Belgian dubbel
This is a mix between Jamil's 2006 2nd round gold medal winner at the NHC, and BYO's St bernardus abt 12 60th anniversary. It is just my take on a conglomerate, the ingredients are ordered and I will be brewing it Oct 24 (got 2 more batches ahead of it.)
Let me know if you think there should be any changes.
13 gallon batch
14.5 gallon boil
88% brewhouse efficiency
OG: 1.080
FG: 1.018
SRM: 18
IBU: 26
ABV: 8.0
90 minute boil
20# Belgian Pilsner (Durst))
5# Belgian Munich (Durst)
2# Belgian Caramunich (Castle)
2# Aromatic (Castle)
1# Special B (Castle)
1# Carapils (Briess)
3# Belgian light rock candi sugar
3oz East Kent Goldings 60
2oz Styrian Goldings 20
WLP530 Abbey Ale (1.5 gallon starter)
So I am thinking of mashing at 146 for 60 minutes, then 156 for 15 minutes, then a mashout. I am trying to have a complex maltiness, medium mouthfeel, and no cloying sweetness- I am hoping this will achieve that. I am also planning on fermenting cool at say 65 for a week, then ramping up to 75 for some esters.
Watcha think?
Recipe seems fine.
For the mash schedule, not sure how much there will be left after a 60min at 146F. I know like me, you would normally extend the mash time for a low mash temp, but I am just not sure if there would be much left on the way of complexity for the 156 rest.
I was thinking maybe 45minutes at 146 then 45min at 156.
Just brainstorming a bit.
So, the beta-amylase enzyme is activated at lower temps during the mash and will convert the starches to very fermentable sugars. The alpha-amylase enzyme is activated at higher temps and is used to convert starches to less fermentable sugars. I think that if you mash first at lower temps you will convert all the starches to highly fermentable sugars and then when you raise the temp there will be nothing left to convert.
I recently, made a Belgian specialty ale and mashed at 148 the whole way. For most Belgian beers, you want the terminal gravity to be pretty dry, so using a lower mash temp is preferable. Also, the use of candi sugar helps bring the gravity down in the end since all of that is highly fermentable.
You have a very nice grain bill and I think that you will definitely get all the malty complexity you're looking for by simply mashing at one temp. 146 may be a little low for what you want. I might mash a little higher, perhaps somewhere between 148-150. That way you get activation of a good combination of both beta- and alpha-amylase enzymes to give you the fermentability you're looking for as well as some left over sugars for complexity. Also, WLP530 is a rockin' yeast that will give you wonderful flavors and aroma.
p.s. I think that the upcoming MA brewday just opened up for me. I'll try to stop by for a bit and bring some of my recent Belgian specialty ale brewed with the same Trappist yeast. It really turned out nice!
1n1m3g wrote:
p.s. I think that the upcoming MA brewday just opened up for me. I'll try to stop by for a bit and bring some of my recent Belgian specialty ale brewed with the same Trappist yeast. It really turned out nice!
Hey it would be great to have you there man.....I'd feel better seeing as I was at your session, which kicked ass. I can't say mine will be any better, but certainly a good time. Beer, food, more beer, more food, brewing, football..yeah, good times....
I agree with brewchez and 1n1m3g about your rest temps. I think you have enough dextrins and specialty malts in there that you'll end up with great mouthfeel despite the low mash temp. I'd stick to about 149 myself. Your recipe looks great this is a style that I need to brew soon. I'm much more partial to dubbels than trippels but have yet to make one. I'll have to keep your recipe in mind when I get around to making my own. Let us know how this turns out when you get it finished. BTW: 1.5 gal. starter, WOW! You should have some good yeast to take this sucker off like a rocket...Do you decant your starter? At that volume I think it would be essential.
andrew jensen wrote:
BTW: 1.5 gal. starter, WOW! You should have some good yeast to take this sucker off like a rocket...Do you decant your starter? At that volume I think it would be essential.
I make two 3 quart starters, so I pitch 1 per carboy. 13 gallon finished boil turns into an 11 gallon yield after chilling and kettle/line loss. Each carboy gets 5.5 gallons, then a 3 quart starter. I crash the starter usually 2 nights before brewday to drop as much yeast, then decant about 3/4, leaving a very watery slurry, and leave that at room temp the night before I brew. With a big beer I feel this is essential, and I even switched back to pure O2 shots rather than the aquarium pump, just to maximize ferm.
I will probably end up doing a 75 min rest at 147, and a slow ramp up to 168 to mashout, keeping the ramp time for about 30 minutes, just in case.
Not trying to hijack the thread, but........does a Belgian Dubbel need to have Pils as the base? Or can it be something else? I ask only because I formulated and brewed what was thought of to be a Belgian Dubbel, but probably isn't.......it still tastes great though....
ricka182 wrote:
Not trying to hijack the thread, but........does a Belgian Dubbel need to have Pils as the base? Or can it be something else? I ask only because I formulated and brewed what was thought of to be a Belgian Dubbel, but probably isn't.......it still tastes great though....
If it tastes great in the end that's all that matters.
Belgian brewers do tend to use pilsner malt primarily as their base malt.
As do the Germans.
The english tend to primarily use Pale malt.
We Americans are a melting pot and use it all. But our domestic 2-row is somewhere between Pale malt and pilsner malt.
Okay....I used Belgian Pale as the base.....I guess it would fall under category 16E...Belgian Splecialty Beer......thanks....
ricka182 wrote:
Okay....I used Belgian Pale as the base.....I guess it would fall under category 16E...Belgian Splecialty Beer......thanks....
Not necessarily, if it tastes like a Belgian Dubble then its a belgian double. Don't let the choice of ingredients dictate the style. The style is won based upon appearence and flavor.
We'll have to wait and see....I couldn't relate the taste to anything really as of yet, because it is still so young. Once it matures I'll have a better idea. I shiuld have set aside some of the batch, without the spices and bourbon to let age...that way I could compare the flavour additions....oh well, next time....
So we brewed this up friday as scheduled, and I am very happy with the color. A long recirc gave a real nice clear wort, and I hope the finished beer turns out as sexy as what is in the fermenter. Still chugging away nicely this morning, had to clean the blowoff tube, lots of krausen. The pic dosn't do it justice, but tries. The dork behind the fermenter is my brewpartner Mark, the pic is kinda eery- his ugly mug next to a beautiful beer!
Seems like WL yeasts are more popular here that Wyeast - is this just a poorly formed impression based on limited reading, or is there a reason that WL500 through 575 appear many times here? Or is it just that the most prolific posters have WL predominantly in their LHBS?
MeadowStream wrote:
Seems like WL yeasts are more popular here that Wyeast - is this just a poorly formed impression based on limited reading, or is there a reason that WL500 through 575 appear many times here? Or is it just that the most prolific posters have WL predominantly in their LHBS?
For me its just that my LHBS has a lot more varieties of White Labs yeast. I am in San Diego, so that makes sense since White Labs has their labs here.
MeadowStream wrote:
Seems like WL yeasts are more popular here that Wyeast - is this just a poorly formed impression based on limited reading, or is there a reason that WL500 through 575 appear many times here? Or is it just that the most prolific posters have WL predominantly in their LHBS?
I mainly use WL because I can score free shit sending back their labels!
Seriously, I can remember the profiles better for WL, their number graduation makes sense. WYeast is all over the board, and I constantly reverse their numbers and have a tough time keeping a mental idea of their characteristics. There are a few strains by wyeast that I don't think are offered by WL like forbidden fruit and ardennes. (can't recall the #'s HA!)
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