Belgian strong golden

[Ian]

Have any of you brewed a strong Belgian golden ale using Gladfield's Pilsner malt recently? Just wondering because I plan to brew one of these sometime soon and wondered whether folk were happy with the result they got using this malt for this specific style, or whether anyone found that they got a better result using a European Pilsner malt. I brewed a Pilsner recently with the Gladfield's malt and am well pleased with the result.

[cjmc]

Have you checked out Gladfield's German pils malt?  

I have got a 3 gal batch of a smash pils using the malt under lager at the moment as a bit of a try out for the malt.   ( I needed a large starter for another pils I'm brewing..)

[Ian]

Thanks for the thought. I have just had a Czech-style (do I flatter myself?) pilsner I brewed see out four weeks in the keg and I am enjoying it but used the Gladfield standard pilsner malt. Not quite a smash because I did use green bullet for some extra bittering and Saaz for the rest. Next time I'll go Saaz all the way I think and I see some of the guys use up to 80 or 100 gm in a 23 L batch. By the way, I used Brulosophy's quick lager method and it worked great. But I guess from what you say, and their description, the German pilsner malt will be a natural choice for a strong golden ale?

[cjmc]

+1 on the Brulosophy's quick lager method.   :)

I also picked up, from Brulosophy, use of gelatin for finings.   I reckon I get near commercial clarity plus I find that the carbonation yeast ends up sticking to the bottom of the bottle so can be pretty relaxed about pouring and not getting yeasty beer.

[Ian]

Me too - I never bothered with cold crashing or gelatine previously, yet now I routinely do both. It was a bit counter-intuitive opening the fermentor, but I have got used to it now. The only conundrum that I have found little definitive information on is preventing Starsan transfer from the blow-off pipe during cold-crashing. Last time I took the pipe out of the rigger I place it in and covered the end with a piece of sanitised foil with an elastic band and it seemed to do the trick?

[Peter Smith]

Also look at Best MalZ pils,   I like it, lower Eff if you don't step mash however, seems to need it.   Tastes very european because it is.  I love Gladdies malts as well, not tried the german pils yet but have used a sack of Glad pils and extra light and its ok.

[Ian]

Thanks Peter. I brew on a Braumeister these days and they are perfect for step mashing. After all the research I have done on the subject I really am inclined generally to go for a single infusion mash, but if this malt is somewhat under-modified it would give me a good excuse to use the potential for a step regime! I guess the only way to really know is to do the same brew using both different types and do some R&D drinking! :)

[Peter Smith]

If you don't step Best Malz  on a BM you will get  high 60's step gives good high 70s, low 80s , in comparison u can get 90's with no step gladdies,  I use BM as well love it.

I don't see the point for most NZ malts stepping, but for best yes.  I would not bother trying with Gladdies malts you are done in the first 30 mins.   I used Abbey ale II , was a left over from a dark for the GSA   This year I am going to try to make  Rochefort 6,   probably my favourite 2017 beer

[Ian]

I only roughly got what you meant regarding the step mash regimen above. I think since I haven't ever done a Belgian ale before I'll kick off when I do with the Gladfield German Pils. But at some stage I may try the Best Maltz to do a pilsner as the best way to really taste the malt flavours. I have a British ESB to brew first - maybe tomorrow. It would be really interesting to connect a bit more with other Brewmonster brewers - I recently packed my three vessel system away and have now done several brews on the BM and really lie it. OK, cleaning up is a pain, but that's just brewing!

[Ian]

I also wondered where you bought your Best Matz from?