[cornershot]

My friend and I are planning a tripel in a couple weeks and I want to start growing up my yeast. I have a fresh vial of wlp530 and need yeast for 11 gallons of 1.085. Instead of stepping up big starters I would like to brew 5 gallons of a small beer and repitch the yeast for the tripel. I could use some help with the recipe. It will be brewed with extract and steeping grains and boiled only 15 minutes. Here's the ingredients I have :

4# light pilsner dme
Cane sugar
Honey
1# caramunich 1 (35L)
4 oz caramunich 2 (45L)
8 oz melanoidin malt
6 oz carapils
1# crystal 40
1# crystal 120
4 oz chocolate malt
8 oz black patent
8 oz roast barley
8 oz lactose

4 oz saaz
1# tettnang
1# simcoe
3 oz columbus
Homegrown Cascades

I'm open to any suggestions. I just want a big, tasty starter. Thanks in advance!

Edit: wlp530 not 330

[HoosierBrew]

I think a session Belgian Pale Ale would work well. I didn't run the numbers but the pils DME, some cane sugar, 8 oz each of the 35L, melanoidin, and the 4 oz of the 45L would be in the ballpark. Belgians typically use noble type  hops, so a blend of the Saaz and Tettnang would work well.

[denny]

I might rethink using the sugar and honey since you are in essence making a starter.  How about something similar, like a Patersbier, but which won't have the sugar?

[HoosierBrew]

Yep, should've rethought the sugar in this case. 

[cornershot]

I'm not familiar with Patersbier. Would any of my available specialty grains work? Is 1.034 a high enough OG for Patersbier? Can't seem to find much info on the style.

[HoosierBrew]

Denny's right (go figure) - Patersbier is a great choice for what you want.  It's low abv, pale, and yeast driven.  I've seen recipes that just have pilsener malt and hops, often ~ 1.040.

[cornershot]

Sounds great! Looking forward to to trying it. Would the 15 minute boil/hop schedule be appropriate for Patersbier? Or would I be better off with a 60 minute boil. I assume it's low ibu? Keep fermentation temp low? Low to mid 60s? 

[HoosierBrew]

It's a low IBU beer so I think the short boil would be fine. I've never brewed one, but it's sort of a smaller Belgian Blonde (minus the sugar that often gets added to Blondes), so I say start mid 60s. It's a monk's session beer, basically.

[cornershot]

Cool. I'm excited for this one! Need a small beer in the lineup. 

5.25 gallons RO water
4# pilsner dme
2 oz tettnang 15 minutes
1 oz saaz 5 minutes
wlp530 ferment at 66f for 24 hours and then allow to free rise. I'm guessing fermentation should be fairly quick.

OG 1.034
FG~1.008
IBU 28

If this turns out well, I wonder if it might be a good candidate for a parti gyle brew following a tripel?

[denny]

I'm not familiar with Patersbier. Would any of my available specialty grains work? Is 1.034 a high enough OG for Patersbier? Can't seem to find much info on the style.

Patersbier is a beer we don't see here in the states that the monks brew for their own consumption.  It's a low alcohol, all malt beer.  I love it and frequently brew it as a starter for a triple.  Here's some info...

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/patersbier-extract-kit.html

http://www.northernbrewer.com/documentation/beerkits/Patersbier.pdf

[klickitat jim]

I might have to try that. I'll have to add a pack of Trapist to my shopping list.