Feedback on Belgian Dubble

[Box of Rocks]

Think I’ve figured out a good Belgian Dubble.
Am open to constructive criticism before I venture forth into the abyss….
Too much of this? Need more of that?

HOME BREW RECIPE:
Title: Dubbel Trubbel

Brew Method: BIAB
Style Name: Belgian Dubbel
Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 4 gallons (fermentor volume)
Boil Size: 4.85 gallons
Boil Gravity: 1.057
Efficiency: 63% (brew house)

STATS:
Original Gravity: 1.065
Final Gravity: 1.010
ABV (standard): 7.32%
IBU (tinseth): 22.19
SRM (morey): 17.42
Mash pH: 5.58

FERMENTABLES:
7 lb - Premium Pilsner (68%)
0.75 lb - Munich Type I (7.3%)
0.45 lb - Crystal 60L (4.4%)
0.45 lb - Special B (4.4%)
0.25 lb - Brown Sugar (2.4%)
1 lb - Corn Sugar - Dextrose (9.7%)
0.2 lb - Flaked Corn (1.9%)
0.2 lb - Pale Chocolate (1.9%)

HOPS:
0.5 oz - Saaz, Type: Pellet, AA: 3.5, Use: Boil for 60 min, IBU: 7.81
0.5 oz - Willamette, Type: Pellet, AA: 4.5, Use: Boil for 60 min, IBU: 10.05
1.5 oz - Saaz, Type: Pellet, AA: 3.5, Use: Boil for 2 min, IBU: 1.78
1.5 oz - Willamette, Type: Pellet, AA: 4.5, Use: Boil for 2 min, IBU: 2.55

MASH GUIDELINES:
1) Batch Sparge, Temp: 144 F, Time: 30 min, Amount: 12.5 qt, 159 F
2) Batch Sparge, Temp: 154 F, Time: 30 min, Amount: 2.5 qt, Boiling
3) Batch Sparge, Temp: 167 F, Time: 10 min, Amount: 4.4 qt, Boiling

YEAST:
Fermentis / Safale - Safbrew - Abbaye Yeast BE-256

 

[Sunfire96]

This is not a style I'm familiar with, but one of our community brews was a Belgian Dubbel and everyone who brewed it seemed to enjoy it (myself included). Check out the community recipe subforum if interested. The recipe is called Mannequin Pees

https://www.brewersfriend.com/forum/threads/community-recipe-master-list.14215/

There's also an entire thread discussing ingredient and process options, also found in the community recipe subforum. Cheers!

 

[Box of Rocks]

Thanks Sunfire, a good one to review for sure.

 

[Herm brews]

@Rockhead just a few suggestions - if you can find Belgian Kandi sugar or syrup, that might make a good substitution for the brown sugar and dextrose. To my amateur eye, the brown sugar and dextrose seems redundant, and may be subbed by the Belgian Candi sugar or syrup. Your inclusion of Special B is good, but I’ve been told that it should be used in small quantities to replace some of the medium Crystal malt. As for mashing, I did mine as a full volume, single infusion at 150F for 60 minutes (BIAB).
In case you care to look at my recipe:
https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/1164131/man-piss-switch
Hopefully others will chime in with sound advice.
Cheers!

 

[Box of Rocks]

The candi sugar is a good tip. I was trying to save some pennies, but might make sense to invest a little more. Might follow your lead and reduce the mash complexity as well, around 150 or so. Also have a bit of Amber, and could swap for some B, but perhaps that might be one too many ingredients.

 

[GFHomebrew]

I think when I brewed it again I'll change my yeast to a Belgian strain and instead of the candi sugar (made my own) I'll just use regular cane sugar to light n the body and hopefully drive down finishing gravity to ballance out them caramel rasin malt flavours.

