The Number 10

The 10th beer of the fall and hopefully a wonderful example of a Belgian strong dark ale.

Grist:
9lbs Belgian Pilsner Malt
3lbs Belgian Pale Malt

Hops;
1oz Northern Brewer 60 mim
1oz Styrian Goldings 20 min
1oz Hersbrucker 10 min

Adjuncts:
1lb D-180 syrup 10 min
1lb D-90 syrup right into the fermenter at high krausen

Yeast:
WYEAST #3787 yeastcake from the Patersbier

Mashed in with 4.5 gallons 161 degree water, target 150
Mashed out with .5 gallons at 180
Sparged 3.5 gallons out at 190 degrees
90 minute boil, 7 gallons collected

Target OG 1.072
Actual OG 1.070 before sugar to fermenter

Brewed 12.08.13, gravity reading 12.18.13 = 1.018 (10 days), moved to secondary at 1.011, conditioned at 50 degrees for 4 weeks, bottled.

Update-I actually had to bottle condition these in the oven. The basement was 62 degrees which is way to cool for Belgian yeast and I didn't want to stress the yeast out and cause off flavors. The oven (off) with the light bulbs on was 74-76 degrees, so I conditioned in there for two weeks. The capped bottles came out great, the corked bottles seem a bit under carb'ed. Regardless, I cellared them because I didn't want them warm for too long either. Looking forward to tasting these next year, the capped test bottles were very good with minimal esters.