Belgian Split

[John Sand]

The current BYO has a recipe for a Belgian Dubbel. I've been wanting to brew Belgian again, and looking at the Belgian Pale recipe in Brewing Classic Styles. I noticed that the grain bills are almost identical: 11lbs pilsner (11.2 for the pale) 1.1lbs Caramunich 80 (.75lbs Caramunich 60) mash 150 (152). The styles overlap in color, ibu, srm. Only abv and OG differ completely. The Dubbel calls for candy syrup which will add the necessary points and some color. I can also steep some more caramunich to add to the dubbel. The pale recipe calls for flame out hops which can be moved to a dry hop. Both recipes can use the same yeast. My plan is to mash and boil for 5 gallons, then split the wort for hopping one, feeding the other. Why? you ask. Well, in part because I would take a long time to finish the Dubbel. In part because experiments should be done in smaller batches. But mostly because it will be fun! What do you think?

[mashani]

I've done a split batch where I made a Strong Golden Ale and a Quad with the same grain bill. I did use two different yeasts, because since I split the batch between 2 fermenters it was easy to do. I simply fed D-90 and D-180L to the dubbel, and I fed a mixture of dextrose and 1L syrup for the Strong Golden. I threw some styrian goldings in as a dry hop for the Strong Golden, and nothing for the quad. Worked great.

So yeah it's a good idea.

[John Sand]

Thanks Mash.

[John Sand]

Well, I brewed this today. 10# Pilsner 1#CaramunichII (60L). 1oz Kent Goldings and .4oz Styrian Goldings @ 60. Both got Wyeast3787 (my first smackpack) and are in their respective fermenters: a BDC and the old carboy. The Dubbel will get .5# dark candi syrup, the pale an appropriate dry hop. All went well enough. I targeted 1.051OG, got 1.053. Mashed intended 151, hit 149.5, falling a couple of degrees over the hour.

[mashani]

FYI: You will get good beer from that yeast no matter what you do but:

For the best (most complex) flavor, let the 3787 free rise in temps as long as it doesn't go much above 80. The best Belgians on the planet in my opinion are made with a very close relative of that yeast (same strain, but with brewery conditional mutations over time) and they all follow a fermentation schedule that range from something like mid to upper 60s to start ramping up to between 76 and 82 degrees during primary fermentation, and then back down into the lower 70s/upper 60s to finish. Some are then cold conditioned in the 50s and then repitched at bottling time, but it's not really "needed", but it works nicely for really strong beers.

The hops you used are awesome with that yeast. Either is good as a finishing hop for the blonde, but if it was me I'd go with the Styrians. Saaz is also good in the blonde, but I'm partial to Styrians.

EDIT: BTW, it wouldn't be a bad thing to use even a full pound of candi syrup in that dubbel if you want to really bring on the dark fruit flavors. You can go up to 20% of your bill without any bad effects. That yeast likes sugar feedings.

[John Sand]

Terrific information Mash, thank you. The original recipe called for 1.1# 90L candi syrup, and I thought of half for half the batch. But I may add more. I chose 3787 because it is similar to WLP530. I used that last year in a Rare Vos clone recipe. That beer inadvertently rose over 84 (!) but still ended clean. In fact, when scored in Belgian Golden Strong, it lost points for insufficient esters. The fermenters are in an open cooler in the basement, mid 60s right now. I'll watch them, but the split batch will not warm as much as the ale pail did. I'm out of Styrian Goldings, but I have more Kent Goldings and Saaz. I plan to use the Saaz, as it's open.
By the way, I mis-stated my OG. I read it outside at 1.056 55 degrees. It was 1.056 @ 65 degrees. A little high for the pale (what else is new?) but just right for the Dubbel before syrup. Still trying to pin down my efficiency and boil off rates.

[John Sand]

Added .78lbs D90 to the Dubbel today, and .25oz Saaz to the Pale.

[John Sand]

Well, I kegged the Pale half two days ago, and bottled the Dubbel today. The Dubbel is beautiful, and strong (like my women) ruby red and 7.5%abv. It never did get very warm, I had to put it next to the baseboard to get to 71. But it attenuated voraciously, 90%. The Pale tasted quite funky, but my sample was full of yeast.

[John Sand]

Okay, I finished the Pale long ago. It was very good. I'm drinking the first Dubbel today, it is lovely. Could use a little more head. But it's snowing hard outside and the Islanders are continuing a dreadful slump. So I'm drinking strong beer. Just one though.

[John Sand]

So, I am organizing the basement, slowly.
Today I found a bottle of the Dubbel down there, not quite two years old. It's chilling, I'm going to try it soon. I'm confident it will be good, I still occasionally drink a bottle from my first strong Belgian ale, which is over three years old and still quite good.