BeerBorg

So, been wanting to make a dubbel with a can of MB Bewitched Amber and a pack of MB Smooth LME that I have...

Since I just picked up a couple of the new SafBrew Abbaye Dry Belgian Yeast packets, the timing just got good and the stars have seemingly aligned!

I want it to be a five gallon batch so here's what I'm thinking...

1 can New Bewitched Amber HME
1 Softpack Smooth LME
3.3 lbs Briess CBW Pils LME
4 oz CaraFoam (steeped)
6 oz Special B (steeped)
4-6 oz Table Sugar
1 oz Saaz (30 min with the pils and smooth lme's)
- Add the Bewitched Amber at T-10

And the Abbaye yeast of course!

Should be an interesting and drinkable dubbel!

I think you'll like that quite a bit. That HME is a great base for such a project. Things look good on the recipe front, and I think it will be great as is. The only suggestion I would have is to pick up some Belgian Candi Syrup for your sugar component. It really adds so much character to these kinds of beers and is well worth the addition (IMHO). The link above gives you an idea of what flavor components each candi syrup can bring. Most are available at the LHBS.

swenocha wrote:I think you'll like that quite a bit. That HME is a great base for such a project. Things look good on the recipe front, and I think it will be great as is. The only suggestion I would have is to pick up some Belgian Candi Syrup for your sugar component. It really adds so much character to these kinds of beers and is well worth the addition (IMHO). The link above gives you an idea of what flavor components each candi syrup can bring. Most are available at the LHBS.

Agreed, normally I would use D-90 or even D-120 but this brew is all about using what I have on hand.

I DO have some Amber Candi Sugar that I can sub in for the Table Sugar so maybe that's the move.

There is also some Extra Special that has been staring me in the face so an ounce of that might add something nice too.

Thanks for the feedback!

I've made good dubbels with that HME and just some candi syrup, so I'm sure it will turn out decent. Assuming the yeast is decent. (we want to know!). That might be my favorite non-seasonal HME they make still, you can make many things out of it from bitters/milds (if you turn it into a 4+ gallon batch) to ESBs to English IPAs to Belgians...

Yup...

I like that HME as well... And the smooth is well, smooth!

The Pils will add some sweetness and the Amber Candi Sugar and Special B / Extra Special will help with some complexity. (Note: Depending on how much Candi Sugar I add, I will adjust the amount od the specialty grains down accordingly...)

In any case, I know what it 'should' be like so I'm hoping to pickout some of the yeast contributions.

I will report back!

Here's what I ended uo doing:

Abbaye Dubbel (5 gallon)

(1) Can MB Bewitched Amber (added at flameout)
3.3 lbs Briess CBW Pils LME
1.1 lbs Briess CBW Munich LME
.25 lb Amber Candi Sugar

Steeped:
3.5 ounces CaraFoam Malt
1.5 ounces Extra Special Malt (this is 2-row, not crystal so I held 153°F on the steep for 45 minutes)
1.5 ounces Aromatic Malt
3.0 ounces Special B

.5 tsp Powdered Yeast Nutrient (added with the MB malt at T-10)

1.5 ounces Saaz hops (i added them while the wort was heating and boiled for about 15 min... Sé la vie)

1 package SafBrew Abbaye Dry Belgian Yeast

Came in at 1.060 after top off so it should be about right...

It'll be a little lighter in color than the pic below due to the water top off...

There should be enough in the way of hops so we will see...

So it's 32 hours into fermentation...

The first 18 hours saw activity akin to a top cropper, active fermentation and a good amount of blowoff.

Then, the yeast stopped using the blowoff tub, choosing instead to slow the the pace to the point where, while still very active, it is contained within the carboy. (still not removing the blowoff tube though...)

There is a healthy amount of trub at this point.

At 32 hours, it is still churning away... Lots of movement, a good krausen...

Definitely does not seem like a T-58 derivative...

Smells like Westmalle but a bit sweeter... But that might be the Extra Special And Special B malts...

No funky off aromas at this point... Hmmm... This is a yeast I have not experienced yet...

Can't wait to sample on FG...

I'm going to have to get some. Although I like T-58, I could use an alternative dry Belgian yeast with a different profile. Especially if it ends up westmalleish.

Meant to post this around 5-6 pm but forgot to...

So, the 48 hour update on this yeast has it pretty much done with primary!

It has slowed to a calm, regular bubble in the blowoff tub so I may either pull the tube or add some dark candi syrup as a feeding if I can get to my LHBS.

Stay tuned...

So, today is Day 14...

Never ended up at the LHBS so no Candi Syrup to feed it wth... That's ok though...

I had a quarter pound of that candi sugar rock crap in there already and a good helping of specialty malts so it's fine...

I checked gravity again today... Been sitting at redictrd FG for about a week and has een nice and clear so...

I kegged it.

Here's the gravity sample... Tastes great!

OG: 1.060
FG: 1.016

What kind of yeast induced flavors did you get in the sample?

mashani wrote:What kind of yeast induced flavors did you get in the sample?

Not sure I have a firm grasp on that yet...

Good news is that the recipe is light enough so as to not mask much of the yeast character.

But... I'm getting some spice... Not clove or pepper... More like Westmalle...

No bubblegum, no banana...

Sensing some stone fruit...

I think it will change a little too as it matures...