Dubbel vs Dark strong

[biodarwin]

For the most part I brew my dark strong's and dubbel's pretty much the same way, just more of the ingredients. For those of you that brew lots of Belgians, what do you do differently on either one of the brews? I am having a hard time distinguishing between 2 other than alcohol content.

 

[biodarwin]

Just to add to this as I forgot to mention. I do ferment my dubbel a couple degrees cooler for a reduction of esters compared to the BDS.

 

[cheezydemon3]

Dark candi sugar is a must for Dubbels in my book.

I make my own.

 

[motorneuron]

I think you're right and that it's basically just strength. I brew both, and I would say they are quite similar. A BDS is basically an "imperial" dubbel, and the beers fit that pattern. For example, a double/imperial IPA is usually sweeter than an IPA, and similarly, a BDS is often a little sweeter than a dubbel--it's harder to get a dry beer when the OG is high, and it's also usually a good idea to have a little more residual sweetness anyway to offset the higher final alcohol, lower drinking quantity, etc.

I do think BDS is more often a vehicle for experimenting with weird ingredients, oak, etc.