Mighty Duck!

Mighty Duck! is an attempt at an extract Kwak clone.

Aiming to produce 40x330ml bottles from this brew so I need at least 13.2l available at bottling time. I'd need an estimated 15-16l going in to the primary fermenter.

Actually got 17l going in to the primary, topped up a little, to 18.5l, to bring the OG down from 1.078 to 1.070.

If I'd left the OG at 1.078 and fermentation ends at the anticipated 1.016 then the ABV would be 8.14% - closer to Kwak's actual 8.4%.

FG reading is 1.010 giving an ABV of 7.88%

Moved 15.5l to a secondary FV after primary completed. Is clearing nicely after the first week.

Bottled 46 x 330ml bottles from the secondary. Very little sediment and a good, clear, beer going in to the bottles.

Beer at bottling was sitting at 11C hence the lower volume of brewing sugar (corn sugar) than I'd normally expect for a target CO2 volume of 2.2.

1st photo is Kwak on the left, Mighty Duck on the right after 1 week in the secondary. Has the banana hit you get from Kwak.

The flavour development in the bottle has been interesting.

For the first month of bottle conditioning I tasted a bottle at week 1 and 2 and the banana flavour was reducing with bitterness increasing. I waiting until it had a full month in the bottle before tasting again and it was the same change - even less banana and more bitterness.

Zero carbonation at the end of month 1.

Waiting until month 2 and a big change - banana flavour is starting to re-appear and that rich Belgian Dubbel flavour is starting to appear. The bitterness has almost completely dissipated.

End of month 2 and the carbonation is starting to appear, a good hiss when the bottle opens but overall carbonation is light.

The beer is almost completely clear now too.

Now waiting for month 3...