Leffe Extract Clone

This Belgian Blonde tastes as if it were brewed by an all-grain method.

Extract brewing can be simple and rewarding! Note that while the equipment costs far less than the equivalent all-grain systems, the cost to let someone else create your extract over extracting the sugars from grains yourself is more expensive by about 20-50%. The cost per 20oz (one bottle) of beer for this Belgian Blonde is $1.94. The cost per 20oz beer, with all equipment in this description, is $5.67 at a total cost of $181.50 (tax not included).

The bottles are on Amazon. Search Plastic Beer Bottles.
You may use tap water and/or modify the water profile.

Additional costs include:

$24.57 An inexpensive Amazon stainless kettle from India
$26.97 A 6.5 Gallon Bottling & Siphonless Fermentation Bucket from Northern Brewer with the Spigot: Fermenter's Favorites Bottling Spigot for Bottling Bucket and with the Lid: Grommeted Lid (Drilled)
$8.99 20ft 3/8" ID Siphon Hose
$4.99 Fermenter's Favorites® Spring Tip Bottle Filler
$16.00 Five Star - Star San - 16 Ounce - Brew Sanitizer High Foaming Acid Anionic

For a fermentation airlock, run a section of the 3/8" ID Siphon Hose from the grommet on the lid to the bottom of one of the gallon jugs filled with sanitizer solution in tap water, and place the gallon jug and the fermentation bucket at the same height. It is best to elevate the beer at the beginning of the fermentation cycle with the spiggot facing the area where you will be bottling so that the trub is not disturbed during the bottling process. In other words, try not to move the bucket just before bottling. Primary fermentation ambient temperature is about 68f. Allow the yeast to ferment up to whatever temperature it prefers.

To bottle your beer, precondition each sanitized 16oz bottle with 1 Northern Brewer Fizz Drop. Attach a 5-8 foot section of the 3/8" ID Siphon Hose to the Fermenter's Favorites Bottling Spigot and the other end of the hose to the Fermenter's Favorites® Spring Tip Bottle Filler. Slowly open the spigot until it is fully open. Place the spring tip filler into the bottle and press the tip in on the bottom of the bottle. Fill the bottle until the liquid reaches the top. Remove the filler and the bottle will be filled to the optimal height.

Secondary fermentation in bottles takes between 14 and 21 days. 17.5 is usually a safe number of days to allow carbonation to build.

Don't forget to sanitize everything including the outside rims of the brew equipment and even the outside of the yeast packet.

"Superior phenolics, poor flocculation
2 years ago
Given that I am the person who originally cultivated this yeast from van Steenberge Gulden Draak and gave it to Chris White in about 1996, I am prejudiced.

This is my "go to" Belgian yeast with lovely phenolics and does not produce hardly any banana when fermented very warm. When I was propagating it, it was a much poorer flocculator than after Chris cleaned it up. It is still not a very good flocculator. However, it produces a lovely aromatic character and clovey phenolic taste with much spicy complexity. It is not exceptionally tolerant of high gravity wort, so if you plan on making a beer with an OG of over 1.080, you need to grow it up in a couple of batches of beer first. I have successfully fermented a 1.122 wort down to 1.024, but only with a huge amount of yeast slurry from two previous batches. Belgian Golden Strong made with this yeast was awarded a Gold in 2001 and 2002 in NHC First Round and a Silver at NHC final round in 2002. And, a Belgian Dark Strong brewed that same year, continued to get better with age for the next 12 years, but sadly is all gone.

I LOVE THIS YEAST!!!!!!" - DION · Reviewed on morebeer.com