[GolfBum]

So my dad is visiting me out in Colorado in a few weeks and wants to brew with me. He has never brewed but has been recently turned on to craft beer. I have a English Bitter and a hefeweizen bottled and just did an IPA the batch before those so looking for something new that would be enjoyed during the hot summer months. I was thinking of a saison because it is something I wanted to always brew but wanted to give my father some options as to what he wants. Looking to brew a 5 gallon batch so give me some ideas or recipes you have tried.

Thanks

[Pinski]

My Dad LOVES Black Butte Porter. That's what he would want to make. Deschuttes has a homebrew page on their website where they disclose the ingredients for their recipes (not amounts or times).
What kinds of beer does your Dad like?
That's really cool that you're doing that by the way.

[alcaponejunior]

I would say a refreshing pale ale, well balanced, perfect for summer.  But that's just me.  I'd brew whatever your dad wants to brew that's within your skill level and will be ready before he leaves (or at least in time for you to send some bottles back with him).

p.s. black butte porter is one of the best porters I've had

[Hokerer]

I would say a refreshing pale ale, well balanced, perfect for summer.  But that's just me.

It's not just you.  Pale Ale was my first thought, also.

[GolfBum]

I have brewed a lot of pale ales and was trying to think of something else but I will bring it up to him.

As for what he likes, he loves sours. Which I am not ready for nor do I know where to begin with that style. Other than that he like belgian beers. I was going to send some to him when they were ready so something that takes some time to get to bottle isn't a problem.

[Slowbrew]

I think anything that isn't too complicated would be good to use as an intro.

It's funny, I read the name of this thread and wondered if I could have made a Falstaff clone with my Dad.  That was his favorite beer for years.  By the time I came across a recipe, Dad was gone and hadn't been able to have a beer for 7 or 8 years before he passed.  I hope you have fun and really enjoy your time.

Paul

[GolfBum]

A good time will be had thats for sure. The time he is here we are going to New Belgium for a brewery tour, brewing the next day and going to Avery's Sourfest the day after that. He will be in heaven.

Was also thinking of a Belgian Blonde or a Trappist Style ale. Anyone make any of these?

[jmcamerlengo]

A Blonde yes. Very good in the summer.

Heres my recipe @ 80% efficiency

9 lbs Dingemanns Pils
.25 lbs Aromatic
.25 lbs Biscuit

Mash @ 149 for 75 min
MO    @ 168 for 10 min

Boil 90 minutes
1 oz. Tettnang @ 60 min
1 oz. Styrian Golding @ 20 min
1.25 lbs of Table Sugar @ 20 min

Cool to 64 pitch yeast
*any belgian yeast will do, I like WLP500 and WY3787.
Let temp raise naturally to wherever it wants to go.

[ultravista]

That's awesome.

My father comes to visit once a year (Pittsburgh to Las Vegas) and we always brew. It's a fun day for the both of us. Plenty of beer drinking, story telling, and catch-up.

I take pictures and video for the day he is no longer around.

[GolfBum]

So I am doing either a Blonde or a Saison. I had a blonde today that was so good. I'll ask him what he wants to brew and will make it. Will come back after brewing with the recipe we used and how it went.

[ccfoo242]

So I am doing either a Blonde or a Saison. I had a blonde today that was so good. I'll ask him what he wants to brew and will make it. Will come back after brewing with the recipe we used and how it went.

Leffe Blonde is my favorite. I just bottled my first Belgian blonde yesterday, I wish mine could be as good as Leffe.

[GolfBum]

So I am doing either a Blonde or a Saison. I had a blonde today that was so good. I'll ask him what he wants to brew and will make it. Will come back after brewing with the recipe we used and how it went.

Leffe Blonde is my favorite. I just bottled my first Belgian blonde yesterday, I wish mine could be as good as Leffe.

I saw your thread about it. Looked good. Extract or all grain? Care to share your recipe or tips on brewing a blonde? Really any help would be great!

[ccfoo242]

All grain. I can post when I get home. It was my first crack at a belgian so I'm not sure about the recipe.

-Sent from the future.

[ccfoo242]

OK, here's my belgian blonde recipe. I'll preface this by saying I'm sure there are better recipes out there, but I wanted to enter a competition that required a (more or less) original recipe.

Also, the 1lb 4oz pale 2-row wasn't part of my recipe, but there was a goof-up when I was buying my grain. If I don't win then that will be my excuse! 

Finally, I don't think the hops needed to be added the way I did. There is no detectable (to me) hop flavor/aroma so you could probably just do a single addition at 60 minutes adjusted to get the same matching IBU estimate. And the sugar was added pre-boil.

Recipe: My Belgian Blond 1
Brewer: Steve
Asst Brewer:
Style: Belgian Blond Ale
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (30.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 8.00 gal
Post Boil Volume: 6.50 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.50 gal   
Bottling Volume: 5.10 gal
Estimated OG: 1.065 SG
Estimated Color: 4.8 SRM
Estimated IBU: 25.1 IBUs (tinseth)
Brewhouse Efficiency: 72.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 82.5 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt                   Name                                     Type          #        %/IBU         
10 lbs                Pilsner (2 Row) Bel (2.0 SRM)            Grain         1        75.5 %       
1 lbs 4.0 oz          Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM)           Grain         2        9.4 %         
1 lbs                 Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM)    Grain         3        7.5 %         
8.0 oz                Vienna Malt (Briess) (3.5 SRM)           Grain         4        3.8 %         
8.0 oz                Sugar, Table (Sucrose) (1.0 SRM)         Sugar         5        3.8 %         
14.17 g               Northern Brewer [9.80 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop           6        14.8 IBUs     
10.63 g               Northern Brewer [9.80 %] - Boil 30.0 min Hop           7        8.5 IBUs     
3.54 g                Northern Brewer [9.80 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop           8        1.8 IBUs     
1.0 pkg               Belgian Ale (White Labs #WLP550) [35.49  Yeast         9        -             


Single infusion mash at 154F 

Pitched at 64F and slowly raised it to 68F over 7 days. I may try pitching at 66 and raising to 70 next time as I don't quite get enough of that awesome Belgian clove aroma/flavor.

Estimated FG was 1.010 but mine finished at 1.012. Maybe the low temp pitch did that, maybe I didn't aerate enough? I'm still new to this so I'm not sure.

I've never tried to convert a recipe to/from all-grain so I won't try now, I'll probably mess that up.

Anyway, I hope you and your dad have fun whatever you choose to brew. You've inspired me to haul my gear 80 miles east west this summer to brew with my dad. He just had some surgery and has been laid up for a while. He loves beer as much as I do and I think that would be a great way to spend some time with him.

[edited for poor geography, Miss South Carolina was right, I do need more maps...]

[GolfBum]

Thanks for the recipe. Since I am doing extract with grains I will get some pilsner DME instead of the pilsner grain. And probably add some biscuit malt in there. The blonde I had that made me want to brew this had a decent amount of bready, biscuty flavor that I really liked. I have never used vienna malt before though, whats it bring to the table? And I think I'll take your advice and do just one hop addition at the 60 minute mark, I tend to over hop my beer and I want to get away from doing that. How much hop do you think I should do. I don't really want that much of a hop presence in this beer. Just really a bittering effect.

I'm glad I inspired you to brew with your dad. It seems like it will be a blast. Drink beer and making beer with your dad should be awesome.