Belgian Strong Ale

[Steve Gyldenvand]

This was the second beer I brewed after getting my droid for Christmas last year. I've had high hopes for it after my early sampling, and when it hit 14 weeks yesterday I decided to open one and try it. I was not disappointed, to say the least. Among my favorite commercial beers is the amazing Delirium Tremens from Belgium, and I have to say this homebrew compares very favorably. I have 2 growlers and a few bottles of this beauty cellared at the moment, and I'm pleased to say I put another batch in the bottle about 4 weeks ago. I suspect I'll find myself repeating this every couple months. (Sorry, no photo this time.)

[Rob Courtney]

14 hours ago, Steve Gyldenvand said:

This was the second beer I brewed after getting my droid for Christmas last year. I've had high hopes for it after my early sampling, and when it hit 14 weeks yesterday I decided to open one and try it. I was not disappointed, to say the least. Among my favorite commercial beers is the amazing Delirium Tremens from Belgium, and I have to say this homebrew compares very favorably. I have 2 growlers and a few bottles of this beauty cellared at the moment, and I'm pleased to say I put another batch in the bottle about 4 weeks ago. I suspect I'll find myself repeating this every couple months. (Sorry, no photo this time.)

Yeah when this lost it's alchoholy taste...which I remember being 12 weeks it became a little dangerous. I was a mess at work the day after a session the night before.

[Steve Gyldenvand]

Here we are at 17 weeks. I split a bottle with my bride, and we were both a bit overwhelmed by pretty much everything about this beer. Although you can see there's no head in the photo, it overflowed the bottle when I uncapped it. A quick pour into 2 tulips, and the head settled quickly, leaving us a beer with a mouthfeel almost like a sparkling cider. Very effervescent! The early alcohol-flavor has mostly disappeared now, and the beer is dangerously drinkable now. 

I'm down to 2 growlers of this brew now, which will be reserved for a couple special occasions. A second batch is now almost 8 weeks in the bottle, and I expect we will be enjoying these in a few months, maybe with some fresh produce from the garden we haven't planted yet!

[Rob Courtney]

It is a devilishly dangerous beer. When it settles down ( about 4 months) it is this lovely beer that you forget is double strength...and then regret the next day. 

[Steve Gyldenvand]

My second batch of this hit 100 days in the bottle yesterday, and I decided I'd better sample one, strictly in the name of proper brewing discipline of course. I'll just say it was a bit difficult to stop after the first, but my willpower prevailed for a change. 

[Steve Gyldenvand]

I opened a screw-capped howler of this brew last night, from my second batch that's right at 8 months. As expected, the flavor was amazing. However, it seems to have gone a little flat. It still drinks okay, but in the future I'll be avoiding screw-on caps - PET, growlers, howlers - on anything I expect to let mature in the cellar. I believe I recall reading a caution about that somewhere here awhile back.

[Rob Courtney]

19 hours ago, Steve Gyldenvand said:

I opened a screw-capped howler of this brew last night, from my second batch that's right at 8 months. As expected, the flavor was amazing. However, it seems to have gone a little flat. It still drinks okay, but in the future I'll be avoiding screw-on caps - PET, growlers, howlers - on anything I expect to let mature in the cellar. I believe I recall reading a caution about that somewhere here awhile back.

Yep, PET bottles breathe a tiny bit. It is what made me change to glass in the end. I had brewed a really nice Guinness but at the 5 or 6 month mark that happened to me.

Makes me think I should do another Four Leaf