2019-04-07

26B - Belgian Dubbel


BJCP Style: 26B - Belgian Dubbel

I'm working my way through the trappist beers starting with the Single, now Dubbel. I'll keep reusing the same Danstar Abbaye ale yeast up through Quad. After sampling the Single, I'm really happy with the results. It's mostly clean with some subtle phenols which result in the expected Belgian character.

I feel like I've made this before. The list of fermentables is very close to the Bière de Garde I brewed last year. Main differences being yeast and the sugar used. BdG included brown sugar and this is getting dark candi sugar which I'm using for the first time.

Full recipe is on BrewersFriend but here's the TL;DR
  • Brew day: 2019-4-6
  • Fermentables: Pilsner, Munich, Special B, Dark Candi Sugar (275°L), Sugar
  • Hops: [Magnum] (Styrian Goldings)
  • Yeast: Danstar Abbaye Ale (generation 2)
  • OG: 16.2°P (72% efficiency); FG 2.25; ABV 7.6%
  • Kegged: 2019-5-8
Grains

Crushed

Dark Candi Sugar - annoyingly it doesn't say on the package, but according to the product page on MoreBeer this is 275°L

200g - the remainder of the sugar additions will be table sugar

I might have been a bit distracted while making this beer. I was simultaneously constructing a smoker for some post-brewday meats...

mash temp

Floor Manager Steve - always a big help.

ready to chill

into the fermenter

OG came out to 16.2°P/72% efficiency

wort sample. nice red color. should be a good-looking dubbel!

away we go...

2019-5-8 (+32): Into the keg...


2019-5-8 (+32) hydrometer reading ~1.009/2.25°P

2019-5-19 (+43): sample. A bit hazy but getting there. Tasting great, no booziness at all; pleasant amount of Belgian yeast character with a lighter body and dry finish.

2019-6-19 (+75): Full pour. Tasting fantastic and is mostly clear. Slight spice, mellow malty sweetness but perfectly dry finish. Pleasant sipper. Really liking this and can't think of anything I would change. Keeper recipe. Need to do a more aggressive pour next time and get some foam on there...

2019-6-26 (+82): short pour with my cool new flag label!

2019-08-03 (+120): full pour, crystal clear, tasting spot on for a Dubbel.