Belgian dark strong ale

[Dmp]

I just went all grain and I'm never going back.

I don't know if this is a bit ambitious....but....what would be a good grain bill for a Belgian dark strong ale? I am looking for a strong plumb/raisen/dried dark fruit flavor paired with a little ethanol bite. I fell in love with this style beer at a brewers club ...It was a over six months ago and now I am wondering...What the hell did they use to make this?

[mediumsk]

the jamil recipe from BCS is a good place to start. you can find it hosted on raj apte's site, just google his name.
generally they are mostly pilsener with a healthy dose of munich malt, caramunich, special B and dark candi syrups, ( the special b and dark syrups are where you get your raisiny flavors) for the warming alcohol flavor i would definitely go with wyeast 1762, that is rocheforts yeast and is most likely what the example you had was fermented with.
that said, there are many different ways to skin a cat, i would reaalllly reallly recommend the book " brew like a monk" by stan Hieronymus" it's a great resource for brewing belgian beers

[Dmp]

Thanks! Ya, I'm just looking to get started and get some ideas and a feel for this whole process of all grain. This should help

[MikeB]

I'd start with a smaller beer first, mostly so that you can build up a slug of yeast to throw at a big beer like a BDS.

We made a session strength belgian blond that works pretty well as a starter for some of the other Belgian Stong Ales.

[uncle_bad_touches]

I've been playing around with a Rochefort 10 clone and it's getting pretty close. Here's the recipe if you want to give it a shot:

for 11 gallons @ 80% efficiency -

OG: 1.096 FG: 1.012-16

25 lbs belgian pils
2.5 lbs flaked wheat
.75 lbs caramunich
.5 lbs caravienne
2.5 lbs cane sugar added to kettle
3 lbs D2 candi syrup added to kettle at flameout
10g crushed coriander @ 10 mins

41g 8.1AA northern brewer @ 60 mins (21.5 IBU)
57g 5.2AA styrian goldings @ 30 mins (10 IBU)

wyeast 1762

mash @ 145 for 45 mins
mash @ 152 for 45 mins
mash @ 162 for 10 mins
mash out at 167

ferment at 67 and let raise slowly to 72-73 after the first couple days.

[Dmp]

Nice thanx.