Dubbel recipe

Hey, after having brewed https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f73/pious-westvleteren-12-style-quad-multiple-147815/ I want to try the same techniques on a dubbel. All base malt and candi syrup. I want to use the Chimay yeast because I like the flavor a little more than the Westmalle or Achouffe strains for dubbels.

Does this recipe look good? I figure I should be able to coax a good deal of flavor out of two kinds of candi syrup and a double decoction.


BeerSmith Recipe Printout - www.beersmith.com
Recipe: Heartsong Dubbel
Brewer:
Asst Brewer:
Style: Belgian Dubbel
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (35.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 5.50 gal
Boil Size: 6.30 gal
Estimated OG: 1.071 SG
Estimated Color: 22.8 SRM
Estimated IBU: 19.6 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.0 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
6.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 42.9 %
5.50 lb Pilsner (2 Row) Bel (2.0 SRM) Grain 39.3 %
0.50 lb Wheat, Flaked (1.6 SRM) Grain 3.6 %
0.50 oz Galena [13.00%] (60 min) Hops 18.3 IBU
0.50 oz Hallertauer [4.80%] (5 min) Hops 1.3 IBU
1.00 lb Candi Sugar, Amber (90.0 SRM) Sugar 7.1 %
1.00 lb Candi Sugar, Dark (180.0 SRM) Sugar 7.1 %

I'll be using domestic malts because they are cheaper and I don't expect to get any negative flavors. On a side note, what are your preferences with Belgian high gravity yeasts? I think that 500 is tasty and best for dubbels, 530 is best for tripels and quads, and 550 is good for Belgianized IPAs and stouts because it cuts through flavor a little better. At least that's what I've found after using them a bit, but I don't have a ton of experience.

Looks really good. I like the decoction mash since your not using any crystal malt. As for the yeast, I usually just harvest dregs from whatever I was drinking recently. Sometimes I'll throw in dregs from a couple different breweries and just let things play themselves out. The only suggestion I might make is to up the boil to 90 min because of the pilsner malt.

DregAddict said:

I like the decoction mash since your not using any crystal malt.

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This, for a dubbel you need more than just the dark sugars, IMO. Either some caramunich or special b, or decoction the mash. I agree about the chimay yeast being best suited for dubbels.

IIRC the Chimay bottling yeast is far different from the Chimay ferm yeast. Beware!

bh10 said:

This, for a dubbel you need more than just the dark sugars, IMO. Either some caramunich or special b, or decoction the mash. I agree about the chimay yeast being best suited for dubbels.

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You can make a great westmalle clone using just 2 lbs dark candi syrup, but I don't really like westmalle's dubbel. I don't like the yeast used in something that isn't really strong. Do you agree? My plan was basically just to swap a lb of dark for a lb of candi, that way the sugar flavor would be a little more mellow, and then use chimay yeast.

In any case, I'd be doing a decoction too. Thoughts?

rexbanner said:

You can make a great westmalle clone using just 2 lbs dark candi syrup, but I don't really like westmalle's dubbel. I don't like the yeast used in something that isn't really strong. Do you agree? My plan was basically just to swap a lb of dark for a lb of candi, that way the sugar flavor would be a little more mellow, and then use chimay yeast.

In any case, I'd be doing a decoction too. Thoughts?

Click to expand...

No I agree, hell try it, whats the worst that happens, you have more of a dark strong than a dubbel, either way going to be tasty.