DeKoninck Clone
 

This recipe is based on Jamil Zainasheff’s clone of De Koninck in BYO. Dekoninck is the daily beer of the people of Antwerp and truly one of my all-time faves. The Mt. Hood hops in my recipe aren’t to style, but they’ve been resonating in all my thirst quenchers lately, like autumn leaves floating in a pool, wavering among the reflections of the stormclouds up above. Plus, the Kent Goldings Jamil suggests are all but extinct in my area these days.

Lange Wapper

(Antwerp Pale Ale)

5 gallons (all-grain)

OG = 1.053

FG = 1.013

IBU = 29

SRM = 8

ABV = 5.3%

Ingredients

10 lb Pilsner Malt

10 oz Caramunich Malt (60 Lovibond)

4 oz Biscuit Malt (25 Lovibond)

1.5 oz Mount Hood 5% a.a. pellet hops (60 min)

.5 oz Mount Hood 5% a.a (0 min)

Wyeast 3655 (Belgian Schelde) Yeast

Mash at 152. Boil the wort for ninety minutes, but start adding hops at sixty. Adjust your runoff size accordingly.

Brewed that one. It's good but it isn't a DeKoninck. Since then I've been going back and forth with DeathBrewer on a recipe and we are getting really close to a true clone, it has more specialty malts than Jamil's because the real DeKoninck is caramel sweet.

I don't have BeerSmith since I'm not at home but I think next up looks something like

X# Belgian Pils
8oz Flaked oats
1# Caravienne
8oz Aromatic
4oz Caramunich

Yes I know that's a lot of crystal but the DeKoninck is very caramel-like. Last time I think I brewed this though I'm a bit rusty now:

9# Belgian Pils
8oz Flaked oats
12oz Caravienne
4oz Aromatic
4oz Biscuit

It wasn't sweet enough, it was too light on the SRM, and it had biscuit notes where I couldn't detect any in the DeKoninck comparing side by side.

Mt Hood hops will work fine. I like them in Belgians, although Saaz is one of my favorite hops. The original is all Saaz.

DeKoninck Clone
 

Thanks for the heads up.

I brewed the Jamil recipe as well and in retrospect I agree - it had the same lack of sweet lack of caramel flavor. At the time I attributed it to me not step mashing the pilsner malt - the Belgian Brewers I talked to when on my trip all stressed long step mashs to get the most out of their pilsner, but you are you are totally right...that wouldn't produce the ruby sweetness that I crave for nightly.

Jamil does say in the BYO article that DeKoninck sweetens up a bit during the transfer to the states...But honestly, I couldn't tell the difference when the swmbo and I had a bottle of it at the Monk's Kettle in SF recently.

Is that typical that beers sweeten up with age? Is it because the hop aroma fades?

I did enjoy my bolleke in Antwerp more than at the monk's kettle, but I chalked that up to being in its homeland.

http://cockale.files.wordpress.com/2...9bb0af8f_b.jpg

I just bought a 4-pack of DeKoninck. I can't wait to try it. It sounds like something I'd like to clone too.

I got the flaked oats at my lhbs, they were more expensive than the malted grains though... are they any different from porridge oats from a decent health food store?

Here's my take on the Dekonick clone, it turned out a bit lighter, but it was awesome, and is my house belgian.
OG: 1.055
Yeast: WLP550

78% Belgian Pale Malt
8% Biscuit Malt
8% Caravienne
4% Flaked Oats
2% Aromatic Malt

1oz Saaz @ 60
.5oa Saaz @30
.5oz Saaz @15

After six months Jamil's was still biscuity and not very sweet. There is still ~1 gal in the keg of the second one and it's a bit sweeter but it really didn't change much with age at all.

I use instant oats from the grocery store. They work fine. :)

Dekoninck is one of my favorites! Nothin better than sitting in the square w/ a bolleke.
This is definately next on my list to brew.
I've printed Jamil's two recipes, and the ones from this thread. Lots of variation for one beer. I guess because it's kinda complex for a pale ale.
I'd love anymore advise.
Layne

Here, I have BeerSmith in front of me now. :)

Next up for my clone attempt is:

80% Belgian Pils
10% Caramunich
5% Flaked Oats
2.5% Aromatic
2.5% Biscuit

6 AAU Saaz 60
2 AAU Saaz 30
0.5oz Saaz 15

For 75% eff. multiply the % by .1 to convert to pounds (8# Belgian Pils, etc).

WLP515 (Platinum) is the DeKoninck yeast strain. I washed the yeast cake from the last go-round since it is a fall seasonal.

Notes:
My grainbill gives estimated SRM of 10 which should be closer. My last clone attempt was SRM=8 and it was lighter than the DeKoninck in a side by side comparison.
Mash 152*F gives correct attenuation for the DeKoninck strain.
Much of the character of this beer comes from the yeast. For a true clone you need the WLP515. The WLP550 comes out good but it doesn't make for a clone. ;) Pitching a 2L starter of the WLP515 the yeast character was a dead ringer in a side by side comparison.
The DeKoninck is hoppier than you would think, there is a lot of malt backbone which hides the IBUs. You need ~3oz of Saaz to get there.

I want to brew this in a few weeks.
But if the yeast is not available, is there a close option, or shoud I give up on this till next fall?