Komodo

Recipes 

This is an important point. Ultimately you should brew what you want. If you want to brew Jamils brew, then you may want to brew it as is. Those darker malts you tweaked may have brought the color more in line with what his recipe indicated, but they also add dark fruit flavors.

slapmc

Recipes 

I have to second or third what komodo and dannypo said. I have made this recipe about 6 or 7 times. I have lost track. I try to keep it in regular rotation, sometimes i like to oak it as well as rest it on cacoa nibs. But simply by itself, with some age, it is a great beer. It is jamils recipe, so you cant really go wrong. I love to brew belgians, and when i am looking to make an unquestionably good bsd, i go to his recipe by default.
I can assure you that if you simply follow his recipe to the letter, you will not be disappointed.

zachattack

Recipes 

Jamil's said many times that he wrote the recipe a long time ago, and he would do it much differently now. But the name "Brew Like a Homebrewer" is a reference to Brew Like a Monk, and in fact Stan H was one of the judges when it was awarded a gold.

Here's some more reading

rayfound

Recipes 

So, first, thanks for all the advice guys. I guess I just couldn't stand the idea of a big beer like this finishing at 1024-1026, so i switched it up a bit.

I used the basic malt-bill for Jamil's Dubbel, and scaled it up/tweaked a bit to make it bigger and a bit darker.

Ingredients

Amt Name Type # %/IBU
13 lbs Pilsner (2 Row) Bel (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 66.7 %
2 lbs Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 2 10.3 %
1 lbs Aromatic Malt (26.0 SRM) Grain 3 5.1 %
12.0 oz Caramunich Malt (56.0 SRM) Grain 4 3.8 %
12.0 oz Special B Malt (180.0 SRM) Grain 5 3.8 %
1 lbs Candi Syrup D-90 (90.0 SRM) Sugar 6 5.1 %
1 lbs Cane (Beet) Sugar (0.0 SRM) Sugar 7 5.1 %
2.00 oz Hallertauer [4.80 %] - Boil 65.0 min Hop 8 25.9 IBUs
0.50 oz Tettnang [4.50 %] - Boil 65.0 min Hop 9 6.1 IBUs
1.50 g Seeds of Paradise (Boil 15.0 mins) Spice 10 -
1.50 g Seeds of Paradise (Boil 5.0 mins) Spice 11 -
1.0 pkg Trappist Ale (White Labs #WLP500) 2L Starter Stir Plate


Beersmith Estimated 1097 - I only got 1093, so my efficiency was off a bit (though I had expected this and set the target a bit high)

After 12 days I am at 1012. temperature was 64-67 during initial fermentation, then I've ramped up a degree per day such that it is now finishing up at 74F. Substantial blowoff, actually, my blowoff container formed a yeast cake!

Still hoping it comes down a few points (Beersmith forecasts 1009), as I am terrified of making cloying belgians, but i suspect it would be OK where it is. No off-flavors noted in the gravity sample. Smells like chimay.

Still has the fairly complex malt bill, but with a drier finish than Jamil's Recipe. Added the Grains of Paradise to give a little hint of spice complexity. Didn't really taste them in the gravity sample.

sqhead

Recipes 

I would not worry about it being too cloying since you are already at 1012. As long as it has finished fermenting you will be fine. Check the gravity again in afew days to make sure it is finished.