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Mardi Blonde

Brewed: 02/04/2025  

In 2025, I knew I wanted to concentrate more on my BJCP Goal and my Roll-a-Style list.

I had harvested Belgian Ale Yeast, and since I had a few somewhat high ABV styles to work through on the list, I decided to actually plan stepping up the harvested yeast rather than wait for the random roll to get to these styles.

The first Belgium on the list was 25A. Belgian Blond Ale, and so ....

I pretended to roll:


Which corresponded to 25A. Belgian Blond Ale.

A golden, moderately-strong Belgian ale with a pleasantly subtle citrusy-spicy yeast complexity, smooth malty palate, and dry, soft finish.

My plan called for this to be done right around the beginning of Lent, and since I was not doing "Seasonals" in 2025, I would not have my world-famous "Mardi Bock".

I thought naming this beer "Mardi Blonde" would work for this timing.

I didn't really overthink the recipe. I basically took Jamil's Belgium Blond recipe from Brewing Classic Styles and modified it slightly to work for my system.


For more about this beer, see Sheppy's Blog: Mardi Blonde


Mardi Blonde --- Batch 1

Style Belgian Blond Ale Batch Size 5.50 gal
Type All Grain Boil Size   6.42 gal
Brewhouse Efficiency   65.00   Boil Time   30 minutes

Recipe Characteristics

Recipe Gravity 1.062 SG Estimated FG 1.010 SG
Recipe Bitterness 25.4 IBUs (Rager) Alcohol by Volume 7.0 %
BU : GU   0.408        
Recipe Color 5.2 SRM
Color
   
Measured OG:   1.060    Measured FG:    
ADF:       Measured ABV:    

Ingredients

Ingredients
Amt Name Type # %/IBU Volume
7.77 gal Denver, Colorado Water 1 - -
5.00 g Calcium Chloride (Mash) Water Agent 2 - -
2.00 g Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) (Mash) Water Agent 3 - -
2.00 tsp Lactic Acid (Mash) Water Agent 4 - -
1.00 g Epsom Salt (MgSO4) (Mash) Water Agent 5 - -
11 lbs Pilsner (2 Row) Bel (2.0 SRM) Grain 6 81.5 % 0.86 gal
1 lbs Wheat Malt, Bel (2.0 SRM) Grain 7 7.4 % 0.08 gal
8.0 oz Aromatic Malt (26.0 SRM) Grain 8 3.7 % 0.04 gal
1 lbs Cane (Beet) Sugar [Boil] (0.0 SRM) Sugar 9 7.4 % 0.08 gal
1.000 oz Magnum [12.60 %] - Boil 30.0 min Hop 10 25.4 IBUs -
1.00 Items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 10.0 mins) Fining 11 - -
1.00 tsp Yeast Nutrient (Boil 10.0 mins) Other 12 - -
1.0 pkg Belgian Ale Yeast (Wyeast Labs #1214) [124.21 ml] Yeast 13 - -
0.50 tsp Gelatin (Bottling 2.0 days) Fining 14 - -

Mash Profile

Mash Steps
Name Description Step Temperature Step Time
Saccharification Add 31.36 qt of water at 156.9 F 150.0 F 240 min


If steeping, remove grains, and prepare to boil wort

Recipe Notes
Make 1.4 liter (6 cups) yeast starter a day before brew day.
Brewing salts in the mash water. This should bring Denver water profile (as defined by BeerSmith) to
Ca=94,Mg=12,Na=21,SO4=102,Cl=105,HCO3=104
Acid addition to bring calculated pH around 5.3
Brew as directed from recipe.
Cool wort to as close to 70 degrees as possible.
Ferment 2 weeks at ambient temperature.
Keg carbonate.
After the keg is chilled, add gelatin to keg.

Brewing Record

Brew Date:   Strike Temp:  
Mash Temps:  
Pre-boil OG   (1.058 SG)   Pre-boil Vol   (6.42 gal)
Actual Mash Efficiency   Pitch Temp    
Fermentation            
Day 1: 
Day ... 
Day ... 

 
Brewing Notes:
01/31/2025 esheppy
Got malts for this beer at Brew Hut at the same time I got them for Oisin Owl.
02/03/2025 esheppy
Thought I might brew this past weekend, but my kids were home to celebrate my birthday. I think I'm going to try to brew tomorrow (my actual birthday). Making a starter today.
02/03/2025 esheppy
Got the overnight mash started a bit early and recirculated for 15 minutes or so before shutting off the pump for the night.
02/04/2025 esheppy
Up a little before 6am. Wasn't draining until around 7 and was boiling by about 8. Probably would have gone faster, but I didn't want to turn the power up to 100% until the wife was done doing her hair. Pre-boil gravity / volume pretty much right on track after adding the sugar. Boil was done just before 8:30, and I chilled to mid-60's, and pitched before 9am. Fermenting in the pressure fermenter, but setting it up to push liquid out of the keg. Brew day just over 3 hours. OG 1.060 ... close enough to plan. Tilt is listing 1.056 at 61.
02/05/2025 esheppy
Well ... the fermentation took off late afternoon / early evening. Apparently I didn't quite properly connect the discharge of the keg and the system pressure built up to 15psi. When I connected, the keg emptied in a couple of minutes. Releasing the pressure like that kicked up the krausen big time, but didn't overflow. Once the keg was empty, I put the spunding valve on and slowly reduced until it was around 5psi. Then I alternated between the valve and the open release. Before the release, the Tilt said 1.040 at 66. The pressure release caused movement that made the Tilt readings higher. That stabilized fairly quickly.
02/06/2025 esheppy
Still very active with thick krausen, but the gravity has fallen quite a bit. Tilt at 1.009 and 69 degrees.
02/07/2025 esheppy
Still going strong with thick krausen, but Tilt says 1.006 at 68, so it probably won't get a whole lot lower. Still have plenty of time planned before kegging.
Comments:
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