Belgian Single

Today I'm brewing a Belgian Single, sometimes known as a Patersbier. I brewed a Patersbier years ago and, while I don't remember many of the details, I do remember enjoying it.

Belgian Singles are generally pale, dry, highly attenuated beers with relatively low alcohol compared with the better-known Belgian Dubbel, Tripel, and Quadrupel styles. Despite the lower gravity, a good Single can still have plenty of character from the yeast, hops, and malt.

I'm primarily brewing this batch to enter into a Belgian beer competition. I also wanted to revisit the style since it's been a while, and obviously I don't remember much about that last one. Depending on how it does, I may enter it in other competitions as well, but we are getting towards the end of competition season, and I have a couple other heavy hitters (Florida Rum Barrel Imperial Stout, and MOAR Cherries! Fruit Lambic) that I will definitely be entering.

The BJCP Guidelines describe the style as follows:

A blond, bitter, hoppy table beer that is very dry and highly carbonated. The aggressive fruity-spicy Belgian yeast character and high bitterness is forward in the balance, with a soft, supportive grainy-sweet malt palate, and a spicy-floral hop profile.

Often not labeled or available outside the monastery, or infrequently brewed. Might also be called monk’s beer, Brother’s beer, or simply a Blond (we don’t use this term to avoid confusion with the very different Belgian Blond Ale style). Highly attenuated, generally 85% or more.

Here's the recipe as I'm making it today:

Target OG: 1.052

Target FG: 1.008

IBU: 30

ABV: 5.7

4.66# Solstice Pilsner Malt

4.5# Isaria 1924 Malt

4.8oz Weyermann Acidulated Malt

4.8oz Weyermann Wheat Malt

2.4oz Munich Malt

1g BrewTan B (Mash)

3ml Hopshot (60 min)

28g Sterling (10 min)

Wyeast Nutrient (10 min)

4.66g BCAA (10 min)

Whirlfloc (Flameout)

28g Sterling (Whirlpool @155F)

SafAle BE-256

Zinc Buddy

Mash at 151F, 90 min boil, chill to 65°F then raise to 67°F over two days.

Water Profile

Target Water Profile
Ca	Mg	Na	SO4	Cl	HCO3
50	0	5	105	45	0

To 11 gallons RO/Distilled water, add:

• 7.7g Gypsum
• 0.8g Pickling Salt
• 1.1g Calcium Chloride
• 1.7g Magnesium Chloride

Brewing Notes
I was going to brew last night (Friday evening) but I started recirculating my water for heating and noticed a big problem...chunky brown bits in the water. Apparently I forgot to rinse my pump or my RIMS after the last brew, and things had gotten funky. So instead of brewing, I did some intense cleaning and put off the brewing until today.

I added 1ml of phosphoric acid to the mash after the initial reading of 5.43. 

 

Session Readings
Equipment used	10 gal MT
Strike water volume	3.5 gal
Strike water temp	163.3 °F
Mash thickness	1.41 qt/lbs
Beginning mash pH	5.43
Ending mash pH	5.36
1st running gravity	18 (1.072)
Volume into BK	7.0 gal
Pre-Boil gravity	x (1.0)
Pre-Boil pH	x
Post-Boil gravity	x (1.0)
Post-Boil pH	x
Aeration	0.5l/min
Post ferm gravity	x (1.0)
Post ferm pH	x