Houblon Chouffe IPA Tripel Clone

I don't have a ton of input here, but I think you're on the right track with pilsner syrup. Wyeast 3522 would be the yeast to use (I believe it's their strain). I don't have a bottle handy, but I feel like they list the hops on the label. Maybe it was Saaz, Chinook and another "C" hope (or possibly Amarillo).

 

My research has come up with this all-grain clone for HC:

Belgian Pilsner 100%
Styrian Golding for bittering, Saaz at 10 min for an IBU of 25
Add corn sugar to boost ABV to 9%
A touch of coriander at 5 mins (~0.30 oz/5 gal)
Mash at 145/20 min and 155/40 mins
Ferm with 3522 at 71°, letting it rise after 4-5 days

Dry Hops are not listed. I whirlpooled with Citra and Dh'ed with Citra and it was definitely different. I am fairly positive they don't use American hops . . . a commercial version to me has little hop aroma, so it's probably something noble and not much of it. Achouffe will crash cold after primary fermentation for 21 days in the low 30s, this is vital for clarity. Carb at 3.1 volumes.

BTW, the gnome that is the face of Achouffe is "Marcel" who is on the La Chouffe bottle. Next is the Scottish gnome, "Malcolm", who represents McChouffe. The gnome in the hop-field on the Houblon Chouffe bottle is definitely different and is current un-named: I refer to him as "Maurice".

 

Of course this article is quite dated, but it confirms what I remember being written on the bottle in regards to hops:

http://www.beeradvocate.com/articles/663/

Tomahawk (CTZ) for bittering, Saaz at the end of the boil and Amarillo for dry hopping.

 

@ventura78

 

Good catch! I got a bottle from my recycle bin (I never throw anything away) and found this:



In my defense, it is a 750 at 9% . Whenever I have bought HC it has always had minimal hop flavor/aroma . . . it suffers poorly from the 4000 mile journey. I thought I could "fix" it by brewing with fresh hops and did confirm it is not hopped with Citra. If I have any credibility left . . . I still feel it is single grain and 3522 is the yeast. I am a card-carrying hophead, and think the overall bitterness is mild compared to our American IPAs. My Euro friends rave over it.

The little gnome above is different on the 330ml bottles . . . it ain't Malcolm, but some French-speaking gnome picking hops.

 

I agree that it suffers from the long journey, I remember it being great the first time I had it (maybe 8 years ago), but recent bottles have lacked the hop punch I remembered. I figured it was just my taste buds just shifted, but it's probably a freshness issue.

 

I usually use all grain , but you could substitute the 15 lbs of grain for 11 lbs of extract, and the following.

for 6 gallons

2 lbs table sugar
.75 oz Columbus 60 min
.33 oz Columbus 20 min
1.5 oz saaz 7 min
1 oz centennial 1 min

wyeast 3522 with a starter

can't get enough of this stuff

 

Sounds pretty delicious. I would throw in an oz or so of Amarillo for dry hopping as well, based on the bottle, but I've never attempted a clone.

I assume you grain bill is 100% Belgian Pilsner, or similar?

 

Normally it's 100 % Franco- Belges pilsen, but now its 100% Canada malting pilsen, due to availability.