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Styles · Belgian Single

Beer style · BJCP 2021 26A

Belgian Single

Monastic Ale

Published ranges These are the ranges the BJCP 2021 guidelines publish for this style.

Original gravity
1.044–1.054
Final gravity
1.004–1.010
Bitterness
25–45 IBU
Color
3–5 SRM (6–10 EBC)
Alcohol
4.8–6.0 % ABV

What it is

The table beer the monastery brews for itself: pale, dry, quite bitter and very high in carbonation. Grainy malt sits well back while spicy yeast and a firm hop bite drive the finish, making it the leanest and most bitter member of the abbey family.

Flavor

What a Belgian Single should taste like, on the three wheels the studio scores every recipe against. The shaded ring is the style’s range on each axis, from 0 at the center to 5 at the edge.

Hops

Floral and spice, with room for herbal.

Malt

Grainy, with room for sweet/honey or bready/biscuit.

Fermentation

Fruity esters, with room for clean, pepper/spice or clove.

Hops that suit it

The traditional choice

What Belgian Single has classically been brewed with.

Also right on character

Varieties whose loudest notes all sit on this style’s hop wheel, best fit first. How much to use is the recipe’s question; these are the ones that taste right.

And 3 more hops whose character fits. These are the 24 that fit best.

Yeasts that suit it

Strains the lab made for beers like this one, whose fermentation character sits inside the style’s wheel. A strain sold by several labs is listed once; its page names the others.

And 70 more yeasts whose character fits. These are the 24 that fit best.

Style numbers, names and vital statistics are from the BJCP 2021 Beer Style Guidelines, where you will find the official descriptions. The descriptions and flavor wheels here are Beerwright’s own. Beerwright is not affiliated with or endorsed by the BJCP.