Unruly Gnome Belgian Blond Ale

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La Chouffe is a darned good beer, and I will often get a pour if I find it on-tap at a quality alehouse (shout-out to The Back Abbey!). Belgian Blond Ale (or Belgian Blonde Ale) is not a style I have brewed previously, so it’s time to rectify that! I did a bit of research to find a clone recipe for La Chouffe, and a version from Brewer’s Friend inspired my own version, along with “The Gnome” recipe in Gordon Strong’s Modern Homebrew Recipes. The original recipe on Brewer’s Friend used decoction, but I decided to just put a little melanoidin malt into the grist instead. I also included a mash rest at 126°, in an attempt to improve the head.

Because this is an experimental beer, and a high alcohol one at that, I decided to make a small (3 gallon) batch.

Unruly Gnome Belgian Blond Ale

  • 7.75 lb. pilsner malt (Rahr)
  • 3 oz. melanoidin malt (Weyermann)
  • 0.5 tsp. BrewTanB (mash)
  • 12 oz. clear candi sugar (added to boil)
  • 1 oz. Styrian Goldings hop pellets (3.2% alpha), 60 minute boil
  • 0.5 oz. Saaz hop pellets (2.0% alpha), 15 minute boil
  • 0.25 tap. BrewTanB, 10 minute boil
  • 0.5 Whirlfloc tablet, 5 minute boil
  • 0.5 oz. Saaz hop pellets (2.0% alpha), 5 minute boil
  • 0.5 tsp. yeast nutrient WLN1000 (White Labs), 5 minute boil
  • 6 g. coriander seeds (Turkish), 5 minute boil
  • 1 pkg. Abbaye Belgian ale yeast (Lallemand)

Target Parameters

  • 1.068 s.g., 1.009 f.g., 7.9% abv, 6 SRM, 21 IBU
  • Full volume step mash, with 15 minutes at 126°, 90 minutes at 146°, and 10 minutes at 168°; 60 minute boil
  • Water built up from RO and Claremont tap water, to hit water target parameters of 50 ppm Ca, 4 ppm Mg, 45 ppm Na, 56 ppm SO4, 82 ppm Cl, 10 ppm bicarbonate, RA=-30.

Procedure

  • To get my strike water, I mixed 2.5 gallons Claremont tap water and 2.5 gallons distilled water, added 2.1 mL of 88% lactic acid, 1/4 Campden tablet, 1 g CaCl, and 1 g CaSO4.
  • I heated the strike water to 131°, added the grains and 1 tbs. of 10% phosphoric acid, and held the mash at 126° for 15 minutes, before raising the temperature to 146° for 90 minutes. Then, I raised the mash to 168° for 10 minutes before pulling the grains.
  • In total, I collected 4.5 gallons of runnings at a gravity of 1.050, for 75% mash efficiency.
  • I brought the runnings to a boil, adding finings per the recipe. After a 60 minute boil, I turned off the heat and chilled to 74° before transferring to the fermenter and pitching the yeast.
  • I brewed this beer on 7 December 2024. Starting gravity was 1.070.
  • I had vigorous fermentation within 18 hours of pitching the yeast; temperature was down to 72°, and so I moved the fermenter into the fermentation chamber on 8 December 2024, and set it at 74°.
  • Fermentation (as evidenced by bubbling) was pretty much done by 10 December 2024.
  • I kegged the beer on 23 December 2024, adding 1 oz. of corn sugar in 0.5 cups of water for carbonation, and let it sit at room temperature.
  • Final gravity was 1.011, for 7.8% abv.

