Love the look of this recipe Revvy. I decided I'm going to do this next, after enjoying one of my favorite local beers (a Strong Blonde), the closest commercial example is Leffe due to the esters and sweet aroma.
I try to support my local yeast labs - Wyeast and Imperial, but I'm wondering if their comparable strains are the same isolated strain. Still I don't like to deviate on the first batch when a tried and tested recipe is out there. So here's my plan
1.5L stir starter - ~36-48 hrs prior.
Mash @ ~156
I have some spare clear candi sugar to use. I rarely make trappists so it will go to waste otherwise
Pitch @ 68, let free rise to 70. Add some Fermaid K at ~48 hours in.
After a week I'll throw it in my fermentation closet which stays at 74.
I'd like to have some really nice esters, to me a good blonde is just bursting with pear, clove, etc. without being cloying. It's always a balance between esters/phenols and a beer turning out "hot," it's an off flavor / effect that happens more than I'd like.
If it turns out not as flavorful as I'd like, I'll probably put it on some spring everbearing strawberries or rhubarb, they start appearing in the garden in April when the weather holds 35ºF+ overnight. A rhubarb blonde sounds amazing right now.
Ordering stuff now, will update in a month or so when it's ready...