Uncomplicated Trappist Ale

Source: John Stockman
Recipe added: 11/26/99
Email: stockmanip@hotmail.com

Belgian beer fanatics may find this recipe a bit unorthodox and/or too basic. The grain bill is extremely simple, but serves to really show off a great yeast. This beer delivers on taste and, with its creamy head, looks. I might try candi sugar next time, but other than that I think this beer's beauty lies in its utter simplicity. Anybody trying this or any variation thereof, please let me know how it went.

Specifics

Recipe type: All Grain
Batch Size: 5 gal.
Starting Gravity: 1.072
Finishing Gravity: 1.013
Time in Boil: 90 min.
Primary Fermentation: 10 days @ 60 °
Secondary Fermentation: 8 days @ 38°

Ingredients:

10# pale ale malt
8 oz. 40°L crystal malt
1 1/4# light brown sugar
2 oz. E. Kent Goldings (5%AA), in boil 45 min.
1 oz. Saaz (3.8%AA), in boil 15 min.
1 tsp. Irish moss, rehydrateed in 1/2 cup water
Whitelabs WLP500 Trappist Ale yeast

Procedure:

Start yeast culture 3 days ahead to get about 1 pt. good slurry. Mash for 120 min. @ 150°. Sparge with enough 170° water to collect 6.5 gal. Gravity at this point should be somewhere around 1.060 or so. Add brown sugar to wort, bring to a boil. Add Goldings after 45 min., Saaz after 75 min., Irish moss at 80 min. Cool and ferment as noted above. Keg to 2.6 vol. CO2.

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