This recipe has some built-in guardrails, but even if you blow past them and get a brightly acidic beer with lots of oak and a dry finish despite lots of malt flavor, you’ll still have a beer that’s fun to serve and drink and talk about. Start off well, and the rest should work itself out.
For the thinking behind this recipe, see Make Your Best Oud Bruin.
ALL-GRAIN
Batch size: 5 gallons (19 liters)
Brewhouse efficiency: 72%
OG: 1.072
FG: 1.015
IBUs: 21
ABV: 7.6%
MALT/GRAIN BILL
7 lb (3.2 kg) pilsner
5 lb (2.3 kg) Munich
8 oz (227 g) biscuit
8 oz (227 g) wheat malt
8 oz (227 g) British crystal 65L
8 oz (227 g) Special B
4 oz (113 g) Weyermann Carafa Special III
HOPS SCHEDULE
1.4 oz (40 g) Styrian Golding at 60 minutes [21 IBUs]
YEAST
Wyeast 1007 German Ale and Wyeast 3763 Roeselare Ale Blend
DIRECTIONS
Mill the grains and mash at 152°F (67°C) for 60 minutes. Vorlauf until the runnings are clear, then run off into the kettle. Sparge and top up as necessary to get about 6 gallons (23 liters) of wort—or more, depending on your evaporation rate. Boil 60 minutes, adding hops according to the schedule. After the boil, chill to about 60°F (16°C), aerate well, and pitch the German Ale yeast. Ferment at 65°F (18°C) for 7 days, then allow the temperature to rise to 70°F (21°C). When fermentation is complete, transfer to a glass or stainless-steel secondary vessel. Purge with CO2 and pitch the Roeselare blend. Store in a cool spot for about 12 weeks and taste. When the acidity is where you like it, package and carbonate to about 2.5 volumes.
BREWER’S NOTES
Optionally, add oak chips (medium-plus toast) for 1 week before packaging.