Tasting

  • Appearance
    • Very clear gold beer that pours with a creamy and persistent white head of foam. It’s quite pretty! I’ll note that it clarified a bit more after the photos were taken (about 10 days before this post).
  • Aroma
    • Moderate spicy phenolic notes, but overall pretty clean. A little light caramel malt comes through, and some citrus quality with light alcohol notes as it warms.
  • Flavor
    • Moderately high bitterness, crackery malt at a moderate level, with a touch of candy. Balance is towards the hops a bit. Orange peel citrus comes through as the beer warms. The yeast is perhaps a touch more prominent than what I remember in the commercial beer.
  • Mouthfeel
    • Highly carbonated, light body, dry finish. It drinks very easily!
  • Would I Brew This Again?
    • This is a good start. The yeast was perhaps a bit forward in the early samplings of the beer, but it has mellowed considerably over time. It might benefit from lower temperatures with this dry yeast strain, or a different strain at least relative to the style ideal (probably Ardennes for my next version, which isn’t available in dry yeast form; Belle Saison is another dry yeast I’m considering). Even so, this beer is dangerously drinkable! I might dial hops back a touch, perhaps to 15 IBU or so. The bitterness on the finish is just a touch harsher than I like. The coriander doesn’t come through, so I could safely ditch it; I don’t think anything would be lost. I might also try a fresher coriander from a different source area, which could also help.
    • Note added 10 February 2025: The beer has cleared to brilliant now!
  • Overall
    • 8/10

Pfriem Pilsner 2024

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I have done a version of this three times previously, usually with some minor variations for hops or yeast. This time, I decided to do the hop varieties and timings exactly as written (with adjustments for alpha acid), to follow the original Pfriem Pilsner clone recipe from Dave Carpenter’s Lager book. Without further ado, here’s what I did.

Pfriem Pilsner 2024

  • 9.75 lb. pilsner malt (Rahr)
  • 6 oz. Carafoam malt (Weyermann)
  • 0.5 tsp. BrewTanB, in mash
  • 0.75 oz. Perle hop pellets (6.3% alpha), 60 minute boil
  • 0.5 oz. Tettnang hop pellets (2.4% alpha), 60 minute boil
  • 0.5 oz. Tettnang hop pellets (2.4% alpha), 10 minute boil
  • 0.75 oz. Saphir hop pellets (2.3% alpha), 10 minute boil
  • 0.5 oz. Spalt Spalter hop pellets (4.3% alpha), 10 minute boil
  • 0.5 tsp. BrewTanB, 10 minute boil
  • 1 Whirlfloc tablet, 5 minute boil
  • 1.5 oz. Tettnang hop pellets (2.4% alpha), 10 minute whirlpool
  • 0.75 oz. Saphir hop pellets (2.3% alpha), 10 minute whirlpool
  • 0.5 oz. Spalt Spalter hop pellets (4.3% alpha), 10 minute whirlpool
  • 2 pkg. Diamond dry lager yeast (Lallemand)

Target Parameters

  • 1.046 s.g., 1.007 f.g., 5.1% abv, 4 SRM, 38 IBU
  • Full volume step mash, with 45 minutes at 142°, 45 minutes at 156°, and 10 minutes at 168°; 70 minute boil
  • Water built up from RO, to hit target parameters of 62 ppm Ca, 11 ppm Mg, 121 ppm SO4, and 51 ppm Cl, with RA=-50 ppm

Procedure

  • I built up my mash water from 7.5 gallons of RO water, with 3 g calcium chloride, 3 g epsom salt, and 4 g gypsum. Then, I heated it to 146° before adding the grains and holding at 142° for 45 minutes, with recirculation. Then, I raised the mash to 156° for 45 minutes and finished up at 168° for 10 minutes.
  • After the mash, I pulled the grains. I collected 6.8 gallons of runnings with a gravity of 1.041, for 74% mash efficiency.
  • I brought the runnings to a boil, boiling for 10 minutes before adding the first round of hops and proceeding with the rest of the recipe as written. In total, this was a 70 minute boil.
  • At the end of the boil, I turned off the heat, added the whirlpool hops, and whirlpooled for 10 minutes before continuing with the rest of the chill.
  • Once the beer was down to 72°, I transferred to the fermenter and chilled down to 46° in my fermentation chamber, before pitching the yeast.
  • I brewed this beer on 28 October 2024, and the starting gravity was 1.049.
  • The starting fermentation temperature was 48°, and I held it here until 3 November 2024, when I raised the temperature to 52°. On 17 November, I raised the temperature to 54°, and then to ambient (~62°) on 24 November 2024.
  • I kegged the beer on 25 November 2024. Final gravity was 1.009, for 5.3% abv.

