So, I just cracked a bottle of Westmalle Dubbel, and the smells coming from the carboy and the bottle are strikingly similar. Really encouraging!
3787 isn’t necessarily my favorite Belgian strain, but it does flocculate quickly compared to the others.
FWIW, I pitch at 64°F and raise it 2°F/day to 72°F.
Cool. It sounds like a slow rise is the way to go with Belgian ales. I really need to get a fridge. Any suggestions? It would need to fit a 6.5 gallon glass carboy (“acid” carboy), ideally with some breathing room. On a related note, what’s the best way to get temps above ambient temps? I’m assuming a fridge won’t achieve this…
Back to this beer, the smells from the carboy continue to mellow significantly. Now, I’m more excited to try it than I am worried I botched it. Worst case, if there are some off flavors, I’ll shove it in the back of a closet and check on it once a month to see what’s happening.
When it comes to bottling this, is there any reason I shouldn’t just use 12 oz bottles? And, will I be doing the beer a disservice if I don’t boost priming sugar to match characteristic carbonation levels? If so, is it easy to find thicker bottles, and would they need to be corked?
