Gordon Strong’s Belgian Dubbel
All-Grain Recipe
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.066 FG = 1.012
IBU = 22 SRM = 17 ABV = 7%
Ingredients
7.7 lbs. (3.5 kg) Belgian Pilsner malt
1 lb. (0.45 kg) German Munich malt
2 lbs. (0.9 kg) German dark Munich malt
4 oz. (113 g) CaraPils® malt
1 lb. (0.45 kg) amber (D-45) candi syrup
1 lb. (0.45 kg) dark (D-90) candi syrup
5.7 AAU Styrian Goldings hops (60 min.) (1.5 oz./43 g at 3.8% alpha acids)
0.5 oz. (14 g) Saaz hops (15 min.)
0.5 oz. (14 g) Saaz hops (2 min.)
Wyeast 3787 (Belgian High Gravity), White Labs WLP530 (Abbey Ale), Imperial Yeast B48 (Triple Double), or LalBrew Abbaye yeast
7⁄8 cup corn sugar (for priming)
Step by Step
his recipe uses reverse osmosis (RO) water. Adjust all brewing water to a pH of 5.5 using phosphoric acid. Add 1 tsp. of calcium chloride to the mash.
This recipe uses an infusion mash with mashout. Use enough water to have a moderately thick mash (1.5 qts/lb). Mash in the malts at 149 °F (65 °C) and hold for 60 minutes. Raise the temperature to 169 °F (76 °C) and recirculate for 15 minutes. Sparge slowly and collect 6.5 gallons (24.5 L) of wort.
Boil the wort for 90 minutes, adding hops at the times indicated. Add the candi syrups with 15 minutes left in the boil.
Chill the wort to 64 °F (18 °C), pitch the yeast, and ferment until complete, allowing the temperature to rise as much as it wants, rousing the yeast if necessary to complete. Rack to secondary and cold condition for two weeks at 50 °F (10 °C).
Rack the beer again, prime and bottle condition, or keg and force carbonate. Repitching fresh yeast at bottling may be needed if bottle conditioning. Warm condition for two weeks at 70 °F (21 °C). Flavor peaks at about 3–6 months age.
Extract-Only Recipe
(5 gallons/19 L, extract only)
OG = 1.066 FG = 1.012
IBU = 22 SRM = 17 ABV = 7%
Ingredients
3.3 lbs. (1.5 kg) extra light or Pilsner liquid malt extract
4 lbs. (1.8 kg) Munich liquid malt extract
1 lb. (0.45 kg) amber (D-45) candi syrup
1 lb. (0.45 kg) dark (D-90) candi syrup
5.7 AAU Styrian Goldings hops (60 min.) (1.5 oz./43 g at 3.8% alpha acids)
0.5 oz. (14 g) Saaz hops (15 min.)
0.5 oz. (14 g) Saaz hops (2 min.)
Wyeast 3787 (Belgian High Gravity), White Labs WLP530 (Abbey Ale), Imperial Yeast B48 (Triple Double), or LalBrew Abbaye yeast
7⁄8 cup corn sugar (for priming)
Step by Step
Use 6.5 gallons (24.5 L) of water in the brew kettle; heat to 158 °F (70 °C). Turn off the heat, add the malt extract, and stir thoroughly to dissolve completely. Turn the heat back on and bring to a boil.
Boil the wort for 60 minutes, adding hops at the times indicated. Add the candi syrups with 15 minutes left in the boil.
Chill the wort to 64 °F (18 °C), pitch the yeast, and ferment until complete, allowing the temperature to rise as much as it wants, rousing the yeast if necessary to complete. Rack to secondary and cold condition for two weeks at 50 °F (10 °C).
Follow the packaging and aging suggestions given in the all-grain recipe version.
