Dubbel recipe - feedback please

Hi all,

I'd very much appreciate some feedback on this dubbel recipe.

5gl
Briess pale malt - 65% (good Belgian base malt)
Cara Munich - 10% (dried fruit flavors)
Special B - 10% (fig flavors)
Dark candi - 14% (extra alcohol and rum-raisin flavors)

Centennial 10% 30gr for 60min
Saaz 20gr 2.8% for 10min

Yeast: Safale US-05 (because I got loads and it has a good alcohol tolerance)

EBC 82 (black), IBU 21, OG 1070/FG 1017, ABV 6.9%

Mashing at 65C for 60min.

I'm expecting to leave it in primary for around a week (will definitely overpitch) and in secondary for 3 weeks.
The numbers are more or less within the BJCP guidelines.

 

The only recommendations I would make would be using Pilsner malt as your base malt, and using a real Belgian ale yeast as opposed to US-05. I think you'll end up missing out on a lot of the signature flavors and aromas of a Belgian Dubbel if you use a clean, neutral ale yeast like US-05.

 

Definitively change the yeast. You could consider less Special B, potentially round up slightly the dark sugar.

 

Switch the yeast to a belgian strain

 

It is not Belgian without Belgian yeast.

 

I'll echo the change the yeast to a Belgian strain suggestion. The flavor of a belgian is mainly yeast driven.

 

What are you all saying, that I should use another yeast?
Many thanks for the feedback, I honestly wasn't aware the yeast type was so important for Belgian beers. I went for Safale US-05 mostly out of necessity, but it seems I'll have to order new yeasts anyway, so might as well do it right and order the right yeast for the beer.

Can anyone recommend WLP500?

 

This.

And I'd definately leave it longer than a week in primary. You could skip secondary and let it ride in primary for the whole planned 4 weeks. Or even rack after that and age in secondary if you're not in a hurry

 

I would use WL 530 or Wyeast 3787. Second the Pilsner malt replacement.

 

never made one but I'd have to jump on the band wagon, if you can make a starter get some liquid belgian yeast.

 

Other than the yeast, I would replace the Centennial hops for bittering and go with Saaz personally. I never use a secondary unless I am aging on fruit or something that I don't want active yeast to consume, but that is a personal preferrence thing you will get 10 different answers on asking 9 different brewers.

 

Yes the biggest problem is the lack of a belgian yeast strain. 3787 is classic and easy to use, but there are many options read the descriptions, they are often accurate. Use pils malt. But 20% crystal is also insane. This is a fairly dry beer. Id do 0-6%. The dark candy syrup will give you the dark fruit flavors you want.

 

I would cut back on the Special B, but definitely keep it in there. Those flavors are needed IMO. Belgian strain for yeast and you should have a tasty beer that peaks around months 4 or 5 from brew date.

 

Wouldn't Saaz impart pretty low IBUs? Or is that the point? I still need to hit around 20-25 IBU for the style.

 

You would have to use more Saaz than say Warrior to get 20ibu but it's more true to style with Saaz and just a personal prefference of mine. Bittering hops will be pretty neutral and this is a malt forward beer so whatever you use shouldn't really have a huge impact on flavor at say 20ibu