Name: Buttonwoods Brewerys Golden Unicorn Recipe
Cook time: 72 h
Total time: 72 h
Yield: 48 servings
Cuisine: Belgian
Ingredients: 7 lbs Pilsner (2-row) pale malt; 3 lbs Belgian pale ale malt; 2 lbs Candi sugar, clear; 0.75 lbs Munich malt; 0.5 lbs Carapils / dextrin malt; 1.5 oz German Hallertau (4.5% AA) - bittering; 1 oz Saaz (3.5% AA) - flavor/aroma; 2 packs Belgian strong ale yeast (high attenuation, e.g., Wyeast 1762 or White Labs WLP540); 1 tsp Yeast nutrient; 1 tsp Fermentation nutrient / oxygen (for high gravity); 1 unit Small oak barrel (or 1/2 - 3/4 gallon oak spirals in sanitized mesh) - for aging; 0.25 packs Brettanomyces (optional) or Brett-containing culture; 3 oz Shucked Pacific/Atlantic oysters (fresh, meats only) OR 3 oz pasteurized, canned oyster meat; 0.5 cups Fresh tarragon (leaves only), tied in sanitized muslin or in hops bag; 1 tsp Sea salt; 3 oz Corn sugar (dextrose) for bottling; 0.25 tsp Campden tablet or potassium metabisulfite (for sanitizing oysters if using pasteurized packaged)

Tenuta di Valgiano tuscan blend

Spanish olive oil dip served with warm baguette

SPANISH OIL DIP

Belgian Strong Golden Ale
11.4% ABV
BARREL- AGED BELGIAN STRONG ALE WITH OYSTER & TARRAGON

Heat 3.5 gallons (13.25 L) of water to 166°F (74°C). Dough in the crushed malts (Pilsner, Belgian pale, Munich, Carapils) to reach a mash temperature of 152°F (67°C). Hold at 152°F for 60 minutes, stirring occasionally and checking conversion with iodine if desired.

Mash

Raise temperature to 170°F (77°C) for 10 minutes to mash out. Vorlauf until wort runs clear and collect approximately 6.5 gallons (24.5 L) of wort into the kettle.

Mash Out

Sparge the grain bed with 170°F (77°C) water until you collect around 7.5 gallons (28 L) total pre-boil volume. Target pre-boil gravity ~1.110 to achieve 11.4% ABV after fermentation and aging.

Sparge

Bring the wort to a vigorous boil. Add Hallertau bittering hops at start of boil (60 minutes remaining). With 15 minutes left in the boil, add Saaz for flavor/aroma. Also with 15 minutes left, carefully stir in the candi sugar so it fully dissolves. Add yeast nutrient at 10 minutes remaining. Total boil time: 60 minutes.

Boil & Add Hops

After the boil, chill the wort quickly to 68°F (20°C) using an immersion or plate chiller. Transfer to a sanitized fermenter, aiming for a post-boil volume of ~5.5 gallons (21 L) and a pre-fermentation OG around 1.110.

Cooling

Aerate the chilled wort vigorously (oxygenate with pure O2 for ~60 seconds or shake/splash for several minutes). Rehydrate or make a 2-L starter of your chosen Belgian strong ale yeast (or Wyeast smack pack) to ensure a healthy pitch for high gravity. Pitch yeast when wort is 65-68°F (18-20°C).

Pitch Yeast

Ferment at 68-70°F (20-21°C) for the first 5 days to encourage ester development, then allow temperature to slowly rise to 72-75°F (22-24°C) over the next week to finish fermentation and attenuate. Expect vigorous activity for 3-7 days. Monitor gravity until it drops significantly (target FG ~1.020–1.030 depending on attenuation).

Primary Fermentation

Rack to secondary or into oak barrel (or add sanitized oak spirals) once primary fermentation subsides (5–10 days). If using Brett, pitch a small Brett culture now. Age on oak for 3–9 months depending on desired oak and Brett character; check periodically. Keep beer sealed with minimal headspace and maintain sanitary conditions.

