Licorice taste in Belgian Dubbel

[illomenbrewery]

First off sorry for the New B question. I am a big fan or Belgian styles and thats mainly what I have brewed thus far. I just wanted to know where the licorice taste comes from in Belgian Dubbels. I do not like licorice so I want to try to avoid getting any of those tasting notes in my beers. I do not believe it comes from the yeast strain since I have used a few Belgian strains so far, and I am wondering if it comes from a specific type of candi sugar or some other ingredient. Thanks for all of the help!

 

[Aonghus]

I know anise tastes like licorice. People do tend to put extra stuff in Belgian beers, so that might be a source of that flavor.

 

[illomenbrewery]

Thanks for the reply. I have noticed a lot of different ingredients in different dubbels i have seen.

 

[BlueHouseBrewhaus]

Ommegang Abbey Ale uses anise and licorice root. I know of other Belgians that have it also. Not sure why. I'm not familiar with any yeasts that produce that flavor so it may just be that the brews you have tried happen to have anise/licorice in them. My dubbels (or any Belgians) don't have that flavor.

 

[Turkeyshot]

Some stouts and porters get that flavor by adding brewer's licorice stick. So that is probably where the flavor is coming from. Here is a link of an example.
http://store.homebrewheaven.com/brewers-licorice-stick-p194.aspx

 

[IslandLizard]

A few months ago I brewed 2 different clone versions of Pauwel Kwak, same yeast, same fermentation environment. Yeast: WY1762 (Abbey II)

The one I used (homemade) candi syrup in had a distinct licorice flavor after 2 weeks in the fermentor. I roused the yeast and it totally dissipated after another 6 weeks of "conditioning/aging" in the same primary fermentor, on the yeast, mostly in an effort to nudge the FG down (1.022 at 2 weeks ==> 1.015 at 8 weeks).

The other one, without the syrup, did not develop that licorice/fennel flavor at all. They had similar malt bills, so it must have been from the Candi sugar. FG went from 1.026 to 1.025 during the last 6 weeks on the yeast.

The extended time on the yeast may have been key to condition and remove that flavor. Without that, I'm not sure the licorice flavor would have disappeared. And maybe that's what you've been tasting in commercial samples.

 

[illomenbrewery]

Thanks for all of the replies. It may be a mixture of anise or the candi sugar. I guess ill have to do some test batches and see if i can replicate it.

 

[eelpout]

ive noticed that the right dose of 120L gives me that. but then add a little more and the prune/raisin starts.
but just a little give a twizzler taste