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Mardi Blonde

Brewed: 02/04/2025   Kegged: 02/24/2025

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".

MardiBlonde.jpg

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.


On untappd: Mardi Blonde

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:   1.004 
ADF:   93    Measured ABV:   7.4 

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.
02/10/2025 esheppy
Seems pretty much done. Would like to see a little clarification. Tilt says .998 at 64. Not sure I believe it is that low, but we'll see where it ends up once I keg it. Wasn't planning for kegging for another couple of weekends, but might do it before that.
02/12/2025 esheppy
Looking real clear now. Thin remnants of krausen, but really not much there. Since last comment, I unhooked the purge keg and put a spunding valve on fermenter. Has gotten up to 5psi, which I've released a couple of times. Tilt still says .998 at 64. Still not sure when I'll keg, but I want to pitch next batch (Kemosabe Quad) onto this yeast cake, so I'll need to get ingredients before I keg this.
02/19/2025 esheppy
Just been sitting there for the past couple days. Released pressure which was up to 6psi. Tilt says .996 at 62. I think I'll keg this weekend.
02/24/2025 esheppy
Kegged. Actually got almost a whole other gallon in a growler. Lots of yeast ready for Kemosabe Quad. Finished at 1.004 SG (maybe even a bit lower). 7.4% ABV. 93 ADF. Honestly tastes a lot like the Belgian Single that was fermented with this yeast. Chilling. Will carbonate for my first taste on Mardi Gras.
02/27/2025 esheppy
Been drinking the growler and really like it. Saving the keg for Fat Tuesday. Hopefully will be well carbed by then.
03/03/2025 esheppy
My wife did the Mardi Gras breakfast-for-dinner tonight because TJ will be away tomorrow. I decided that I'd go ahead and take my first pour from the keg tonight. Decent carbonation. Pretty hazy, but it should clear up quite a bit with a few more pours. Really pleasant malt flavor with a soft pear ester. Not overly phenolic, which is really good. Doesn't taste nearly as dry as I would guess from the FG. Act a really yummy beer 😋
03/04/2025 esheppy
Fat Tuesday. Had a brew day with the Kemosabe Quad which got pitched right on this yeast cake. Drinking this beer. Probably could be carbed a bit more and would like more clarity, but really delicious.
03/09/2025 esheppy
Took picture for this page. Really tasty. But still hazy. Pear esters. Not a whole lot of phenolics. Dangerous in how drinkable this is. 😋
03/13/2025 esheppy
Checked into untappd. Beautiful gold. Less hazy, but not clear. Really nice malt accented with the fruit esters. Smooth. Certainly seems more sessionable than the ABV. Dangerous
03/18/2025 esheppy
Two weeks since Fat Tuesday. Great beer. Would be nice if it was a little more clear, but the flavor is awesome. I'm drinking it like it is lower in ABV. Dangerous indeed.
Comments:
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