Glad to help! Try that recipe again sometime, but with WY3787 instead of 3522.
Glad you checked back in, Denny. With a style that should finish on the drier side, but still be significantly malty, would you mash towards the lower end (148-150F range), the higher end (156-158 range) or right down the middle to try and balance the maltiness and fermentability (152-154F range). I seem to always have trouble deciding where to mash a beer like this. I would think since the sugar will help dry it out, that a very low temp mash isn’t needed and could actually dry it out too much.
I have to go to my LHBS today to get my grain crushed and pick up some DME for my starter. Maybe I’ll skip the starter, grab a pack of 3787 and split the batch. Ferment one with 3787 and the other with 3522. With only needing enough yeast for 2.5 gallons each, I won’t have to worry about starters.
I mash pretty much all my Belgian beers at 146-148 for 90 min. I like the extra 30 min. at low temps to really break things down.
As much as I love 3522 (got a Belgian IPA made with it now), personally I feel like it finishes more tart than I like for dubbels. 3787 is right up my alley for dubbels and tripels.
Thanks again for all the great info, Denny!
If you want to get out there a bit, try adding about 6 ounces of raisins to a 5 gallon batch. What I like about dubbels is that the good ones have that rummy/raisin dried fruit thing going on and adding the raisins seem to work out pretty well. I just run them through a blender in a little wort then dump them into the boil, works out pretty well. Actually, I really need to make up another batch myself, I have a bottle of D2 which really needs a home and a few empty Belgian 750’s that need filling.
Try this with the raisins…when the beer is done with primary, take some raisinsq and carmelize them in a super (red) hot wok. Deglaze with some of the beer from primary.m put all of that into a secondary fermenter and rack the be onto them. Works great with figs, too.
Sounds like a great idea to me, I’ll for sure take a rip at that the next time I do my dubbel. I really need to stop messing around on these forums, it’s going to completely screw up my production schedule. I now have three high octane beers I want to do before the summer is out and I’m in the middle of my lager cycle. Actually, if I get going here I may well have some really cool stuff to enter into the Bluebonnet next year (and it should be nicely aged).
You guys are complexing up my simple recipe :lol: , but I’m all about it! When I set out to make a Dubbel, it was because I needed something that wouldn’t need my fermentation fridge (currently holding my Dusseldorf Altbier) and something that would NOT be ready for at least 2 months and I had the fixin’s for a Dubbel. Now you got me blending up raisins and figs! And yes, I’m totally going to give it a go. Can’t wait to try this beer!
Oh, at least here in Texas I wouldn’t dare try fermenting a Belgian beer at room temperature. I use WLP500 alot and that stuff is pretty fruity even with temperature control, I would hate to even imagine what would happen at room temperature. I guess the only exception to that rule would be Saison yeast, you can get that stuff really hot without causing issues (in fact it just seems to work better, go figure?).
Ok so here is one more idea for you, because I did this last time I made a Belgian and it worked great. Since you of course want to make a starter before you do the dubbel (right?) do a low gravity Single then use all that nice fresh yeast to ferment the dubbel. Really simple recipe, 1.048 O.G. beer, a great quaffer with nice Belgian character so you end up with a bunch of yeast and a really nice “table strenght” bier, it really doesn’t get any better than that.
[quote=“Barley Water”]Oh, at least here in Texas I wouldn’t dare try fermenting a Belgian beer at room temperature. I use WLP500 alot and that stuff is pretty fruity even with temperature control, I would hate to even imagine what would happen at room temperature. I guess the only exception to that rule would be Saison yeast, you can get that stuff really hot without causing issues (in fact it just seems to work better, go figure?).
Ok so here is one more idea for you, because I did this last time I made a Belgian and it worked great. Since you of course want to make a starter before you do the dubbel (right?) do a low gravity Single then use all that nice fresh yeast to ferment the dubbel. Really simple recipe, 1.048 O.G. beer, a great quaffer with nice Belgian character so you end up with a bunch of yeast and a really nice “table strenght” bier, it really doesn’t get any better than that.[/quote]
I have a closet in my house with an AC duct in it. With summer here and the temp rising, my AC will be on most of the time, which keeps that closet a balmy 60F 
Just perfect for ales while my ferm fridge is holding my lagers.
Already have a big starter going.
+1! My dubbel starter was great! Kinda wish I’d made a full batch, but it was also kind of fun to have a small number of “special batch” beers.
I have managed to be very patient (well, patient for me, anyway 
) with the Dubbel itself. It’s coming up on 4 weeks of secondary after 4 weeks in primary. I’m hoping I’ll have time to bottle it this weekend. Really excited to try it.
The raisin addition ideas are very intriguing!
I was out of town for a little over a week, so did not get to xfer my dubbel to seconday last month like I’d planned. This wednesday (about 6week point) looks good, so I’ll xfer it then…will then brew my patersbeir and add it to about 1/2 the yeast cake.
cheers.
Hi Guys,
I’m putting together a Dubbel recipe for this weekend. I would love to hear how this one came out?
Thanks!
-Mike
Came out well. I would make some changes next time around though.
My final recipe was:
10lbs Pale Ale
3lbs Munich
1lb D2 Syrup
4oz Special B
1oz Hallertau Mittelfruh 60min
1oz Hallertau Mittlefruh 15min
Wyeast 3522
6oz Raisins
6oz Figs
Both blended and cooked down to a paste like syrup using the fermented beer as a deglazer.
I would probably up the Special B a little next time around. And I would also up the raisin and fig paste to at least 1/2lb of each next time. Maybe even more.
The first week or two the beer was kegged it seemed a little watered down. It’s gotten better with time, but I feel it’s lacking a little body and the while the maltiness and flavor is good, I feel it should be a little more complex. I would also take Denny’s advice and use a different Belgian yeast then what I used. Not bad for my first shot at a Dubbel, but tweaks are needed next go around.
EDIT: Also, note that around the time I brewed this I noticed my thermometer was off and I may have mashed a little too cold. Which seems likely considering the ‘thin’ taste of the beer. I’ve since bought a thermapen and am curious how this beer would come out if mashed a little warmer. My intention was to mash at 148F, but it may have been lower. Next time I’d mash closer to 150-152F range or may even consider a step mash at 144F and 158F.
I love 3522, but it’s too tart for a true dubbel IMO.
Bringing back a long-resting thread…I’m making a dubbel soon and have a choice to make as to what syrup product to use. My LHBS has D90 and D240, both from Candi Syrup International.
After a bit of research I’m convinced that the D90 is closest to the D2 mentioned above, which I assume is this: CMG
With that said, the description of the CSI D90 is quite a bit different from what they say about D2, so I’m almost tempted to try D240 even though I know the color is darker than I need. Worried that it will be roasty, though, which I really don’t want.
Anyone have thoughts or experience with either?
If what I read holds up… The belgiums would make their sugars from beets… Why couldn’t you procure your own beet sugar ( crystal sugar is all beets out here in Mn) and make your own syrup? I’m not going to doubt terroir may make a bit of a taste difference… Sneezles61
Candi sugar takes a bit of practice to make and is messy which is why everyone buys it. If you can make AG beer you can make Candy sugar
To each is own, but there are a lot of things related to brewing that I’d rather spend my time and mindspace on before I start thinking about making candi sugar.
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