How To Brew Belgian Blond Ale: Golden Grains and Belgian Yeast Secrets

Belgian Blond Ale is less than 100 years old, yet it is based on one of the most glorious brewing traditions in the world.

With its brewing roots as old as the Middle Ages, when beer was brewed for substance, Belgian beers made a home for many beer lovers.

People at this time would rather drink a glass of sanitary beer than risk the possibility of illness by drinking water. 

Keeping Up With the Times

All across Europe lager beers were sweeping through the land like wildfire. Belgian brewers knew that if they wanted to stay relevant, they needed to adapt to the new love for pale colored beers instead of the dark beers that everyone was accustomed to.

This was an opportunity for Belgian brewers to get creative, since they still wanted to complete in the beer business.

These brewers still used their distinctly Belgian ale yeasts, but included pale pilsner malt, thus creating a whole new style of beer. 

More Similarities Than Differences

There seems to be a general theme when looking at Golden Strong, Blond, and Tripel comparatively. Each beer appears to have the same color and the grain bill usually consists of a common malt, Pilsner malt.

It is uncertain if the Golden Strong evolved from the Blond or the Blond from the Golden Strong. Belgian Blond ales do tend to be slightly sweeter and lack some rich complexity of the Golden Strong and Tripel. 

Belgian Blond Ale is less than 100 years old, yet it is based on one of the most glorious brewing traditions in the world. With its brewing roots as old as the Middle Ages, when beer was brewed for substance, Belgian beers made a home for many beer lovers.

People at this time would rather drink a glass of sanitary beer than risk the possibility of illness by drinking water. 

Keeping Up With the Times

All across Europe lager beers were sweeping through the land like wildfire. Belgian brewers knew that if they wanted to stay relevant, they needed to adapt to the new love for pale colored beers instead of the dark beers that everyone was accustomed to.

This was an opportunity for Belgian brewers to get creative, since they still wanted to compete in the beer business.

These brewers still used their distinctly Belgian ale yeasts, but included pale pilsner malt, thus creating a whole new style of beer. 

Style Profile for Belgian Blond Ale

Appearance

The color can range from pale to gold, usually with suburb clarity. A white to off-white, dense creamy head. Decent head retention and lacing in the glass.

Aroma

The aroma is subtle. There is a sweet grain character from the malt. Hops are light and contain a earthy spice to them.

Beer may be slightly sugar sweet.

Yeast character can be complex and contain some fruity esters, often orange or lemon-like. Spicy phenols are present.   

Flavor

Beer contains a smooth rounded flavor. Moderate grain sweetness with medium bitterness. Notes of soft caramelization or honeyed sweetness.

Hop flavors come through lightly as qualities of earth and spice.

Yeast character is subtle and mellow with fruit, perfume-like esters, and alcohol. Some phenolic spiciness. Finish of this beer can be moderately dry to dry. Some alcohol warming may be present in the aftertaste. 

Mouthfeel

Creamy and smooth, medium body, with light to medium alcohol warming qualities. Moderately high to high carbonation, which will be very noticeable on the palate. 

Food Pairings

The subtleness and lightness of a Belgian Blond works well with any fish. Chicken, pasta, or seafood also pair well.

Spicy cuisine such as Mexican, Indian, or Asian foods pair well due to the high level of carbonation across the palate.

Cheese that pair well includes brie, gouda, or aged jack. Desserts could include spiced cookies or spiced vanilla ice cream. 

Tips for Brewing your own Belgian Blond Ale

Grain

Most of the grist for a Belgian Blond consists of high-quality pilsner malt. This should be at least 60% of the grain bill and as high as 95%.

The rest of the grist will be made up of some sort of light adjunct sugar such as cane or beet sugar, along with honey. This sugar can be from 5 to 30 percent.

Avoid using high caramel malts such as crystal or cara malts. Also avoid roasty dark malts. These malts will add too much color to the beer.

Instead try specialty malts such as Vienna, aromatic, light Munich, Belgian biscuit, or light colored Aroma malts.  

