American Belgian Ale

Using T- 58 Yeast. This will be an Americanized Dark Belgian Ale. Means more hoppy through full spectrum. Darker. Smokey. Most ancient beers had smoke. Since brewing this, Iv'e learned this style is called "American Belgo Whatever". Years ago most of my beers were just that! If I couldn't taste or smell by products, I felt like a bud'illacursrona dude.

Brewer:	Tom Healy		Email:	tomh51369@yahoo.com
Beer:	American Belgian Ale		Style:	Belgian Strong Ale
Type:	All grain		Size:	6. gallons
Color:	65 HCU (~26 SRM)		Bitterness:	98 IBU
OG:	1.062		FG:	1.015
Alcohol:	6.0% v/v (4.7% w/w)
Water:	1 tablespoon gypsom. pinch of sea salt. yeast nutrients in boil
Grain:	4 lb. American 2-row 3 lb. 8 oz. German Smoked (WM) 3 lb. Belgian aromatic 1 lb. Cara-Red (De) 2 lb. De CaraMunich 4 oz. Carafa II (De)
Mash:	75% efficiency
	Single Infusion, Target 154°F Strike 169°F/4.55 gal. I think I struck it hot, mash to thin. Sit over TEN hours. Stuck Mash, What a mess.
Boil:	70 minutes	SG 1.053	7 gallons
	6 oz. Raw Sugar
	Good rumble. No B. over. Beutiful. three teaspoons of YEASTEX.
Hops:	2 oz. Chinook (12% AA, 90 min.) 1 oz. Northern Brewer (8.5% AA, 90 min.) 1 oz. Chinook (aroma) 1 oz. Northern Brewer (aroma)
Yeast:	T-58 Safale Dry. These products are awesome. Pitched Dry @90°F. Delicately sprinkle on top. With in four hours, in full Ferm.
Log:	72° Room Temp. Wort Tastes Awesome, But where is the SMOKE? Strong ferm @ 4 hours. Wonderful hop aroma through the lock!! This Beer was transferred to s/s in fridge post 7 day primary, will bottle after 2 weeks, very aromatic.
Carbonation:	4.5 oz raw sugar. Different size bottles, yield different evolutions of CO2 head formation.I believe my ceramic bottles produce the better beer.
Tasting:	Only two bottles left. This beer was amazing. I love Fermentis brand dry yeasts. No more conditioning for weeks waiting for clear beer. MY ONLY ISSUE WITH THEM IS THAT so far the fermentation characteristics (like belgian esters, spice, etc.) were digested by the yeast after a few days of conditioning, except for flocc rate, and quantity of yeast produced, these new Nottingham and T-58 are very similar. BTW Beautiful hop aroma evolved out of the beer during primary. I remember now is how much it frustrated me that my calculated hop rates always ended up scoured by the yeast, according to yeast type and wort constitution.

Recipe posted 07/30/11.