Basic Belgian

[sdixon]

Grain Bill
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4.000 kg Pilsner (76.19%)
1.000 kg Munich I (19.05%)
0.250 kg Caraaroma (4.76%)

Hop Bill
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25.0 g Styrian Golding Leaf (4.4% Alpha) @ 60 Minutes (Boil) (1.1 g/L)
25.0 g East Kent Golding Leaf (4.7% Alpha) @ 30 Minutes (Boil) (1.1 g/L)

Misc Bill
----------------
Single step Infusion at 150°F for 60 Minutes.
Ferment at 68°F - 72F with Allagash White culture (from the beer we drank at Richards place a few meetings ago)

[sdixon]

I ended up spunding this batch. I suspect since it is cultured from a microbrewery it works well under some pressure. We shall see.

[Thomas]

Allagash yeast eh? Will you be washing it after the brew is done?

[sdixon]

For sure I will. I already washed the yeast from an Allagash Dubble I cultered and brewed a few weeks ago (which I can bring this weekend if you are going to Deans). This one is an Allagash White. I also have a Wyeast 3522 (Belgian Ardennes) fermenting now that I may have washed for this Saturdays meeting.

From what I have read, they are both bottled conditioned with their house yeast (the Dubbel and White), but I am most confident about the White being the house yeast. Can you tell the difference between 2 similar yeast strains? No point in going to the trouble to catalogue two cultures if they are actually the same.

[Richard]

Do we know what Wyeast strain it is that Allagash use?

[sdixon]

No they wouldn't tell me. But reading between the lines of our conversation, I'm thinking it was a variation of 3522.

PS - I do know however that Upright Brewing use Wyeast 3522 now.

http://www.uprightbrewing.com/?page_id=253

[Richard]

We could perhaps culture the yeast and do a brew with 3522 and your culture... I figure that would answer the question if the starters were prepared appropriately.

To the sciencemobile!

[sdixon]

I like it. Let's do it!

[Kyle]

I asked him if he could tell them apart before, and no, he can tell that they are yeast, but thats about it.

[pliny]

Hey sdixon, I think there's a Belgian beer tasting tonight at the Garrison. FYI.
Sounds like it would be up you alley.

[Richard]

What's the entry fee?

[pliny]

Tonight - 7pm - $30.
I've been to tastings there before and they are very generous. Definitely get your money's worth.
I'd be going but I have plans to go to Crabbe.

[sdixon]

Yes, thank you i am going. yep $30.

[Kyle]

Wikipedia was very helpful when I took Chemistry:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymerase_chain_reaction