Patersbier - a Belgian session

First up in my foray into monastic Belgian brewing is the somewhat elusive style of "Patersbier" (also known as: "Enkel," "Single," and "Father's beer," among other names).  This style is fairly unknown and ignored in favor of its bigger brethren.  Its rarity isn't due to lack of production; rather, it is commonly brewed in monasteries for consumption of the brothers themselves!

The image that comes to mind when thinking "Patersbier"

According to the 2015 BJCP guidelines (Style 20A: Trappist Single),the vital statistics are:

• OG: 1.044 – 1.054
• FG: 1.004 – 1.010
• ABV: 4.8 – 6.0%
• IBUs: 25 – 45
• SRM: 3 – 5

Looking at these stats, you should expect to be brewing a very lightly-colored, fairly aggressively bitter beer of low alcoholic strength.  

In my experience, the best way to get a grip on what you should aim for in a style is to get your hands on a commercially-produced example and try it out.  The only commercial example I've seen in my region is St. Bernardus Extra 4, which I've only seen since late last year. 

Again, monk holding beer.  I'm sensing a theme...

Review to come!

Recipe Formulation:

*A good idea is to brew an already tried-and-true recipe, again, so you can get an idea of what all of the ingredients bring into play.  My first was Northern Brewer's All-Grain Patersbier kit, who recipe and brewing instructions can be found here.

Malt

Like the much more prevalent Tripel, Patersbier recipes generally rely very heavily on a single variety of Pilsner malt as their canvas, generally making up 100% of the grist.  In some cases, a small portion of supporting malt is added to increase complexity.  Common additions include CaraPils for mouthfeel/head retention, and malted wheat for slight sweetness/head retention.  White sugar or clear candi syrup can also be added to increase dryness, though it results in a thinner body to an already low-body beer.

Hops

For hops, traditional Noble varieties are most ideal in the traditional sense.  I've had success utilizing single varieties of hops, with my favorite being Saaz for its peppery/herbal character addition.  Hallertau Mittelfruh, Tettnang, and Spalt also produce good results.  In addition to these, the "Noble-like" varieties of Styrian Goldings, East Kent Goldings, and Strisselspalt have yielded excellent results.  Most of these hops have a low AA%, so a larger quantity than you usually use for bittering with high-alpha hops may be necessary.  Don't be as shy with your hopping as you might be for other Belgian ales - hops play a lead role in this style, rather than hinting at their presence.

Yeast

Though hops play an increased role, they are still second billing behind the yeast, which is the true star of the show.  Within Wyeast's catalog, the classic "Trappist High Gravity" 3787 (purportedly from Westmalle) is an excellent choice, bringing with it notes of pineapple and other tropical fruits at increasing fermentation temperatures.  I'd recommend this strain for a first-time Belgian brewer.  Other good choices include "Belgian Abbey - 1214" (Chimay) for an emphasis on peppery/clove notes with slight hints of banana as temperatures increase, "Belgian Ardennes - 3522" (Achouffe) for more of an emphasis on the malt/hop character of the beer with a lesser yeast flavor, and "Belgian Wheat - 3942" (supposedly from De Dolle Brouwers, though they brew no wheat beer...) for a candied apple/pear aroma and flavor.  Also, keep in mind the hops you'll be using, and try to ensure that there are no fruity ester/fruity hops clashes.

Brewing operations in Trappist monasteries typically employ a step mash method; however, for your first time brewing Belgian, you'll likely want to go with a single infusion mash.  I find an infusion temperature between 147-150F (with mashout at 170F) to be ideal for production of a highly fermentable wort, which is what we're aiming for.  This will also result in a fairly low level of body, but this can be made up for with a few tricks that I'll explain when I post my recipes.  Stay tuned for one soon!