Apocalypse in 9/8 - Belgian Dubbel (Partial/Extract)

[Mermaid]

My first recipe and my first partial mash. BIAB.
Used 2 5 ga. kettles with the boil split between the 2 kettles.

3 lbs. Belgian 2-row
1 lb. Carabelge (CaraVienne)
.25 lb. Belgian Aromatic
.25 lb. Belgian Caramel Pils
6 lb. LME
1 lb. Amber DME
1 lb. Candi sugar (rocks)
1/2 lb. Dark Candi sugar (rocks)
1 oz. Hallertau Mittelfruh (60 min.)
1/2 oz. Styrian Goldings (30 min)
1/2 oz. Saaz (15 min)
1 vial WLP 500 (used a starter)
1 pack of Wyeast 3522 Belgian Ardennes (smack pack)
OG 1.081 - 5.5 gallon batch

Mashed the first 3 malts at (roughly) 150 for 80 mins (temp dropped over time)
Added the Caramel pils last 30 mins when the temperature had dropped below 150
My mash tun was a 10L mini ice chest with 6.5 L water.

Batch sparge was 4 gallons of water for 20 minutes.

Split the boil between 2 kettles, each containing roughly 3.5 gallons of wort.

Added LME at 30 mins in to boil.
Added DME at 45 mins into boil
Added tsp of Irish Moss to both kettles last 10 minutes.
60 minute boil time total. (hop schedule is above)
Chilled to 70F
Airated "ghetto style" because of a mishap with my airation system (poured wort from 1 carboy into a second sanitized carboy to try and fetch something I dropped into carboy #1)
Pitched both yeasts at once.
Fermenting at temps I'm holding between 66-70.

Took off like a rocket within 12 hours. Within 24 hours I needed a blowoff tube. After 7 days hydrometer says it's at 1.01.

The yeast shall prevail. I'll post an update in December or January after it's had a chance to settle down.

 

[Mermaid]

Progress report:

I'll probably try an AG version of this next time, and use gelatin to clear it.

At 3 months it's carbing up and tasting pretty good but it's got no head retention and is really cloudy (despite using Irish Moss in the last few minutes of boil)

Also probably didn't get it cold fast enough, but that's because it was wicked hot that day.

But it tastes and smells like a dubbel, nice warm fruit character to it, not too bitter, and sneaks up on ya.

I think it will improve with age.