Tasting

  • Appearance
    • Clear, but short of brilliant; there is just a tiny touch of barely visible haze. It is a straw-colored beer that pours with a fine and persistent white head, which leaves some nice lacing on the glass.
  • Aroma
    • Light notes of cracker and honey in the malt, and a pleasant light floral hop aroma, with a touch of fresh hay. This beer smells awesome!
  • Flavor
    • Medium-high bitterness, grainy sweet malt character; hop flavor is lightly herbal. Minerally feel to finish out the flavor.
  • Mouthfeel
    • Medium carbonation, medium light body, dry finish. Minerally, but not unpleasantly so.
  • Would I Brew This Again?
    • I am feeling pretty good about this recipe overall. It is perhaps a touch more bitter than I prefer in all of my pils, but I like the hop aroma and malt character; the overall aroma is amazing! I wouldn’t mind a touch taller head (but that may be in the pour), and I also must ding the beer a bit for its clarity. I wonder if the persistent light haze is from the large dose of whirlpool hops? I could have used some finings, and might do that next time for a pilsner-type beer, because clarity is something important to me for these.
  • Overall
    • 8/10

Brew Year’s Resolutions 2025

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It has been three years since I last did one of these posts, but I figured I would give it a go in 2025. I usually only somewhat loosely adhere to these resolutions, but they can be fun ways to frame the year.

  • More Small Batches.
    • I enjoy brewing, and sometimes it’s more about the brew day than consuming the final product. One way to get around an occasional backlog in beer (and to have more variety) is to brew smaller batches. So, I’m going to aim to do a greater percentage of 3 gallon brews this year. Although I anticipate continuing with 5 gallon batches as the bulk of my brewing (especially for favorites like German pils), I hope to work more 3 gallon batches into the rotation, especially for new-to-me styles.
  • Conditioning Time.
    • Somewhat paradoxically relative to the item above, some of my beers would benefit from a longer conditioning or lagering time before serving. For instance, my märzen was on tap within 6 weeks after kegging, but a minimum of 8 weeks and preferably 10 would have been ideal to hit the point of brilliance for this particular recipe. A German pils (not yet posted) is at 6 weeks and is now brilliant and ready to serve; I often have these beers on around 2 weeks after kegging. Beyond simple discipline, I think the key to achieving this goal is brewing frequently enough that I can afford to let a keg sit for longer lagering.
  • New Styles.
    • I have explored a good chunk of the styles out there, but there are still more to do. In the most recent Zymurgy issue that highlights the winners of the 2024 NHC, there was a really intriguing gose recipe. Sour beers aren’t my usual favorite, quick sour methods are sometimes a bit one dimensional or not advised for many styles, and the possibility of contamination always gives me second thoughts. But, this particular “Salty One” by gold medal winner Jonathan Hernandez relies on a blending technique that avoids souring on the cold side, and allows some complexity on the hot side. Basically, you make a fraction of the batch as sauergut, and then adding this to the rest of the wort at the boil. I’m going to give it a try!

2024’s Homebrew Highlights

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2024 was a decent year for brewing; I focused in part on perfecting classic styles, in addition to returning to a few standby recipes. I feel that I know my brewing system pretty well and have been learning the mash and recipe formulation techniques to get to my destination. Interestingly, I think I was at 100 percent dry yeast during the past year–I might try one or two liquid yeast varieties for particular batches, but in the end the variety and convenience of dry yeast can’t be beat.

