Biére de Garde

5 gallons, all grain; OG = 1.080; FG = 1.016 to 1.020; Color = 17.5 SRM; Bitterness = 30.6 IBUs

Ingredients:

• 11.5 lbs. Malteries Franco Belge (MFB) two-row pale malt (1.8 to 2.2° Lovibond)
• 1.0 lbs. carapils or dextrin malt
• 1.5 lbs. MFB caramel 60 (this is a 20° Lovibond crystal malt)
• 0.25lbs MFB kiln coffee (a 150° Lovibond chocolate malt)
• 6.1 AAU of Hallertau hops (1.75 oz., 3.5% alpha acid)
• 5.0 AAU of Strisselspalt hops (1.25 oz., 4.0% alpha acid)
• 1 pt. starter Wyeast 1214 (Belgian ale) or White Labs WLP-550 (Belgian ale)
• 2/3 cup corn sugar for priming

Step by Step:

Mash grain in 3.75 gallons of water for 60 minutes at 150° F.Sparge with enough 168° F water to yield 5.75 gallons of wort. Total boil time is 90 minutes. After 30 minutes add Hallertau and continue for 45 more minutes. Add Strisselspalt and boil for remaining 15 minutes. Whirlpool and cool to 68° F to pitch starter.

Ferment at 68° F for 7 days, then rack to secondary fermenter.Continue fermentation for 14 more days or until gravity is about 4° Plato (1.016) and fermentation stops. Prime and bottle condition as long as desired.

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Biére de Garde

(5 gallons, extract with grain)

Substitute the pale malt for 9 lbs. pale syrup. Other ingredients remain the same. Start with 5.0 gallons of water in boil kettle. Steep crushed grains in a nylon bag at 150° F for 30 minutes.

Remove bag and rinse with enough 168° F water to make 5.5 gallons. Add extract. Total boil time is 60 minutes. At beginning of boil add Hallertau and continue for 45 minutes. Add Strisselspalt and boil for remaining 15 minutes. Whirlpool and cool to 68° F to pitch starter.

Ferment as above and condition as long as desired at 50 to 55° F.