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**1Mainebrew** · 08-03-2011, 10:50 AM

Way to go!! Be patient with this one and really let it come into it's own.

**1Mainebrew** · 08-26-2011, 02:30 AM

Hey el, have you tried one or are you still waiting? (better to wait, but its a wicked tough fight! We won't blame you man!)

elproducto · 08-26-2011, 01:30 PM

I've pulled a few pints and it's still pretty boozy.

It's now outside the kegerator sitting in a corny, probably until Christmas.

**1Mainebrew** · 08-27-2011, 03:09 AM

Its always easier to wait when you have a kegerator full of good beer!

elproducto · 10-18-2011, 12:58 PM

Ok, so I cracked the first one after 2 weeks in the bottle.

Unfortunately I think I undercarbed for the style, but I'll give it some more time. At 10% and 1.005 it may take a while to carb up.

Taste wise it's unbelievably drinkable. There is a bit of alcohol heat, but it's nice and dry which makes you want another drink. Tart with lots of pear/banana notes, with some nice sweetness almost honeylike which I guess is coming from the alcohol.

10% ABV could sneak up on you with a beer like this. I'm definately going to cellar a bunch, but I would brew this style again.. just perhaps with a bit of a lower OG.

I also think this beer would be great if pitched with some sour dregs in secondary.

**1Mainebrew** · 10-21-2011, 11:31 PM

Nice to hear! Hopefully it will carb better. Either way the taste will continue to improve for many moons to come!

**1Mainebrew** · 11-19-2011, 05:57 AM

How is it progressing a month out now?

jerrod · 11-19-2011, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1Mainebrew

To answer your first question, yes, it goes away. It takes like 4 or 5 months to go away, but after like 9 months in the bottle it is really, really good. Leave the bottles out in room temp for AT LEAST 2-3 months, and then let them sit for the remainder in the fridge and you will be amazed at your results.

As to question two, no, sulfur was not what I tasted. Sulfur reminds me of a match stick or something. Twang was really the only term I could think of to describe it. Funky might also be a viable option.

Glad you posted this. I just bottled an almost identical recipe with that yeast and was bummed by the taste. This forum is awesome and Thank you.

**1Mainebrew** · 11-19-2011, 07:22 PM

You 're welcome! Patience= tasty GSA. More patience= better GSA.

Bierenliefhebber · 10-09-2012, 02:00 PM

I've just ground my grain (Weyermann extra-pale Pilsner, dash of aroma) and am getting ready to brew my Duvel clone tomorrow. Though not Belgian (expat Texan), I've lived in Belgium for the last 25 years, a mere 13 km from the Moortgat brewery in Breendonk, so Duvel is of special interest to me.

I was here looking around specifically to try to pick up some cues on water profile. Normally, I would add half a teaspoon of gypsum (with about a third going into the sparge water) and a quarter teaspoon of Epson salts to the mash. I see the question "what about water profile?" being asked by 1Mainbrew, but I don't see it getting answered. Pity.

My recipe is also based on the Jamil recipe. I'd say that an attenuation of 1.005 is as near perfect as you can get- in my experience, the lower the FG, the closer the taste is going to be to the real stuff. Using WYeast 1388, I typically get an FG between 1.006 and 1.010. It also seems to be important to check the pH on the mash in keep it in the low 5's. If it's too high, you'll get a darker, maltier beer - tasty, but not Duvel, more like Forbidden Fruit or Kwak. Also because of the high OG, I use my lagering cooler to keep the temperature on the low side (around 18-20 C) for the first couple of days, then gradually bring it up, ending up as high as 23 or 24 in the Summer. For secondary, going back to a low temperature (no more than 10-15) for a couple of weeks seems to improve the flavor. It'll take quite a while to carbonate after bottling because the yeast will be a bit torpid from the low temps.