  • Favorite Batch(es)
    • Bear Butte Porter is on tap right now, and it hits every note that I love about classic American craft beer styles. It’s rich without being cloying, malty while still being drinkable, and low enough abv that I can enjoy a glass or two without getting knocked out. American porters are a style I keep enjoying, especially because they’re relatively scarce nowadays in a sea of IPAs.
    • I have been chasing the ideal hefeweizen for years, and finally hit that with Humboldt’s Hefeweizen 2024. I made some adjustments to technique, especially in the mash program, and the results paid off handsomely.
  • Least Favorite Batch
    • Snowdrop Kölsch 2024 Attempt 1 (not blogged) got infected; this was a disappointment, and led me to add Iodophor semi-regularly into my cleaning rotation. Thankfully my second attempt at this recipe went much more smoothly.
  • Experimental Recipe With Most Potential
    • Session Saison got soooo close to perfection, and I’m looking forward to dialing in this recipe.
  • Most Fun New Style/Recipe to Try
    • Levitation Ale Homage was a super tasty session ale, and I still remember the hop flavor on this one. It had so much going on for a lower alcohol beer, and I absolutely love that!
  • Upcoming Beer With Most Potential
    • I have a Belgian blond ale conditioning in the keg right now, for a recipe I’ve called “Unruly Gnome Belgian Blond Ale.” It’s intended to be an approximation of La Chouffe, which is one of my favorite beers.
    • My first rauchbier is lagering right now; it will go on tap once I have space in my keezer. Initial samplings have been very tasty!
  • Best Ingredient/Technique Added to Repertoire
    • Feijoa (Pineapple Guava): This unusual (to me) fruit has a unique taste and is perfectly suited for a sour. So, my Rated “PG” for Pineapple Guava recipe was born.
    • Mash schedules: I used my Anvil Foundry to its full potential this year, by adjusting mash schedules to achieve desired fermentation results. Exemplar number 1 is my hefeweizen–I added a ferrulic acid rest, which I am fairly sure tipped the beer’s character into perfection. Similarly, I used a long and low saccharification rest on my session saison, which finally got me the dryness I want and need on that style.
  • Favorite Books
    • No new books jumped out at me this year, which may be just as much a factor of me reading other things versus a dearth of interesting content. A new-to-me book that I greatly enjoyed was Experimental Homebrewing: Mad Science in the Pursuit of Great Beer Mad Science in the Pursuit of Great Beer by Denny Conn and Drew Beechum, published a full 10 years ago. It’s a time capsule in many ways, from a simpler era when the overlap between homebrewers and commercial brewers was blurrier, and it felt like the homebrewing scene was on an eternally upward trajectory. I like the approach they take to recipes, with an emphasis on thinking through the ingredient inputs needed for sensory outputs. This is not unique to them, but their way of relating it is quite approachable and fun to read.
  • Overall Stats

Collaboration Brews – Citra Blonde Ale and Andy’s Pilsner

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This past summer, I got to brew with my dad, who first got me thinking about brewing many years ago (I remember helping him way back as a teenager, even if I couldn’t enjoy the product at the time). He started as an extract brewer decades ago, took a break, got back into it, and then eventually switched to all-grain brewing (alongside wine making). Dad makes almost exclusively lagers, with his regular rotation including a Pre-Prohibition PIlsner and a Vienna Lager.

Dad currently brews on an Anvil Foundry 10.5 (gifted by us kids a few years back), doing a handful of batches annually to keep his cellar stocked. Awhile back, I shared my Citra Blonde Ale recipe with him, and he liked it enough to add a version into his repertoire. I also helped him put together a simple German pils, which is made with hops he grows himself.

We’ll usually brew something when I’m visiting, but I almost never get to sample the results due to the distance. So, it was extra nice to get a shipment with a bottle of each of the beers we made this summer. I was also able to get my hands on the notes (thanks, Dad!), which are presented in only lightly edited format.