Optional Brett / Secondary

If using fresh shucked oysters: inspect and remove any shell fragments, lightly pat dry with sanitized paper towel. If using packaged/pasteurized oysters, ensure they are sanitary; optionally treat briefly with a crushed Campden tablet dissolved in a small amount of water and drain to reduce microbial risk. Reserve the oyster liquor (brine).

Prepare Oysters

Place the oyster meat and approximately 1 tablespoon of oyster liquor into a sanitized small jar. Pasteurize carefully by heating to 140°F (60°C) for 10 minutes to reduce microbial load while preserving flavor (optional but recommended if not using pasteurized product). Let cool to cellar temperature. Place oysters in a sanitized hops bag or muslin. Add the tied tarragon bundle to the same bag. Sanitize the bag before use.

Sanitize & Add

After barrel-aging (or after desired oak/Brett character develops) and when beer is stable (several months), transfer beer to a clean secondary vessel. Gently add the sanitized oyster + tarragon bag to the beer and steep for 3–7 days at 55–65°F (13–18°C). Taste daily; oysters impart a subtle briny minerality and tarragon a savory anise/oregano-like herbal note — remove when balance is achieved. Add 1 tsp sea salt to the vessel and stir gently to incorporate, if additional salinity is desired. Avoid over-extraction of tarragon (can become medicinal) — shorter contact if leaves are fresh and strong.

Secondary Addition

After removing the oyster/tarragon bag, allow the beer to rest in secondary for 1–2 weeks to let any particulates settle and flavors marry before packaging.

Post-Addition Rest

If using an oak barrel, ensure barrel is sanitized and filled to minimize headspace. Age the beer in barrel for 3–9 months. Monitor flavor development: oak will add vanilla, toast, and tannic notes. If Brett was used, expect continued attenuation and development of funk over months. Make small periodic samples to decide when to proceed to oyster/tarragon addition.

Aging

If you want to balance high gravity sweetness with barrel character, consider blending a small portion (10–30%) of barrel-aged beer with a fresher base to achieve the desired balance before the oyster/tarragon addition.

Blending

When final gravity is stable and beer has been cleared after the oyster/tarragon contact, prepare priming sugar solution by boiling 3 oz (85 g) dextrose in 12 fl oz (350 ml) water for 5 minutes, cool and add to bottling bucket.

Preparation for Bottling

Rack beer gently to the bottling bucket on top of the priming solution to mix without aeration. Bottle and cap. Condition bottles at 65–70°F (18–21°C) for 2–4 weeks to carbonate, then cold condition for a week before tasting.

Bottling

If kegging, force carbonate to ~2.5 volumes CO2, or prime and carbonate in keg as desired. Ensure kegging lines and kegs are sanitized to avoid contamination from oyster additions.

Kegging (alternate)

Pilsner (2-row) pale malt

Belgian pale ale malt

Candi sugar, clear

Munich malt

Carapils / dextrin malt

German Hallertau (4.5% AA) - bittering

Saaz (3.5% AA) - flavor/aroma

Belgian strong ale yeast (high attenuation, e.g., Wyeast 1762 or White Labs WLP540)

Yeast nutrient

Fermentation nutrient / oxygen (for high gravity)

Small oak barrel (or 1/2 - 3/4 gallon oak spirals in sanitized mesh) - for aging

Brettanomyces (optional) or Brett-containing culture

Shucked Pacific/Atlantic oysters (fresh, meats only) OR 3 oz pasteurized, canned oyster meat

Fresh tarragon (leaves only), tied in sanitized muslin or in hops bag

Sea salt

Corn sugar (dextrose) for bottling

Campden tablet or potassium metabisulfite (for sanitizing oysters if using pasteurized packaged)

Golden Unicorn

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BECKHART

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10.5% ABV
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Physical/Spiritual/Mental

Barleywine - English
9% ABV
Our English barley wine base before we barrel age it for Monsters in the Closet

Invisible Monsters

Make Golden Unicorn Recipe in just 72h . Belgian Strong Golden Ale
11.4% ABV
BARREL- AGED BELGIAN STRONG ALE WITH OYSTER & TARRAGON

Golden Unicorn Recipe

Descriptors

Tasting Notes

Food Pairings

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