Article on brewing Belgian beers

Interesting stuff about the importance of the mashing scheme.

 

http://shop.beerandbrewing.com/coll...raft-beer-brewing-magazine-including-renewals

What are we selling here?

Some interesting info, but the "you're probably doing it wrong", (stupid Americans) tone permeates the article...I've seen that theme before, IMHO

 

The example mashing schedules are definitely good info.

 

If only the article would specify where to get the under-modified malts those breweries use with those mash schedules.

 

Interesting article, thanks for linking to it.

A question for those more knowledgeable than me (almost everyone)

"Use less-modified Continental base malt and try a protein rest with one or two other steps to promote attenuation and fermentability."

I was under the impression that most continental malts were "well modified" these days. Is this correct?

 

Morebeer describes the Weyermann® Floor Malted Bohemian Pilsner Malt as "slightly undermodified". Weyermann doesn't use those words on there website. I'd imagine that grain batch and procedural variations make that negligible.

 

how do i control mash temps that accurately? every time i adjust i'm terrified of accidentally boiling while i'm waiting for a reading on my steel thermometer

 

This is the one I was thinking of. I used it recently, just because I wanted to do a decoction. I do not think it is so under modified that it needs one, though.

 

I can buy unmalted wheat at my LHBS. Unmalted barley isn't a scarce commodity outside of the homebrew supply stores.

You can buy a 50# sack of barley for a reasonable price right here:

http://shop.honeyville.com/pearled-...UTAXkx81qbiyDplcf2CFz-uR2PpV7edIm8aAhg18P8HAQ

Good luck making a Belgian beer with unmalted barley.

 

Some good info there and I definitely like the bit about spices. I don't like to be able to pick out spices in any Belgian beers (except wits). But that last bit, about how yeast isn't that important is ridiculous.

 

Yeah, that part didn't sit as well with me either. I mean, I get what they are saying but maybe I just don't like the way it is being said.

Good ride otherwise.

 

I did not like the whole tone either. Quite condescending IMO.

 

True. Although it's fair to say there aren't many American professional brewers that brew authentic Belgian style beers in the same league as the best Belgians. However, practically none of the "advice" in the article would change that. The article is weak and wasn't worth reading.

 

Belgian brewers have often been quoted as saying styles are an artificial way of describing beer. If so, than the idea that you can make a Belgian style beer with a particular strain makes no sense because there is no style. That was how was thinking about some of the comments in the article,anyhow.
For whatever reason (Michael Jackson, maybe) US beer aficionados like to categorize and classify, but this is apparently not true in Belgium

 

Right, but it seems like many do not attribute the characteristics of these strains to a Belgian style. I am not in complete agreement; just trying to clarify where the position in yeast comes from