Fall Spice Belgian Quad

The source for the grain and hop bill comes from Dan's Belgian Quad as noted above. However, there are several deviations both from the standard Belgian styles and the baseline recipe, including the use of cane sugar over dextrose and darker candi sugar as adjuncts. The biggest modifications, however, come from the use of Lutra yeast and the warming spices. Lutra was used for rapid take-off to reduce infection risk from primary spices.

Grains were mashed at 150 for 2.25 hours, dropping to 142 over that period by cold water additions and removal of mash tun lids.

Adjuncts (brown sugar, cane sugar, candi syrup) were added at the start of boil after protein break. Hop additions are noted in recipe, immersion chiller added at 15 minutes, boil spice additions added at 5 minutes. Immersion chilled to just under 100 degrees.

Yeast was pitched at 96 degrees F and fermented in a controlled temperature room at 85 degrees for six days, then reduced to 72 degrees F for 2 days. Actual OG was 1.094, and actual FG was 1.008. 11.3%ABV.

The beer was fermented in two separate 8 gallon Anvil stainless steel fermenters, each receiving one packet of Lutra pitched dry. A cheesecloth sachet was fashioned to contain half each of the primary spices noted in the recipe. Total time in primary was 8 days, FG holding firm at 1.008 for two days prior to packaging.

5 gallons were kegged (2x2.5 gallons) and force carbonated, 5 gallons are barrel-aging in a medium toast/medium char American white oak Bad Motivator whiskey barrel. After a few weeks, the barrel-aged beer will be bottle conditioned with Lallemand CBC-1.

The kegged beer is absolutely incredible. Wildly complex and the flavors evolve over the course of several sips. Excited to try the barrel-aged in a month or two.