Patersbier

THE PLAN:

3 samples from brew day:
first runnings (left), second runnings,
and pre-boil (front)

Last summer I learned about a type of Belgian beer called Patersbier, brewed by monks, that never makes it to the public.  When I think of Trappist beers, I think of styles like tripels, dubbels, and strongs - both dark and gold.  Apparently the monks would make a "father's beer" that was like a tripel, just low in alcohol, usually around 4%, and keep it to themselves.  It sounded interesting, so I did as much digging as I could find, and put together a pretty easy recipe.  Goal is to have an easy drinking table beer, clean, clear, and still have that belgian quality to it.

RECIPE:
9# Pils (Franco-Belg)
1 oz Hallertau (60)
1/2 oz Goldings (10)
Irish Moss (10)
Wyeast 1214

1/17 BREWDAY:
Single infusion 90 minute mash w/ mashout & batch sparge.
Target temp: 148F
Target pre-boil gravity: 1.035
Target strike water: 11.25 qts @ 168 (5 degrees for cooler absorption, 15 degrees for grain absorption)
Target mashout water: 9.4 qts @ 200 (target temp = 168=170)
Target sparge water: ~2-2.5 gallons @ 168-170
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Strike: 11.25 qts @ 168, 163 after added to cooler (preheated), 147-150 after dough in, avg = 148
At this point, the mash went longer because we had left and came back, temp down to 142/143F.
Mashout: 10 qts @ 200, added to mash, overall temp now 165-168... avg 165/166.
First runnings: collected 4.25 gallons @ 13.4 (Brix)/1.054
Sparge: added 2 gallons @ 186, added to grains, overall temp now 165/166 - still short of 168/170 target.
Second runnings: collected 2 gallons @ 6.75 (Brix)/1.027
Pre-boil totals: 6 gallons @ 11(Brix)/1.044
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Boil for 60 minutes, additions are Hallertau @ 60 minutes, Goldings @ 10 minutes
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Chilled to 64 degrees, pitched Activator pack of 1214
SG: 5 gallons @ 13(Brix)/1.052

More later!

NOTES:
1/17 - This is a very simple, straightforward recipe, with the yeast being the star of the show.  I'd like to brew this again... even at this early stage, and split it up and ferment with different strains of belgian yeasts.
1/17 - Eventhough the single malt grain bill was simple to put together, I put much thought into the hops.  I norrowed it down to three: goldings, hallertau, and saaz.  I definitely did not want this smelling or tasting anything like a pilsner, and I happened to have both an ounce of hallertau and a 1/2 ounce of goldings, so that's what I used!

And a review from Mr. Don Osborn