The last few beers we have made were relatively common styles that are generally liked by us and our friends - an IPA, a Smoked Scottish Ale, Pale Ale, Nut Brown, Porter, etc. This last time we wanted to try something a little different, so below is our first attempt at making a Chimay clone. (Sorry the picture is so bad - lack of camera required using my webcam to take the picture.) If you haven't had it before, Chimay is a Belgian Brewery made famous by its three types of Monk-brewed beers that - as is typical of the "Belgian" style of Trappist Ales - are extra rich, flavorful, interesting, and alcoholic. The extra alcohol (it should be around 8-9% when finished) comes from the 9 or so pounds of malt extracts, candi sugars, and specialty grains that the special trappist yeasties chow down on vigorously, as you can see from the photo below. This was taken about 2 days into the fermentation.
We just racked (or transferred) the wort (or unfinished beer) into secondary (or a separate jug) yesterday to help it clear and keep it off the dead yeast cells, and in doing so I definitely got strong aromas of blackberry and pepper, in line with the distinctive Chimay Grande Reserve flavors. We'll be sure to let you know how it turns out in a month or so.Maybe some day we can have a taste test with Steve and Sarah, who I'm happy to hear have just started homebrewing themselves! In the meantime, what should we make next? Does anybody have any other favorite commercial beers that we should try to clone?
6 comments:
Um. FatTom. I left you a voicemail last night. Please reply with requested email address...
I think I appreciate the Belgian stuff, but it's never been a favorite. Unlike many people returning to the west or finding it on tap out east, fat tire never excited me. (Sorry, Fort Collins) And when I visited Sarah in NYC belgian beers were clearly becoming an excuse to charge cocktail prices for beer. That probably didn't help make me a fan, either.
However. If there is anything that you're going to save lotsa dollars on brewing at home, it's probably the belgian stuff!
For me the Belgians have their place - they are delicious but I'm not always in the mood for something that rich and alcoholic.
And they cost equally proportionally more to homebrew than other "normal" homebrews as you see in the stores. Probably more like $1/bottle vs. the $0.50 homebrews usually end up being, counting only ingredients.
I agree about Fat Tire though, it's not really a Belgian and not really a good hoppy ale. Not my favorite but it's ok. Chimay on the other hand is delicious.
I don't think Fat Tire ever purported to be a 'Belgian' beer - aside from being brewed by New Belgium Brewery - but I'm pretty sure they make plenty of non-Belgian beers. I think Fat Tire just advertises itself as an Amber Ale.
Hmmmm... good point. I think you're right about Fat Tire. They do make a couple Belgian-style beers though - Abbey is good if I remember correctly (haven't had it too often). I always think of Fat Tire as a faux-Belgian what with it's perfumey scent and flavors. Not to rag on New Belgium too much, as I absolutely love their 1554 and 2 Below. Those are both excellent, I think.
Save a couple of bottles of the Chimay clone for your friendly neighborhood dad when he's in the friendly neighborhood in a couple of months! And maybe a pale ale or two...
Glad the home-brewing is so successful. I could never really make beer/ale that I preferred to store-bought. (But remember how good the Hires root beer was?)
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