Big Belgian Dubbel help.

Hi-

So, I'd like to try my hands at creating a belgian trip/dub. I started with this dragonmead clone as my base recipe, and found elements of other dubbels I liked and came up with this.

I would love your thoughts as this is my first creation. I also need thoughts on yeast. I want a complex beer (as you cal tell by the grain bill). Thoughts on hops and grains are welcome too.



malt & fermentables
% LB Malt or Fermentable ppg °L
74% 9# Northern Brewer Pilsen LME 34 2
8% 1# Candi Sugar Syrup, Dark 31 80
8% 1# Briess Amber DME 5
2% .25# Belgian Biscuit Malt 35 24
2% .25# Belgian Aromatic 34 23
2% .25# Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L 34 40
2% .25# Special B Malt 30 180
1% .125# Pale Chocolate Malt 34 165

hops
use time oz variety form aa
boil 60 mins 2.0 Hallertauer pellet 4.8
boil 30 mins 1.0 Styrian Goldings pellet 5.4
boil 1 min 1.0 Saaz pellet 3.5

Boil: 2.0 avg gallons for 60 minutes
Total Batch 5.0 gallons

Original Gravity
1.082
(1.073 to 1.086)
Final Gravity
1.021
(1.018 to 1.022)
Color
18° SRM / 36° EBC
Bitterness
27.3 IBU / 10 HBU
ƒ: Average
BU:GU
0.33

Alcohol
8.1% ABV / 6% ABW
Calories
271 per 12 oz.


I would put the steeping grains in 2 gal cold water, bring it to 150-160 and steep for 30 min. Then add candi, DME and LME, boil, add Hallertauer and start timer for 60 min.

YEAST:
WY3787?
WY1762?
WL500?

2% 0 4 Belgian Biscuit Malt 35 24
2% 0 4 Belgian Aromatic 34 23
2% 0 4 Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L 34 40
2% 0 4 Special B Malt 30 180
1% 0 2 Pale Chocolate Malt 34 165

I think the use of all these specialty grains will be overkill. In a belgian you want the yeast to provide a lot of the flavor. I think this will give you a muddled beer, a mix of malt and fruit that might not work so well together.

Gregscsu said:

2% 0 4 Belgian Biscuit Malt 35 24
2% 0 4 Belgian Aromatic 34 23
2% 0 4 Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L 34 40
2% 0 4 Special B Malt 30 180
1% 0 2 Pale Chocolate Malt 34 165

I think the use of all these specialty grains will be overkill. In a belgian you want the yeast to provide a lot of the flavor. I think this will give you a muddled beer, a mix of malt and fruit that might not work so well together.

Click to expand...

A friend of mine brews a dubbel with with similar grains and it doesn't come across to muddy. But he uses:

-Special B
-Chocolate
-Dark Crystal
-Carmel 90L

Are my grains too much? Should I ditch some?

Ans you know that's 4oz (.25#) or each in my recipe, right? Not 4#. I edited my original post to sho my grain bill all in #:

malt & fermentables
% LB Malt or Fermentable ppg °L
74% 9# Northern Brewer Pilsen LME 34 2
8% 1# Candi Sugar Syrup, Dark 31 80
8% 1# Briess Amber DME 5
2% .25# Belgian Biscuit Malt 35 24
2% .25# Belgian Aromatic 34 23
2% .25# Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L 34 40
2% .25# Special B Malt 30 180
1% .125# Pale Chocolate Malt 34 165

I think your grain bill is ok. As to the yeast, what are you going for? Any of those will work fine. Do you want more or less esters? WY1762 has a more subtle ester profile than the other two.

Cheers,
Glenn

skiwithg said:

I think your grain bill is ok. As to the yeast, what are you going for? Any of those will work fine. Do you want more or less esters? WY1762 has a more subtle ester profile than the other two.

Cheers,
Glenn

Click to expand...

I was thinking more esters, so 3787. But would that bee too much going on in this brew?

So, would this actually fall under Belgian Dark Strong Ale?http://www.bjcp.org/2008styles/style18.php#1e

it doesnt look too terribly far off from westy 12 clones I've seen. Here's one for example: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f73/westvleteren-12-clone-81698/

I'd swap the C40 for caramunich though.