25A Belgian Blond Ale

Belgian Blonde

Name: Belgian Blonde
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 90 min
Yield: 21.8 litres
Cuisine: Beer
Ingredients: 4.6kg Gladfield German Pilsner Malt; 0.9kg Gladfield Vienna Malt; 0.45kg Light Belgian Candi Sugar; 35g Saaz (60min boil); 15g Saaz (10min boil); LalBrew Abbaye — 2 packets; half tsp Yeast nutrient; half tablet Whirlfloc; 450 g Light Candi Sugar (homemade)

Brewed 2026-02-16 Batch · 21.8 L Owen Paterson

ABV6.8% OG1.060 FG1.008

Against the style · 25A Belgian Blond Ale

ABV 6.8%, style 6.0% to 7.5%
OG 1.060, style 1.062 to 1.075
FG 1.008, style 1.008 to 1.018
EBC est. 8, style 8 to 12

Grain bill

Gladfield German Pilsner Malt	4.6 kg	77.3%
Gladfield Vienna Malt	0.9 kg	15.1%
Light Belgian Candi Sugar	0.45 kg	7.6%

Adjuncts

Yeast nutrient	half tsp @ 10 min
Whirlfloc	half tablet @ 10 min
Light Candi Sugar (homemade)	450 g @ 10 min

Hop schedule

Hop	60 min	10 min
Saaz 50 g	35g	15g

Yeast

LalBrew Abbaye

2 packets

Water additions

Calcium Sulphate	1 tsp in mash
Magnesium Sulphate	1 tsp in mash
Calcium Chloride	half tsp in mash
Lactic acid (88%)	5 drops in sparge

Tasting notes

Euroclash 2026 entry. Very light colour, clean Belgian character. Homemade candi sugar from Chelsea cane sugar inverted with cream of tartar.

About This Beer

Owen’s entry for Euroclash 2026, brewed 16 February. A Belgian Blonde built to be as clean and light in colour as possible.

German Pilsner with Vienna for a touch of sweetness, and light candi sugar at 10 minutes to boost gravity while keeping the body dry and thin. The candi was homemade: Chelsea cane sugar inverted with cream of tartar.

Fermentation

Two packets of Abbaye pitched at 18°C, raised gradually to 24°C over eight days to encourage ester development, then cooled slowly to 7°C by day 14. Zero pressure throughout.

Bottled 2 March 2026, 21.8 litres.