Author: Steve Thanos
As often as I’ve denied it over the years, I’ve had to accept the simple truth that I am a follower of seasonal brewing trends, and as the scorching heat of summer changes to cooler autumn weather, my focus shifts away from heat-beating IPA and pale lager. One style I particularly enjoy drinking during this time of year is Belgian Single, as it melds a unique fermentation profile with grainy-sweet malt, notable bitterness, and a level of dryness that makes for a very thirst-quenching quaffer.
Purportedly introduced in the 1990s in response to the growing demand for pale, crisp, and crushable beers, Belgian Single is the weakest of the four common Trappist ales at right around 5% ABV, give or take. Even so, it possesses the quintessential spicy and fruity characteristics found in other Trappist styles, offering consumers a flavorful alternative to popular mass-market pale lagers.
During this year’s Chaos Homebrew Club Summer BrewBQ, another member invited me to participate in an upcoming event where homebrewers would serve Belgian beers they brewed to thirsty patrons at Chicago’s Ramova Theater. Coincidentally, I was already planning on making my Tastes Like TV Static Belgian Single recipe, so I swiftly accepted the invite!
| Making Tastes Like TV Static |
One of the things I love about Belgian Single is how simple it is for such a tasty style, which certainly rings true for this recipe.
Tastes Like TV Static
***
After collecting the full volume of filtered water and adjusting it to my desired profile, I lit the flame under the kettle then proceeded to weigh out and mill the grain.
Once the water was adequately heated, I incorporated the grains then checked to make sure it was at my target mash temperature.
While the mash was resting, I prepared the kettle hop additions.
Once the 60 minute mash was complete, I removed the grains then boiled the wort for 60 minutes before rapidly chilling it with my JaDeD Brewing Hydra IC.
Refractometer readings showed the wort was at 1.055 OG, a touch higher than expected, but nothing I was worried about.
After transferring the chilled wort to a fermenter, I placed it in my chamber for a couple hours to finish chilling to my desired fermentation temperature of 66°F/19°C, at which point I pitched a pouch of Imperial Yeast B56 Rustic.
At 4 days into fermentation, I added the dry hops then left the beer for another 10 days before taking a hydrometer measurement confirming FG had been reached.
At this point, I cold crashed the beer to 36°F/2°C and left it for 1 more week before pressure transferring it to a sanitized keg. The filled keg was placed in my fridge and left to condition for a week before it was ready to head out with me on vacation!
| IMPRESSIONS |
A good chunk of homebrewers get into the hobby as a way to explore beer styles they might not have easy access to otherwise, an example being Belgian ale, namely those developed and promulgated by Trappist monks. While I’ve sampled a handful of commercial examples of Belgian Single, also known as patersbier, I by no means consider myself an expert, which can make evaluating my own homebrewed versions difficult, which is one reason I enjoy entering my beer into competitions.
While my experience with Belgian Single is admittedly rather limited, I personally felt my Tastes Like TV Static turned out quite well and more or less matched what I’d tasted in commercial examples. Despite the higher than expected FG, this beer was perceptibly dry with a subtly sweet graininess that was nicely balance by a moderate bitterness, which was the general sentiment of the people I shared it with.
Unfortunately, Tastes Like TV Static did not win the people’s choice award at the Ramova Theater event, but I also ended up submitting it in the 2024 Brew At The Bridge competition where it took 3rd place. As pleased as I was with this batch, in the future, I’ll likely opt for a slightly lower mash temperature to encourage more attenuation, though I can’t think of anything else I would change.
If you have thoughts about this recipe or experience making something similar, please feel free to share in the comments section below!
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