BCS Belgian Dubbel ready in two weeks!

Just had to brag to some people who understand. I have made the belgian dubbel recipe in BCS a few times now, but for a recent camping trip i pushed my limits as a brewer a bit and had to try and get it ready to serve exactly 2 weeks to the hour after brewing it.

Using all grain, an appropriate starter, good fermentation temp control (67 to 77F over 1.5 weeks) and then cold crash with gelatin. It wasn't as good as a month+ old version, but it was unbelievable for 2 weeks old, no major flaws.

Have to try to experiment to see how quick I can turn other stuff around now

It wasn't as good as a month+ old version, but it was unbelievable for 2 weeks old, no major flaws.

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I think that's the fine point here. An appropriate starter and good fermentation temperature control WILL greatly reduce required conditioning time, but there is NO substitute for time when it comes to a small amount of required fermentation and conditioning time.

The beer you just created is probably on the high side of FG and still about 2-3 weeks from being properly conditioned. I'm sure it is a good, tasty beer, but you've sold yourself short of making a GREAT beer.

I think realistically, with proper technique you can produce a 7/10 beer quickly like you did, but that beer will NEVER be a 9/10 or 10/10 version of that beer without giving it some proper time.

I've always found that many of my beers are tasty right out of the fermenter, but it is the kind of tasty where you can pick out all of the individual ingredients on separate parts of the pallate. Over time, the separate flavors meld closer and closer together into a cohesive unit, until one day they all mingle together into a single glorious cohesive flavor. There is no substitute for proper conditioning time!

Well way to bash down the whole point of posting this buzz kill.

If the title of this post was "how to make the greatest dubble" then your comment would be appropriate, it wasn't, there are enough other threads about conditioning. It was to point out that this style, one that most people consider REQUIRES aging to make a great example of, does in fact NOT.

From experience brewing this beer, yes it is better at a month or two, but after two weeks it was great, very nearly as good as a month old batch, and better than most dubble's I've bought off the shelf.

The FG may have dropped the tiniest bit given more time, but I frankly doubt it. A properly fermented ale should continue to condition for weeks but after ~10 days the FG will be pretty stable. This beer was not sweet, pretty dry actually.

So yes, a beer like a dubbel will always get better with some age, that was not under question. But if you only have two weeks to make a beer, you don't necessarily have to rule out a dubbel if you have proper control.

TopherM said:

The beer you just created is probably on the high side of FG

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The OP states nothing about his FG, so how do you know what it is? And even so, terminal gravity should be reached within a week, regardless of style. If your ferments are taking a considerably long time, it is most likely a problem with yeast count and health of the cells.

ChemEMc said:

Well way to bash down the whole point of posting this buzz kill.

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Well I made a Belgian strong dark that went from 1.094 to 1.008 in 5 days. With champagne yeast I could get it carbed in another 5. But why bother? Why bother making an expensive beer that really tastes best with months of aging if time is a concern?

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f67/reapers-mild-1st-place-2011-hbt-competition-239228/

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f66/centennial-blonde-simple-4-all-grain-5-10-gall-42841/

Next time you're in a crunch, make one of these.

Why bother making an expensive beer that really tastes best with months of aging if time is a concern?

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Well, maybe because your camping buddies haven't had a dubbel before and you want them to experience a beer that, though not a perfect example of the style, is better than even most store-bought dubbels. Oh, and also because you didn't want to shell out $5-$10 per bottle for those store-bought versions. Seems like sound reasoning to me.

I just read the first 2 posts, then the first sentence of the 3rd, and got a nice chuckle. Thanks for that.

Bonnevillain said:

Well, maybe because your camping buddies haven't had a dubbel before and you want them to experience a beer that, though not a perfect example of the style, is better than even most store-bought dubbels. Oh, and also because you didn't want to shell out $5-$10 per bottle for those store-bought versions. Seems like sound reasoning to me.

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Yeah, perhaps, but...

Just had to brag to some people who understand.

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Brewing is an art. Haste makes waste, especially when you have the option to make a style that will taste great.

rexbanner said:

Haste makes waste, especially when you have the option to make a style that will taste great.

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But he wanted to make that style of beer as quickly as he could and as well as he could given the time constraint. That was his goal and he did it.

So I say job well done. Congrats.

Brewing is an art. Haste makes waste, especially when you have the option to make a style that will taste great.

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ChemEMc, I'm not sure why you're catching so much flak. It sounds like you had an awesome time challenging yourself, and you got to share that experience with friends WHILE CAMPING. You win.

I'd like to remind everyone that not everyone's journey to the top of the mountain is the same. Some are in pursuit of the perfect beer. Others are in pursuit of the perfect life. Et al.

Salud, ChemEMc!

Haha, neither am I. I think people just think assume I don't know what I'm talking about and served a bad beer. I assure you I did not, some of the camping guys knew a lot about beer some didn't, all were amazed by the beer and further the time it was turned around in. I had frankly planned on brewing something lighter and I knew I could turn around in 2 weeks, but the request was for my dubbel. I took the challenge and I'm now that much more confident in my brewing.

If you're too cheap or afraid to brew this "crazy" beer that "needs" aging than don't brew it. In this case haste made great beer, it is no less art because my goal did not agree with yours.

When I'm not brewing, I'm an AP History teacher in high school. My students have to do timed writings. Could they produce a better paper given 3 hours rather than 30 minutes? Sure. But in it's own way, churning out a strong product under tight conditions is quite impressive. Plus, they improve their writing skills and that improvement stays with them at 3 hours as well.

I say well done!

"All your home brew are belong to us!"