Looking for a simple Belgian Dubbel Recipe..

[louiscowdroy]

Hi,

I was wondering if anyone had an old Belgian Dubbel Recipe that I could look at and possibly adjust and use.

Any suggestions would be very helpful.

Kindest regards

Louis

[seymour]

This is a diverse category, with commercial recipes containing very different ingredients and flavor profiles. Can you name a favourite or two that you're going for?

If Belgian brewing is something you're wanting to explore deeper, Trappist and Abbey type stuff especially, the Brew Like A Monk book by Stand Hieronymous is very helpful.

[louiscowdroy]

Well it is, but like you said mate, its so diverse. I was hoping that simple would be the way forward. There's so much out there in the way of sugars, special B's, this that and the others......I was just putting it out there to see what other brewers thought...

This is a diverse category, with commercial recipes containing very different ingredients and flavor profiles. Can you name a favourite or two that you're going for?

If Belgian brewing is something you're wanting to explore deeper, Trappist and Abbey type stuff especially, the Brew Like A Monk book by Stand Hieronymous is very helpful.

[jonnyt]

Just remember to add 100g of chopped raisin's 15 minutes from the end of the boil

The rest doesn't matter as much as long as you have Belgium Yeast

[louiscowdroy]

100g of chopped raisins'??

Wow, I've not heard of that one before, what about Belgian Candy, add that as well?

Just remember to add 100g of chopped raisin's 15 minutes from the end of the boil

The rest doesn't matter as much as long as you have Belgium Yeast

[jaroporter]

if you want simple, and i love this at least for a base to tweak, pilsner malt for around 85% of the fermentables and top up with dark candi syrups for the rest.

on the brewing classic styles show JZ gives his more complicated recipe involving different malts like special b and aromatic, which he says was highly complimented by Stan Hieronymous at a competition. SH who advises the keep it simple approach in Brew Like A Monk.

so guess there's two approaches. either way, love to see what you come up with

[seymour]

Here you go Louis, a simple/flexible Belgian Dubbel baseline:

85% Pale or Pilsener Malt
5% Munich or CaraMunich or Vienna or Pale Crystal or Aromatic Malt
2% Special-B or Chocolate Malt
8% simple sugar or Belgian Candi Sugar or Invert Syrup or Flaked Maize or Corn Syrup

Aim for OG: 1062 – 1075, 6 - 7.6% alcohol, IBU 15-30 from classic, continental, and/or noble hop varieties such as Goldings, Fuggles, Styrian Goldings, Hallertau, Tettnang, Hersbrucker, Saaz.

See also: BJCP style guidelines for 18B. Belgian Dubbel

[barney]

I have just put this on at the weekend, its my Christmas brew.

4.58 kg Fawcetts Tipple (5.2 EBC) Grain 1 39.6 %
4.00 kg Lager Malt (3.9 EBC) Grain 2 34.5 %
0.67 kg Wheat Malt, Bel (3.9 EBC) Grain 3 5.8 %
0.44 kg Abbey Malt (50.0 EBC) Grain 4 3.8 %
0.44 kg Special B Malt (354.6 EBC) Grain 5 3.8 %
0.22 kg Biscuit Malt (55.0 EBC) Grain 6 1.9 %
0.22 kg Caramunich Malt (110.3 EBC) Grain 7 1.9 %
1.00 kg Candi Sugar, Dark (541.8 EBC) Sugar 8 8.6 %
150.00 g Tettnang [2.70 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 9 21.3 IBUs
50.00 g Crystal [3.50 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 10 4.6 IBUs

Split ferment with W3787 and WLP510

[louiscowdroy]

I have just put this on at the weekend, its my Christmas brew.

4.58 kg Fawcetts Tipple (5.2 EBC) Grain 1 39.6 %
4.00 kg Lager Malt (3.9 EBC) Grain 2 34.5 %
0.67 kg Wheat Malt, Bel (3.9 EBC) Grain 3 5.8 %
0.44 kg Abbey Malt (50.0 EBC) Grain 4 3.8 %
0.44 kg Special B Malt (354.6 EBC) Grain 5 3.8 %
0.22 kg Biscuit Malt (55.0 EBC) Grain 6 1.9 %
0.22 kg Caramunich Malt (110.3 EBC) Grain 7 1.9 %
1.00 kg Candi Sugar, Dark (541.8 EBC) Sugar 8 8.6 %
150.00 g Tettnang [2.70 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 9 21.3 IBUs
50.00 g Crystal [3.50 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 10 4.6 IBUs

Wow.......150g on Tettnang.....that's loads at the start of the boil.......mind you, your hardly brewing 19l with that bad boy are you

Looks very interesting though thank you.

Split ferment with W3787 and WLP510

[louiscowdroy]

Thanks mate;

You sure 8% candi sugar? I've got a Kg of the stuff and its very dark??

Cheers Louis ))

Here you go Louis, a simple/flexible Belgian Dubbel baseline:

85% Pale or Pilsener Malt
5% Munich or CaraMunich or Vienna or Pale Crystal or Aromatic Malt
2% Special-B or Chocolate Malt
8% simple sugar or Belgian Candi Sugar or Invert Syrup or Flaked Maize or Corn Syrup

Aim for OG: 1062 – 1075, 6 - 7.6% alcohol, IBU 15-30 from classic, continental, and/or noble hop varieties such as Goldings, Fuggles, Styrian Goldings, Hallertau, Tettnang, Hersbrucker, Saaz.

See also: BJCP style guidelines for 18B. Belgian Dubbel

[seymour]

Some Belgian ales use up to 20% simple sugar, but not typically all dark. That said, Barney's recipe calls for more than 8% dark sugar. There's certainly nothing wrong with it, it'll just add more true-to-style caramelly, fruity, estery, toffee-like flavours. You can split the difference with 4% your dark candi sugar and 4% white table sugar, if you want.

[barney]

Louis,

My brew was 40ltr at 80% mash efficiency. I have just checked brew classic styles and Jamils recipe is quite close to mine, he uses 6.6% dark candi and 4.4% cane his aromatic and caramunich are double my percentages though.

I cant believe how close it is actually, i have biscuit and abbey for the other percentages and less sugar. I mashed at 63 for the thinner body, the extra sugar should cover it.

[louiscowdroy]

Well,

I have Pale Malt, Abby Malt, Carraaromma, Special B, Carragold, and Belgian Dark Candy Crystals. Is there any point in adding any wheat for head retention or is that probably not required?

I'm also using WLabs 500 - Trappist (Starter made and doubled)

Louis,

My brew was 40ltr at 80% mash efficiency. I have just checked brew classic styles and Jamils recipe is quite close to mine, he uses 6.6% dark candi and 4.4% cane his aromatic and caramunich are double my percentages though.

I cant believe how close it is actually, i have biscuit and abbey for the other percentages and less sugar. I mashed at 63 for the thinner body, the extra sugar should cover it.

[seymour]

85% Pale and/or Abbey Malt
5% CaraAroma and/or CaraGold
2% Special-B Malt
8% Belgian Dark Candy Crystals and/or white table sugar (in boil)
+ a handful of wheat flour (in boil)

[louiscowdroy]

85% Pale and/or Abby Malt
5% CaraAroma and/or CaraGold
2% Special-B Malt
8% Belgian Dark Candy Crystals and/or white table sugar (in boil)
+ a handful of wheat flour (in boil)

Wow, a handful of flour....is that just plain flour, self raising.......tablespoons worth?? Just normal cooking white wheat flour?? Will this give mouth feel and body??