Hops

Since the hop profile for this style is pretty mellow, a restrained,  a floral, earthy, and/or spicy hop with medium to low bitterness is common for the style. Stay away from overly fruity hops. 

German noble varieties such as Tettenag, Saaz, Hallertauer, and Spalt. All of these choices give off a nice floral, spicy notes that work well with the soft lager-character of this beer style.

Also you can consider Styrian Golding, Mount Hood, Liberty, Brewer’s Gold, Santiam, and East Kent Goldings. 

Yeast

Like most Belgian beers, yeast is important. There is a wide selection of yeast to choose from for this style. They include the following:

• White Labs: Belgian Strong Ale Yeast (WLP545), Belgian Ale Yeast (WLP550), or Monastery Ale Yeast (WLP500).
• Wyeast: Wyeast Belgian Strong Ale (1388) or Belgian Ardennes (3522).
• Dry Yeast: Fermentis SafBrew T-58 or Mangrove Jack’s Belgian Tripel (M31)

Belgian Blond Ale By the Numbers

• Color Range: 4 – 7 SRM
• Original Gravity: 1.062 – 1.075 OG
• Final Gravity: 1.008 – 1.018 FG
• IBU Range: 15 – 30
• ABV Range: 6.0 – 7.5%

Belgian Blond Ale Recipe

Grain

• 82%        11 lbs     Pilsner Belgian
•   7%          1 lb       Vienna Malt
•   7%          1 lb       Wheat Malt  
•   4%          8 ozs      Aromatic Malt

Hops

• 1 oz         Stryian Goldings – Boil – 60 min
• 1 oz         Tettnang – Boil – 5 min

Yeast

• 1.0 pkg   Wyeast Belgian Ardennes #3522

Directions

1. Mash at 152°F (66°C) for 60 mins
2. Boil for 60 mins 

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Belgian Blonde Beer?

Belgian Blonde Beer is a style of beer originating from Belgium that is known for its pale, golden color and a balanced mixture of fruitiness and hop bitterness.

It usually has a moderate strength with an alcohol by volume (ABV) typically ranging from 6 to 7.5%.

The Belgian Blonde Ale showcases a mild malt sweetness alongside a hint of spicy, floral hops which embodies the balanced and refreshing character of this beer style.

How does this Belgian Blonde Ale Recipe differ from other Blond Ale recipes?

This Belgian Blonde Ale recipe is curated with a unique blend of ingredients and brewing techniques that reflect the traditional Belgian style.

Unlike other Blond Ale recipes which might lean towards a more hop-forward or malt-forward profile, this Belgian Blonde Ale recipe strikes a harmonious balance between malt sweetness and hop bitterness, accompanied by a mild fruity essence characteristic of Belgian yeast.

What distinct flavors will I experience with this Belgian Blonde Ale?

Upon sipping the Belgian Blonde Ale crafted from this recipe, you’ll encounter a pleasant malt sweetness initially, followed by a subtle hop bitterness.

The Belgian yeast imparts a mild fruity and spicy character to the beer, making it complex yet approachable. The blend of these flavors encapsulates the refreshing and balanced essence of a typical Belgian Blonde Beer.

Are there any variations I can experiment with in this Belgian Blonde Ale recipe?

Certainly! The world of brewing is all about experimentation. You might consider varying the types of hops, malt, or even the yeast to introduce new flavor profiles to the Belgian Blonde Ale. For a more hop-centric version, you could use hops known for their bold flavors.

Alternatively, experimenting with different Belgian yeast strains could lead to discovering a new blend of fruity and spicy characteristics in your Belgian Blonde Ale.

What is the historical significance of Belgian Blonde Beers?

Belgian Blonde Beers hold a rich history dating back to the post-World War II era when breweries in Belgium were aiming to create a beer style that would appeal to a broader range of beer drinkers.

The Belgian Blonde Ale was crafted as a response to the growing popularity of Pilsner beers. Its balanced flavor profile made it a favorable choice among beer enthusiasts, solidifying its place in the Belgian beer tradition.