Belgian Dubbel a bit bland-- add dates?

[Jebu1788]

Hi all-- I recently brewed up a Belgian dubbel, recipe below:

8.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 57.06 %
3.00 lb Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 21.40 %
1.00 lb Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 7.13 %
0.50 lb Aromatic Malt (26.0 SRM) Grain 3.57 %
0.50 lb Caramunich Malt (39.0 SRM) Grain 3.57 %
0.02 lb Carafa I (337.0 SRM) Grain 0.14 %

0.20 oz Warrior [15.00 %] (75 min) Hops 10.3 IBU
1.00 oz Styrian Goldings [3.20 %] (75 min) Hops 11.0 IBU
1.00 oz Styrian Goldings [3.20 %] (10 min) Hops 3.8 IBU

1.00 lb D-90 Candi Syrup (90.0 SRM) Sugar 7.13 %
1 Pkgs Trappist High Gravity (Wyeast Labs #3787) Yeast-Wheat

1 oz oak cubes soaked in Petite Syrah (most wine withheld from beer)

I fermented at 68-70 or so, trying to get more of the fruity flavors, rather than spiciness from the Belgian yeast. But I really got neither. To be honest it's a bit bland though. Not sure why--it's in the keg right now, all carbed up, but just a bit lacking.

I'm wondering what people think about adding a package of dried dates I have to the keg. (Inspiration: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f73/dubbel-date-375776/) Would that be worth a try, or risking a total botched batch? If it is, any suggestions on how much and how to prepare the dates for the keg (boil? soak in rum?)

Any thoughts are appreciated. Thanks!

 

[beergolf]

How long did you ferment for? and how long has it been in the keg? The reason I ask is that Belgians sometimes just take some time to develop their good flavors. I usually let my Belgians sit for several months before tasting them.

If you do decide to add some dates, you will have to do something to extract the flavor before adding them to the keg. Adding them to a cold keg would probably not add a lot of flavor. You could try soaking then in vodka and then adding that.

I just did another batch of that recipe you mentioned. This stuff is good.

 

[Jebu1788]

It may be a bit young... I brewed it back on Jan 3, and it's been in the keg for almost 2 weeks now. This is the first Belgian style I've ever attempted, so I'm not as familiar with best practices. How long would you suggest I wait before taking to plan b?

 

[beergolf]

It may be a bit young... I brewed it back on Jan 3, and it's been in the keg for almost 2 weeks now. This is the first Belgian style I've ever attempted, so I'm not as familiar with best practices. How long would you suggest I wait before taking to plan b?

Unlike a lot of other brews Belgians do take some time to mature. Give another month (or two) and taste it again. You may find that it will taste better.

I have gotten into the habit of letting my Belgians age for about 4 months before I even taste them. They do continue to age and mature. I have some that are up to three years old and they are fantastic.