E-Quad

Kettle size: 20
Trub: 1.375gal = 5.5qt = 4.5qt kettle loss + 1qt line loss
Boil off rate: 1.0
Grain absorption: 0.07
=> Strike water gal ( gal, qt), f
Note: don't use syrup in grain weight for calculation

Add candi syrup at 10 minutes


Note: Using the Imperial Yeast B48 strain, it would take 7 packs ($170 or so) of month old yeast without a starter. We could get 2 packs and step them up separately to make just about enough. Or make a Dubbel before and use that yeast.

Oxygenate the chilled wort to a level of 14 ppm dissolved oxygen. Given the high starting gravity, a second dose to 14 ppm is recommended approximately 12-18 hours after the yeast has been pitched.
https://shop.theelectricbrewery.com/pages/aerating-oxygenating-wort

Pitch at 68F, allow to rise 1 degree/day up to 82-84F if it will go that high.


https://shop.theelectricbrewery.com/pages/belgian-dark-strong-ale-quadrupel

Water treated with brewing salts to our Balanced flavour profile: Ca=50, Mg=10, Na=16, Cl=70, SO4=70 (Hit minimums on Ca and Mg, keep the Cl:SO4 ratio low and equal. Do not favour flavour / maltiness or bitterness / dryness. For balanced beers.). For more information on how to adjust your water, refer to our step by step Water Adjustment guide.

Step mash profile
131F 10min
149F 90min
155F 30min
168F 10min
> This seems overly complicated to me and I expect would be indistinguishable from a single mash for 30-60 minutes at 150-152F

If your system does not allow for step mashes, try a single infusion mash at 150F for 90 mins, followed by a mashout to 168F for 10 mins (if possible).

~90 min fly sparge with ~5.6-5.8 pH water (measured at mash
temperature). Collect 14.9 gallons.

Boil for 90 minutes, adding Whirlfloc, hops, and candi syrup per schedule. Lid on at flameout, start chilling immediately.

Cool the wort quickly to 66F (we use a one-pass convoluted counterflow chiller to quickly lock in hop flavour and aroma) and transfer to fermenter.

Oxygenate the chilled wort to a level of 14 ppm dissolved oxygen. Given the high starting gravity, a second dose to 14 ppm is recommended approximately 12-18 hours after the yeast has been pitched. For more information refer to our Aerating / Oxygenating Wort guide.

Pitch yeast and ferment at 68F (wort temperature), allowing temperature to rise naturally as high as 82-84F but no higher (do not allow to rise more than 1 degree per day). Do not fret if yours doesn't want to go this high. We use modified stainless fermenting buckets in wine fridges.

Allow yeast to continue until finished. Do not allow temperature to drop as it can cause the yeast to stall. Assume fermentation is done if the gravity does not change over 4-6 days.

Rack to a brite tank (we use 5 gallon glass carboys) that has been purged with CO2 to avoid oxygen pickup, add 1 tsp of unflavoured gelatin dissolved in a cup of hot distilled water per 5 gallons of beer, and allow to clear for 2-3 days. Westvleteren does not filter or use clarifiers in their beers so you may wish to skip this step.

Package as you would normally. Though some will argue that a Belgian Dark Strong Ale should only be bottled, if we still had to bottle we wouldn't be brewing beer.