Riwaka Rascal Blonde Ale is my entry for a local Euro-clash brewing competition, BJCP style 25A Belgian Blonde Ale – accurate to style using all NZ ingredients:
- Gladfield grains and Harraways flaked wheat
- Wakatu hop (child of Mittlefruh) and Riwaka hop (child of Saaz)
- Froth Technologies Wildling FTW1(NZ wild ale) yeast
Day 0: Brew day Saturday 18-05-2024
Brew went well, no issues with the kit.
24L in fermenter at about 22C, in the fermentation chamber and cooling to 18C. OG 1.065.
Yeast pitch rate is 23L at 1.048, or 20L at 1.060. I’ve ended up with 24L at 1.066 so it’s got some work to do.
Fermentation schedule is for 48hours @ 18C, then +1C each 24hours until it reaches max of 22C.
Day 1: Sunday
No yeast activity, gravity settled slightly higher at 1.066. Keeping at 18C.
Day 2: Monday
Morning started to see some activity, small bubbles on the surface. An hour or so later foam is building and CO2 up through the bubbler.
Fermentation fully away by the afternoon with an inch or two of foam built up – colour was whiter than usual for the krausen.
Day 3: Tuesday
Increased temperature to 19C at 8.30am. Gravity moving around a little likely due to the yeast and foam activity, 1.046 @ 9am.
SG 1.042 @ 6pm, approx. 3.3%
Day 4: Wednesday
Raised temperature to 20C at 8.30am. Gravity by 6pm = 1.025
Decent fermentation and all under control, ABV sitting around 5.7%
Day 5: Thursday
raised temperature to 21C
sg 1.012
Day 6: Friday
raised temp to 22C (maximum) at 8am
sg 1.010
8pm added spunding valve and closed for CO2 capture
Day 7: Saturday
Pressure up to 8psi, gravity still moving but slowing down – at 1.005 by the evening. ABV a little over 8%, similar to la chouffe strength
Day 8 -11
pressure increased to 20psi
pressure increased to 27psi
temperature lowered incrementally to 20C
gravity 1.005
ABV 8.35%
Day 12 Thursday
Gradually lowered temperature to 18C.
Pressure naturally increased to 28psi and I adjusted the spunding valve to hold it there.
gravity 1.004
abv 8.38%
Day 13 Friday
lowered temperature to 12C, pressure came down to 26psi
Day 14 Saturday
lowered temperature to 3C, pressure came down to 18PSI
gravity at 1.004, 8.4% abv
Taste test was good, carbonation is great, very ‘Belgian’ in terms of yeast flavour, very nice balance and a great drink – possibly leans towards the saison a little, I think due to the wheat malt, but hopefully passes as a Belgian blonde with the additions of pilsner and Vienna malts
Day 16 Bottling Monday
Beer looking clear after resting at 3C for a couple days.
Bottled using counter pressure filler, success, slow filling 20L + but effective result.
Final gravity 1.004, 8.4%, about 21L bottled, several tastes added approx. 1.5L
