Fezzik's Brute Squad Bière De Garde
  • CZsCZs
    Posts: 228
    Hey there everyone - this is one I brewed back in November. I can't wait to brew it again to learn from my first timer's mistakes - I have since read Farmhouse Ales and have learned to love the simplicity in farmhouse ales and will be brewing up a historical version at some point this summer (only 3-3.5 abv)
    Whoever has brewed or drank a Biere De Garde (I'd be really interested in a recipe ;) ) I'd be interested to hear about some beers you've drank and your key to brewing a good one

    BTW, Annapolis Homebrew has excellent variety of hops, ordered Australian Sylva which is very much like Saaz and Styrian Celeia, basically a hybrid of Styrian Golding but with slightly more earthiness and less bitterness

    I'm not one for sticking so close to a particular style, but I tried so hard for this one since it doesn't seem to get much love. Toasty, malty farmhouse ale? Sounds good to me. It wants very little hop bitterness, flavor or aroma, so, you'll see some of my off-beat hop additions below. I did lager after fermentation before bottling as suggested

    1.078 Final Gravity: 1.019 ABV (standard): 7.8% IBU (tinseth): 26 SRM (morey): 13
    Fermentables
    Wyeast - Bier de Garde 3725
    10.75 lb Belgian - Pilsner - 67.6%
    2 lb Belgian - CaraVienne - 12.6% - MISTAKE 1
    1 lb Belgian - Unmalted Wheat- 6.3%
    0.5 lb Belgian - CaraMunich 3.1% - MISTAKE 1a
    0.27 lb Belgian - Special B 1.7%
    22.1 oz Turbinado 44 - 8.7%
    15.9 lb Total

    Hops
    0.8 oz Sylva Pellet 5.8 aa 51 min 14.36 ibus
    0.2 oz Styrian Celeia 4aa 39 min 2.25 ibus
    0.8 oz Styrian Celeia 4aa 29 min 7.82 ibus
    0.2 oz Sylva Pellet 5.8aa 12 min 1.57 ibus

    Mash Guidelines
    Amount
    12 qt Rest 1 Temperature 130 F 25 min
    10 qt Rest 2 Temperature 140 F 30 min
    8 qt 150F 75 min
    8 qt Fly Sparge 170F, then Batch Sparge 8 qt

    Other Ingredients
    Amount Name Type Use Time
    22.1 oz Turbinado Other Boil 42 min

    Optimum Temp:
    70 - 95 °F
    Fermentation Temp:
    80 °F

    Oh yea, this was a 120 minute boil!
    3 days at 70F, 4 days at 80F, 4 more weeks at 70F, Lagered 2 weeks at 38F, brought back up to 70, suggest bottling for 2.5 - 3 months before cracking open. It probably hit its peak flavor at 5 months and holding strong to this day

    Notice the mistakes? TOO MUCH DAMN CARAMEL. Don't know why I didn't stay with the traditional munich and vienna , and especially in those amounts. 3.5-4% caramel I believe would have given it a nice slight carmelly taste to go with the toastyness - and what I've learned, is that a really long boil should be responsible for these caramel flavors - ah well - next time will just use Belgian De-bittered black to get it to the amber color, or, just do a blonde biere de garde (or even longer boil)

    - I really love the "Ambree" style. Instead of just a toasty Saison, mine is a toasty, carmelly saison - not too sweet, but sweeter than I wanted it. I think the alcohol and yeast profile saved me somewhat from the caramel overload - won't make that mistake again - I might only want 1% caramunich and 1% special b next time to just add a "something else" to it on top of the munich and vienna - really want a toastyness with this one

    I'd say right now it is a cross between an Irish Red and a Biere De Garde
    Aroma - toast, caramel, vinous, sweet spicy-ness
    Taste - caramel, munich maltiness, slight toast, slight fruitness - medium body, but dry finish - filling. Tastier, not as sweet as it warms. Medium-high carbonation - not as carbonated as a saison
    Appearance - 1 finger head that dissapates to thin film of foam that stays. Hazy at first, semi-clears as it warms - a burnt, dark orange color up top with lighter orange/amber below.

  • CZsCZs
    Posts: 228
    See below
    20140612_131615.jpg
    612 x 816 - 154K
  • ThymThym
    Posts: 122,412
    Oh that looks tastey. And it sounds pretty darn good. I'd probably really like it with the caramel flavors just the way it is.
    The only thing between me and a train wreck is blind luck..... - Kenny
  • CZsCZs
    Posts: 228
    thanks Lakewood - too kind - it is good, but, def filling and the extra caramel makes it seem even more so - can't wait to brew the next one (whenever that will be)

    Ocean Front Grisette Part Deux and Farmhouse IPA are up next
  • C_BC_B
    Posts: 88,876
    Nice picture. That is a nice looking pour. I'm with Lakewood, I'd probably like the extra caramel.
    "On it. I hate software." ~Cpt Snarklepants