Belgian Golden strong ale recipe

Brewing Processes
1

Hello!

New guy here looking to make a recipe found on this webpage:

My question is if I can forego doing a 2.8 gallon boil and replace with a full volume boil. Does this recipe need to be made as instructed to hit the OG numbers? Thanks!

2

You can bdo a full boil with this (or really any) extract recipe.  You will get a bit better hop utilization with a full boil though so recalculate those numbers and you should be good.  If you don’t want to do the math or put it in Beersmith or some other package, just reduce the hops by 10%(ish) and go for it.

As always, folks on the forum are free to correct my recollections. 8^)

Paul

3

Looks like I have to make the recipe as written to hit the recipe numbers. I’ve bought quantities which the recipe called for already. Oh well at least chilling will go quickly. I ran the numbers through the Brewers friend calculator…

4

I’m no expert in making Belgian ales, but I can’t see any reason why you can’t do a full volume boil.  What numbers will you miss by doing a full volume boil?  Perhaps there is an explanation, but I can’t think of one.  Personally, I would brew it like any other beer.

5

Gravity and IBUs… But the recipe then says to top up with enough water to reach 5.5 gallons, which I assume will lower the gravity. I’m guessing the original 2.8 gallon’s gravity is higher than 1.080, so when you add the top off water, the ending solution has a gravity as per the recipe

EDIT: Put the recipe through beersmith and found the gravity will be spot on with a full volume boil. My IBUs had to be scaled up a tad however, so now I need 3 more oz of stryian Golding hops.

6

Your starting gravity will be measured after the full boil is complete and just before you pitch the yeast.  The final gravity is measured after fermentation is complete.  The difference is the ABV%.  Don’t confuse either of these readings with the Pre-Boil reading.  The Pre-Boil reading tells you your sugar content before the evaporation starts from the boil as this reading will be lower than the reading you get after the full boil is complete.

7

Thanks for the replies. I’m squared away now…

8

When you taste the beer, come back and tell us how you did.

Cheers!

9

+1