re: Beggar de Garde
Post by: sdixon on November 09, 2011, 04:29:41 PM
Actually I think dumping at high krausen would be good, I just can't hit it right on which is why I do the cold crash route.
Title: Re: Beggar de Garde
Post by: Richard on November 09, 2011, 04:42:07 PM
Yeah tbh I don't think it's an issue either way.

I'll have to re-read that and see if there's some quotable wisdom there.
Title: Re: Beggar de Garde
Post by: sdixon on November 09, 2011, 05:27:46 PM
Wow, came home tonight and Kolsch starter was working like mad... it had a 6" layer of krausen on it! I'm using a 1.7L wine bottle... it was ~ half full of starter and krausen went to the top of the bottle. Busy little yeasties :-)
Title: Re: Beggar de Garde
Post by: Thomas on November 12, 2011, 01:07:19 AM
What does your Kolsch starter smell like? Mine smells slightly sour/sulfur, but with hints of the typical "bready" yeast smell.
Title: Re: Beggar de Garde
Post by: sdixon on November 12, 2011, 08:36:04 AM
I put it in the fridge to cold crash it and didn't smell it. I just tried to smell it now but being cold, there is very little smell, just the typical yeasty bready smell. I plan to brew this tonight.
Title: Re: Beggar de Garde
Post by: sdixon on November 14, 2011, 10:07:53 PM
I brewed this batch Saturday night after the meeting (thanks again Ian) and pitched Kolsch starter early Sunday morning. I just went down to see how it was doing and it has a hefty happy krausen... smells good too.
Title: Re: Beggar de Garde
Post by: sdixon on November 27, 2011, 07:08:10 PM
OK, so I kegged this this evening. Probably a little early, but my kegerator has been empty for a couple of weeks and I hate supporting NB Liquor so much. Actually this is not bad. As you likely know, a Biere de Garde is the sister to Saison, but maltier, less spicy and usually lagered (which I didn't do). It has a nice color (similar to saison) with a great tight head with medium staying power and great lacing. I'm detecting the malt, and a trace of honey, but very subdued. Mouthfeel is superb, with good body and a nice malty feel. I would buy this in the store... just sayin ;-) Hard to say if there will be any left for the next meeting. Unlikely, unless, the Kolsch finishes soon to take the pressure off the Beggar de Garde.
Title: Re: Beggar de Garde
Post by: Richard on November 27, 2011, 07:10:46 PM
so much for the "Garde" part eh? :P