 

[Nosybear]

This is not a style I'm familiar with, but one of our community brews was a Belgian Dubbel and everyone who brewed it seemed to enjoy it (myself included). Check out the community recipe subforum if interested. The recipe is called Mannequin Pees

https://www.brewersfriend.com/forum/threads/community-recipe-master-list.14215/

There's also an entire thread discussing ingredient and process options, also found in the community recipe subforum. Cheers!

Man Piss was a good brew but was not in any way a Belgian Dubbel. Google the BYO recipes and commentary on the style and take it from there. Sorry, Al....

 

[Sunfire96]

Man Piss was a good brew but was not in any way a Belgian Dubbel. Google the BYO recipes and commentary on the style and take it from there. Sorry, Al....

Maybe it would be helpful if you enlightened us as to why it's not in any way a dubbel?

 

[Nosybear]

Impression A deep reddish-copper, moderately strong, malty, complex Trappist ale with rich malty flavors, dark or dried fruit esters, and light alcohol blended together in a malty presentation that still finishes fairly dry.

Even after I doubled the hops, it was nowhere near this description. As I said, it's a good beer, just not this. The best description we've been able to come up with is an "imperial” mild.

 

[Nosybear]

Belgian Dubbel
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.065 FG = 1.012
IBU = 20 SRM = 19 ABV = 7%

Ingredients
11 lbs. (5 kg) continental Pilsner malt (2 °L)
1.1 lbs. (0.5 kg) caramel Munich malt (80 °L)
1.1 lbs. (0.5 kg) dark Belgian candi syrup (90 °L)
4.4 AAU Tettnang pellet hops (60 min.)
(1.1 oz./31 g at 4% alpha acid)
Irish moss (15 min.)
White Labs WLP530 (Abbey Ale) or Wyeast 1762 (Belgian Abbey II) yeast
2⁄3 cup corn sugar (if priming)

150 degree 1 hour mash, 90 minute boil.

 

[Box of Rocks]

No special B Nosybear? I thought B is for Belgian.

 

[Nosybear]

At one point I knew why it had the B but CRS has caught up with me. Most Belgian grain bills are stupid-simple with the Candi syrup and yeast doing the heavy lifting.

 

[Box of Rocks]

CRS, Catholic Relief Services?

 

[Nosybear]

Can't remember shit.

 

[Donoroto]

Can't remember shit.

No, no, I'm pretty sure you meant Catholic Relief Services...

 

[Nosybear]

No, no, I'm pretty sure you meant Catholic Relief Services...

Whut?

 

[Box of Rocks]

Can’t remember the other Google results . . . Congressional Research Services? Probably best to forget.

 

[dmtaylor]

The recipe appears much more complex than it needs to be. I would delete the flaked corn, that’s not doing anything for you. I would cut back the special B to a quarter pound because it can be overpowering in larger amounts. I would use 1 single hop addition at 60 minutes. And I would do single infusion, personally at about 152F for 60 minutes. These are all just simplifications that will make your life easier while not hurting your beer one tiny bit.

 

[Bubba Wade]

Have you made this batch yet? I like the Special B in the mix. Great flavors. And the BE-256 makes a nice brew of this style. I do agree with others on replacing the dextrose and brown sugar. Belgian candi sugar or syrup is good, but there are other sugars you can use to personalize the brew. In my Belgian Dark Strong Ale, I use unrefined cane syrup made in Louisiana. You may have some other unique sugar available. This is a good beer to experiment with some of these other sugars.

 

[Box of Rocks]

Have you made this batch yet? I like the Special B in the mix. Great flavors. And the BE-256 makes a nice brew of this style. I do agree with others on replacing the dextrose and brown sugar. Belgian candi sugar or syrup is good, but there are other sugars you can use to personalize the brew. In my Belgian Dark Strong Ale, I use unrefined cane syrup made in Louisiana. You may have some other unique sugar available. This is a good beer to experiment with some of these other sugars.

Thanks for asking Bubba Wade. Brewed Dubbel Trubbel successfully and shared with family over Thanksgiving, along with my quaffable Lake Champlain Autumn Stout. Both were well received, but the Belgian was the clear favorite.