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Author Topic: dubbel feedback  (Read 7990 times)

Offline foxbrew

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dubbel feedback
« on: February 16, 2014, 09:37:33 pm »
hey all - first, thanks to those who offered suggestions about my previous pale extract recipe.  i was trying to help out a friend, and because of your helpful feedback, i tweaked the recipe a bit and hopefully put together a tasty pale.  we'll see in a few weeks!

i was hoping you could give me a little input on a dubbel recipe i put together.  i looked at several different recipes, and tried to find a balance between all of them (this has been my strategy recently, as i still don't feel comfortable creating a recipe completely on my own).  any (ANY!) feedback is appreciated … trying to make my wife happy with this one!

(5.5 GAL)

11 lbs Belgium 2 Row Pale
12 oz Caramunich
12 oz Special B
8 oz Biscuit Malt
8 oz Wheat Malt
4 oz Carafa I
1 lb Candi Sugar

1 oz Styrian Goldings - 60 min
.5 oz Hallertauer Hersbrucker - 20 min
.5 oz Hallertauer Hersbrucker - 5 min
Abbey Ale Yeast (WLP 530)

thanks in advance.  this forum is the best.

brent

Offline morticaixavier

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Re: dubbel feedback
« Reply #1 on: February 16, 2014, 09:40:17 pm »
I think I'd lose the caramunich, the biscuit, and the wheat. they just don't need to be there. That's my thought.
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Offline majorvices

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Re: dubbel feedback
« Reply #2 on: February 17, 2014, 04:58:02 am »
Way, way too much crystal malt (caramunich and special b - don't need both). You also don't ned the biscuit. Make sure you use dark candi sugar - the liquid kind is by far the best.

If it were me I'd drop the cara munich and cut back on the special b to 4-6 oz. If you get the Dark Candi sugar you may not even need any of the special B.

Simplicity is usually best when designing recipes. Keep it to 2-3, maybe 4 malts for most beers.

Offline Jeff M

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Re: dubbel feedback
« Reply #3 on: February 17, 2014, 05:22:42 am »
Way, way too much crystal malt (caramunich and special b - don't need both). You also don't ned the biscuit. Make sure you use dark candi sugar - the liquid kind is by far the best.

If it were me I'd drop the cara munich and cut back on the special b to 4-6 oz. If you get the Dark Candi sugar you may not even need any of the special B.

Simplicity is usually best when designing recipes. Keep it to 2-3, maybe 4 malts for most beers.

+1  LOoks far to complex for a first brew, start simply and tweak with rebrew.
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Offline Jimmy K

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Re: dubbel feedback
« Reply #4 on: February 17, 2014, 07:50:13 am »
Simplicity is better, but then there's curry.  ;)
 
I've brewed the 'Leftmalle Dubbel' recipe Charlie Papazian published in Zymurgy years ago. It is fantastic.
 
7lb pils malt
8oz aromatic malt
8oz honey malt
8oz English crystal 80L
6oz caraffe malt
2.5 lbs agave nectar (actually, I used date syrup)
1lb rapadura sugar
 
 
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Offline erockrph

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Re: dubbel feedback
« Reply #5 on: February 17, 2014, 08:48:53 am »
First of all, I wouldn't waste my time with the Candi Sugar. If you want real dubbel-type flavor, then you need Dark Candi Syrup (i.e., D-180). The candi sugars don't do much (if anything) on the flavor side.

If it were me, I'd definitely cut out the Caramunich and Wheat. If you change the candi sugar for dark candi syrup, you can probably skip the Carafa. I love Special B in a dubbel, but 12oz might be a bit much - a little goes a long way. Maybe drop it to a half pound.

The Biscuit I can go either way on. I like what a touch of Biscuit or Aromatic gives to the dark Belgian styles, but I generally skip it in dubbels, and reserve it for my Quads where I want to develop a little more malt complexity to stand the test of time. A half pound would certainly be appropriate in this style if you like it.

A great dubbel recipe is the one for La Trappe Dubbel on the candisyrup.com site (http://www.candisyrup.com/uploads/6/0/3/5/6035776/la_trappe_dubbel_-_variation_003x.pdf). The combination of the D-90 and D-180 syrups gives a real nice complexity. It has become my SOP for my dark Belgians.
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Offline reverseapachemaster

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Re: dubbel feedback
« Reply #6 on: February 17, 2014, 09:06:21 am »
Just to pile on, the wheat malt is an unnecessary confusion in the recipe. Sugar is traditionally added to those trappist styles both for flavor and to thin out the beer. Wheat malt will add body to the beer. No reason to add body at the same time you are adding a different ingredient to take it away.
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Offline denny

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Re: dubbel feedback
« Reply #7 on: February 17, 2014, 09:12:40 am »
As has been said, you need candi syrup.  Candi sugar is a rip off and adds no discernible flavor to your beer.
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Offline foxbrew

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Re: dubbel feedback
« Reply #8 on: February 17, 2014, 09:45:22 am »
you guys are awesome.  thank you!

Offline Joe Sr.

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Re: dubbel feedback
« Reply #9 on: February 17, 2014, 04:47:49 pm »
Maybe I'm a goof, but I like a touch of wheat in my dubbel.

As far as the candi syrup, I prefer D-45 in a dubbel.  I also toss in about 8 oz of aromatic.  Or biscuit if that's all I have around.
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Offline dannyjed

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Re: dubbel feedback
« Reply #10 on: February 17, 2014, 04:52:51 pm »
My last dubbel which I'm drinkin' right now has Pils malt, Munich, touch of Special B, and Candisyrup D-90. I don't think it'll last long. ;)
Dan Chisholm

Offline Stevie

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Re: dubbel feedback
« Reply #11 on: February 17, 2014, 05:00:15 pm »
I love the smell of special roast and special B.

Offline HoosierBrew

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Re: dubbel feedback
« Reply #12 on: February 17, 2014, 05:32:52 pm »
I would drop the biscuit and caramunich as well. I totally agree on candi syrup - it's fantastic in dubbel and quad. But I use candi syrup along with special B on these styles pretty often- I love the dark fruit/raisin character a lot. But I'd cut the special B in half though.
Jon H.

Offline foxbrew

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Re: dubbel feedback
« Reply #13 on: February 17, 2014, 08:01:39 pm »
so you've convinced me to cut out a lot of the specialty grains and try the candy syrup, but now i just need suggestions on how much syrup.  are you guys just adding 1 pound, or more?  i've seen some people suggesting 2 pounds … that sounds like a lot!

and 90 or 180?  or both???

thanks again

Offline dannyjed

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Re: dubbel feedback
« Reply #14 on: February 18, 2014, 05:44:53 am »
so you've convinced me to cut out a lot of the specialty grains and try the candy syrup, but now i just need suggestions on how much syrup.  are you guys just adding 1 pound, or more?  i've seen some people suggesting 2 pounds … that sounds like a lot!

and 90 or 180?  or both???

thanks again
I use 1 lb of D-90 for my dubbel, but either 90 or 180 would be fine. Just remember the 180 might make it too dark for the style guidelines (if that matters to you). I just made a Belgian Dark Strong and I added 2 lbs of 180 and it's very dark, but smells fantastic.
Dan Chisholm