Citra Blonde Ale

  • 5.25 lb. Briess Pilsen malt
  • 5 lb. Briess 2-row malt
  • 0.75 lb. Munich malt
  • 0.5 lb. Vienna malt
  • 0.5 lb. Carapils malt
  • 0.5 oz. Citra hops (boil 10 min.)
  • Whirlfloc tablet (boil 1- min.)
  • 0.5 oz. Citra hops (boil 5 min.)
  • 1.0 oz. Citra hops (steep for 5 min. after shutting the heat off).
  • BRY-97 American West Coast Ale (dry) and Safale US-05 (dry) yeast, 1 packet each

Procedure

Double-milled grains with 0.035 in. gap.  Steeped grains at 152 degrees.  Mashed out at 168 degrees for 10 minutes.  Boiled for 50 minutes.  Added 0.5 oz. Citra hops, Whirlfloc.  Boiled for 5 minutes.  Added 0.5 oz. Citra hops. Boiled for 5 minutes.  

Shut off heat.  Added 1.0 oz. Citra hops.  Steeped for 5 minutes.  Removed hops and cooled to 69 degrees.  S.G.=1.054.  Added American West Coast Ale yeast BRY-97 (best by 08-2024) and Safale US-05 (best by 01-24).

Fermented in the basement at approx. 65 degrees for 12 days.  S.G.=1.006.  Continued to ferment in the basement for 3 more weeks, then moved to 34-degree fridge.  Chilled for about 3 weeks, then filtered, force carbonated and bottled.

Brewed July 18, 2024.

Tasting

  • Appearance
    • Medium yellow color, relatively clear. A touch of chill haze. Thin white head that subsides after pouring.
  • Aroma
    • A nice orange/ citrus hop aroma at a moderate level; moderate/low malty aroma
  • Flavor
    • Citrus hop flavor, low bitterness level, grainy malt character, no yeast to speak of. Nice round maltiness.
  • Mouthfeel
    • Medium-light body, moderate carbonation, smooth finish.
  • Would I Brew This Again?
    • This is a great recipe, even after a few months. Clean, drinkable, interesting but not overpowering.
  • Overall
    • 8/10

Andy’s Pilsner

This is a SMaSH-esque recipe, based on various SMaSH pilsners that I have made over the years. The closest equivalent would be Farke’s Best Pils.

  • 10 lb. Briess Pilsen malt
  • 1.0 oz. Saaz (2023) hops in boil (60 minute boil)
  • 1.0 oz. Mt. Hood (2023) hops (10 minute boil)
  • Whirlfloc tablet, 10 minute boil
  • 2 pkg. DIamond Lager dry yeast (Lallemand)

Procedure

Double-milled grain at 0.035 in. gap.  Steeped grain at 150 degrees for 50 minutes.  Mashed out at 168 degrees for 10 minutes.  Brought to a boil and added Saaz hops.  

Boiled for 60 minutes.  Added Whirlfloc tablet and Mt. Hood hops.  Boiled for 10 minutes.  Cooled to 70 degrees.  S.G.=1.051.  Added 1-1/2 qts. tap water.  S.G.=1.047.

Chilled to 52 degrees.  Added 2 packages of Diamond Lager yeast (BB 08-2024 & 09-2023).  Fermented for 10 days.  S.G.=1.006.  Racked to 5 gal. carboy.   Continued to ferment at 52 degrees for 12 days.  Warmed to 74 degrees for diacetyl rest for 4 days.  Chilled to 34 degrees for approximately one month, then cold filtered, force carbonated and bottled.

Brewed July 18, 2024.

Tasting

  • Appearance
    • Very clear, straw color, with thin white head that subsides fairly quickly.
  • Aroma
    • A bit of spicy hop at the forefront, and some grainy maltiness behind that. Very nice!
  • Flavor
    • Malty sweetness at the front, and medium level of spicy hopping. Clean fermentation profile.
  • Mouthfeel
    • Medium-low carbonation level; medium mouthfeel; smooth and slightly dry finish.
  • Would I Brew This Again?
    • This is a great recipe! Carbonation might help with giving a touch more head. Malt and hop levels are perfect. This is a nice pilsner.
  • Overall
    • 8/10