Hello, this is the grain bill for a Belgian brown ale that I’ll be brewing pretty soon. I know that it will be pretty basic for the style. What can I add to make it stand out? Any suggestions?
10lbs. pale malt
0.5 lb. dark caramel malt (90° Lovibond)
0.5 lb. Special B malt
0.25 lb. kilncoffee
4 AAU Styrian Goldings hops (1.33 oz. at 3% alpha acid)
4 AAU Saaz hops (1 oz. at 4% alpha acid)
White Labs WLP530
BTW the apricot ale that you guys helped me with not so long ago got a 35 in competition.
I’ve really grown fond of D-45 (Amber) Candi Syrup in certain Belgian styles. It adds a nice light toffee note, while helping get that dry finish that you want in a Belgian beer. I’d probably swap a pound of the base malt and one of the caramel malts for a pound of the D45.
Also, I think at least half of the base malt for any Belgian style should be a good quality continental Pilsner malt. Its just part of the flavor profile I expect in a Belgian beer.
I add ~ 15% D180 or D2 to Dubbel or quad. If you’re wanting a deep brown color with dark fruit character, these are better. As Eric said, D45 for amber color and more toffee character.
It’s in relationship to what you set as your target OG. A dubbel at 1.070 OG would use less D180 than a quad at 1.100 OG, with each using 15%. Software like Beersmith, ProMash, or Brewer’s Friend will help you calculate it pretty easily.
Spices…? In a Belgian brown ale. My preference is no, but if you want to get freaky use some bitter orange peel and perhaps a cacao nib or a dried chile pepper.