Belgian IPA | 3522 Belgian Ardennes

With its origin attributed to American brewers in the early 2000’s and an official mention in the Beer Judge Certification Guide in 2008, the Belgian IPA feels like it has been around for much longer. This style is crafted through two approaches: by substituting in a fruity, spicy Belgian yeast in an American IPA recipe, or by adding more hops to Belgian style Tripel or Pale Ale recipes. Yeast strains that are commonly chosen are those suited to Belgian Tripels or Golden Strong Ales which contribute significantly to the ester and spice profile, increased ABV, and dryness that the Belgian IPA is known for.

Taking recipe development one step further is Denny Conn’s Hobblin’ Shoes Belgian IPA, based on a recipe by Kal Wallner. On a tripel-style base, Denny deploys not one but two Belgian yeast strains: 3522 Belgian Ardennes and 3787 Belgian High Gravity. Together these easy-to-use strains produce a balance of fruity esters and spicy phenolics with good attenuation and high alcohol tolerance.

Discover more strains and the inspiration behind our Q3 Legacy Curation.

Hobblin’ Shoes Belgian IPA

Style: Belgian IPA

Batch size: 6.0  gallon (23 L)

Original gravity: 1.068

Final gravity: 1.012

IBU: 72

SRM: 2.8

ABV: 7.34%

Boil Time: 60 minutes

Mash Efficiency: 80%

Mash Volume: 6.028 gal (22.8 L)

Sparge Volume: 3.164 gal (12.0 L)

FERMENTABLES:

• 13.0 lbs (5.89 kg) Custom Fermentables Crisp Hana
• 2.5 lbs (1.13 kg) Cane (Beet) Sugar

HOPS:

• 1.00 oz (28 g) Columbus 15% AA | Boil: 60 min
• 0.5 oz (14 g) Columbus 15% AA | Boil: 20 min
• 3.2 oz (91 g) CZ Saaz 2.7% AA | Boil: 5 min
• 2.00 oz (56 g) Amarillo Cryo Hops | 2 days at 35 °F (2 °C)
• 2.00 oz (56 g) Amarillo | 2 days at 35 °F (2 °C)

YEAST:

• 3522 Belgian Ardennes Activator™
• 3787 Belgian High Gravity Activator™

Note: If you do not have both strains on hand, this recipe works well with either!

EXTRAS:

• 0.5 tsp Whirlfloc | Boil: 5 min
• 0.5 tsp Wyeast Beer Nutrient Blend | Boil: 10 min

WATER: Ca 78 ppm | SO4 72 ppm | Cl 71 ppm | Mg 7 ppm | Na 11 ppm

MASH pH: 5.3

FERMENTATION STEPS:

Step 1: 68 °F (20 °C) – 4 days

Step 2: 68 °F → 73 °F (20 °C → 23 °C) – 2 days

Step 3: 73 °F (23 °C) – 3 days

Step 4: 73 °F → 37 °F (23 °C → 3 °C) – 2 days

Step 5: 37 °F (3 °C) – 5 days