A Westvleteren 12 clone for aging in a barrel. The name is a reference to the CHAOS brewhouse at 2417 West Hubbard. Forum thread.
Unfortunately, the beer became infected in the barrel, so it's kind of a sour stout now.
As I originally received it:
- Boil Size: 7.78 gal
- Post Boil Volume: 5.98 gal
- Batch Size (fermenter): 5.50 gal
- Bottling Volume: 5.00 gal
- Estimated OG: 1.088 SG
- Estimated Color: 25.4 SRM
- Estimated IBU: 27.5 IBUs
- Brewhouse Efficiency: 70.00 %
- Est Mash Efficiency: 73.2 %
- Boil Time: 90 Minutes
- 5.00 g Calcium Chloride (Mash 60.0 mins)
- 4.00 g Baking Soda (Mash 60.0 mins)
- 2.00 g Epsom Salt (MgSO4) (Mash 60.0 mins)
- 11 lbs Pilsner (2 Row) Bel (2.0 SRM)
- 2 lbs Munich Malt (9.0 SRM)
- 1 lbs Aromatic Malt (26.0 SRM)
- 1 lbs Caramunich Malt (56.0 SRM)
- 1 lbs Wheat Malt, Bel (2.0 SRM)
- 8.0 oz Melanoiden Malt (20.0 SRM)
- 4.0 oz Special B Malt (180.0 SRM)
- .5 oz Magnum [14.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min
- 1.25 oz Styrian Goldings [4.20 %] - Boil 20.0 min
- 1.0 pkg Abbey Ale (White Labs #WLP530) [35.49 ml]
- 1.0 pkg Trappist High Gravity (Wyeast Labs #3787)
- 1 lbs Dark Candi Syrup [Add to fermentor day 5]
- 1 lbs Dark Candi Syrup D2 [Add to fermentor day 7]
- Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Light Body, Batch Sparge
- Total Grain Weight: 18 lbs 12.0 oz
- Mash In Add 21.18 qt of water at 167.5 F 153.0 F 75 min
- Sparge: Batch sparge with approximately 4.75gal of 175.0 F water
Add the brewing salts (CaCl, MgS04, NaHCO3) to both the mash and to the kettle. The weights given are to be added to both, the total amount of brewing salts used will be double the amount listed.
All you will need is a ~1.8L stirred starter of either of the above yeasts. If you cannot, or do not want to create a stirred starter, you must pitch at least 3 vials/packs of yeast to avoid off flavors from stressing the yeast. Start fermentation in the low 60s (chill your beer to 60-62 prior to pitching, and try to store your fermentors on the lower shelves in the ferm room).
Add the candi syrups after peak fermentation in order to help the beer attenuate fully. According to James, you will not need to boil the syrup and can simply add it directly to the fermentor. Add the first lb. 3-5 days after pitching, and the second lb 1-2 days later. Once you have added the second lb of syrup, move your fermenter to one of the upper shelves to bring the temperature into the high 60s. If the hot box is operational, we will try to set it for the low 70s, and you can finish your beer there. We want the beer to finish below 1.020 so that it is not cloyingly sweet.
- Mash was right on
- Boil volume: about 8 gallons
- Used Styrian Celeia instead of Styrian Goldings because that's all I could get my hands on
- OG: 1.092
- About 4 gallons into the fermenter
- Pitched three packs of Wyeast #3787: Trappist High Gravity
I boiled off a lot more than I expected to, so the volume was low, and thus, the gravity high. Someone asked a few days later why I hadn't just added another gallon of water to the fermenter, and the answer was simple: it just hadn't occurred to me to do so!
I added the candi syrups a little bit later than the recipe called for because I brewed the Sunday before Thanksgiving, so that messed up my week a bit.
- 2014.11.23: Brew day
- 2014.11.30: Added 1 lb dark candi syrup (D-90)
- 2014.12.03: Added 1 lb extra dark candi syrup (D-180)
- 2015.01.04: Transferred to barrel for aging
- 2016.02.14: Barrel emptied. My share went into my bucket #1
- 2016.03.20: Bottled with 4oz corn sugar and half a packet of champagne yeast. 48 12-oz bottles.