Belgian Dark Strong Ale

Ingredients:

• 9.9 lbs. Pale Malt Extract
• 1 lb. Munich II malt (G-1)
• 8 oz. Crystal 75L (G-1)
• 8 oz. Dark Candi Sugar
• 1 tsp Irish Moss
• 1 tsp Fermaid K Yeast Nutrient
• Priming Sugar

Hops:

Yeast:

• Omega Yeast Labs Belgian W -OR- Lalbrew Abbaye

Original Gravity: 1.070-1.074 Terminal Gravity: 1.010-1.014 ABV: ~7.8%

Method:

1. If using a liquid yeast, take out of the fridge and set on the counter to come up to room temp during your brew day.
2. Put the pre-milled grains from Pkt G-1 in a grain bag.
3. In a stainless steel or enamel vessel, heat 1 gallons of water to 155° F. Remove the pot from the heat source and add the crushed grains. Steep at 150° for 45 minutes.
4. After the grains have steeped at 150° F for 45 minutes, the bag of grain may be placed in a colander or strainer to drain or carefully squeezed with heat resistant gloves. Top the water up in your boiling vessel with as much water as you can safely boil keeping in mind the addition of 9.9 lbs of malt extract. Now your mini-mash is complete.
5. Heat the collected wort to a rolling boil. Remove from heat, to avoid burning, and add the malt extract. Stir constantly until the malt extract is well dissolved. Return the pot to heat. The addition of the malt will cool the wort from boiling, so it must be raised to a boil again. Pay close attention to the wort when it begins to boil as it is prone to boil over until the correct heat setting is reached.
6. After the wort has stopped trying to  boil over, add 6 HBU’s Magnum Hops (Pkt H-1) and continue to boil for 40 minutes. Add 1 tsp. Irish Moss (Pkt A) and continue to boil for 5 minutes. Then add ½ oz. Hallertau Hersbrucker Hops (Pkt H-2) and Belgian Candi Sugar and boil for an additional 15 minutes. After adding the Candi Sugar, stir continually until sugar is dissolved.
7. Remove the kettle from the heat source and cool as quickly as possible. When the wort has reached a temperature of 70-80 ° F., transfer to a closed, single stage fermenter (a 6.5 gallon carboy or bucket is recommended) by siphoning or gently pouring taking care to leave behind spent hops and trub.
8. Bring the volume of the wort to 5 1/4 gallons by adding cool water if necessary. When the wort reaches 65-80° F., check and record the specific gravity, and oxygenate the wort. Add the yeast according to package directions.
9. Fermentation should commence within 24 hours. After 10-12 hours add the Fermaid-K Yeast Nutrient (Pkt K). 
10. Fermentation should be near complete after 10-14 days. When the gravity is stable at 1.010-1.014, you are ready to bottle. Siphon the beer into a clean sanitized container and make a syrup by boiling Priming Sugar in a small amount of water or beer. Gently stir into the beer making sure it is well dispersed, but not agitated.
11. Siphon the beer into clean sanitized beer bottles and cap each bottle. Allow three weeks in the bottle at room temp for effervescence to be complete. Although the beer may be consumed at this time, it will continue to improve for several months.