Thanks for your answers! I think I'll give it a shot... anyone know a good recipe? The hardest part might be tracking down some yeast thats suitable. We have a very limited range here.
As a side note, I have some pellet hops that are about 5-6 weeks old since opened. They were put straight in the fridge. Are these ok to use, and if so, will I need to add more to get the same bitterness from them? I have BeerSmith I think it can work it out but not sure how?
Dubbel is fairly simple. Abbey ales are vehicles for malt character and yeast esters. You want a starting gravity ~1.065 with light bitterness. Little to no hops flavor or aroma. Your hops should have suffered no damage from that storage. Pellets last quite a long time, and 6 weeks isn't going to make any difference.
This is one of the few situations in which I strongly recommend a liquid Abbey yeast from Wyeast or White Labs. Alternately, if you can buy Trappist Dubbels like Westmalle or LaTrappe, you may have success culturing yeast from the bottle(s). If all you can get is dry yeast, the best bet is probably SafAle S-33; it's sort of close.
Below is my version. It's not as tested as some of my other recipes, but it's worked for me.
The extract chosen will have a significant impact. Choose a brand that does not ferment dry. Coopers ferments fairly full-bodied, and should be widely available in Kiwi-land. Amber or dark sugar is key to the style, preferably Belgian Candisugar. If you cannot acquire Amber Candisugar, substitute regular sugar pound for pound and increase the Special B by 2 ounces.
I started First Wort Hopping my Belgian ales because I wanted a slight hops flavor and didn't want to try to accurately measure 1/8 oz. of pellets.
I use Willamette lately because I can't get Styrian Goldings or Saaz, and I still have a half-pound of the 2006 crop of pellets in my freezer. Besides, Willamette is a fairly neutral variety.
Anyhow, go search the Internet for more recipes, and buy a copy of Pierre Rajotte's
Belgian Ale book. You won't be sorry!
Dubbel de Chien Brun
A ProMash Recipe Report
Recipe Specifics
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Batch Size (Gal): 5.00 Wort Size (Gal): 5.00
Total Grain (Lbs): 9.85
Anticipated OG: 1.065 Plato: 16.00
Anticipated SRM: 16.2
Anticipated IBU: 20.6
Brewhouse Efficiency: 40 %
Wort Boil Time: 60 Minutes
Grain/Extract/Sugar
% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
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5.1 0.50 lbs. Cara-Pils Dextrine Malt 1.033 2
10.2 1.00 lbs. CaraVienne Malt Belgium 1.034 22
67.0 6.60 lbs. Coopers LME - Light Australia 1.038 3
2.5 0.25 lbs. Special B Malt Belgian 1.030 120
5.1 0.50 lbs. Biscuit Malt Belgium 1.035 24
10.2 1.00 lbs. Candi Sugar (amber) Generic 1.046 75
Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.
Hops
Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
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1.25 oz. Willamette Pellet 4.00 20.6 First WH
Yeast
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WYeast 1388 Belgian Strong Ale
