Monkey’s Dubbel Entendre
Belgian Dubbel is one of my favorite beers to brew. I make little tweaks to this recipe fairly regularly. I selected this version because it won a medal at a Belgian-only local homebrew competition. I don’t compete often, but I figured if I was going to choose one, it might as well be that one. -Enjoy!
Monkey’s Brewing – Recipe
Official Brewing Notes
Beer Info
Beer Name: Dubbel Entendre
Style: Belgian Dubbel
Batch Size: 10 gallon
Boil Time: 60 minutes
Brewhouse Efficiency: 72%
Target Numbers
OG: 1.057 FG: 1.015
ABV: 5.51% IBU: 16.9
SRM (Color): 16.4
Grain Bill
| Malt / Adjunct | Amount | % |
|---|---|---|
| Rice Hulls | 1# | |
| Belgian Pilsner Malt | 18# | 75% |
| Caramunich Malt | 3# | 12.5% |
| Red Wheat Malt | 2# | 8.3% |
| Special B Malt | 1# | 4.2% |
| Table Sugar | 2# |
Monkey Add-Ins (Fruit, Spices, Sugar, Etc.):
No other additions for this beer.
Hop Schedule
| Hop | Amount | Time | AA% | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hallertauer | 2oz | 60 minutes | 4.8% | |
| Hallertauer | 1oz | 5 minutes | 4.8% |
Yeast
Strain: Wyeast Belgian Abbey II (WY #1762)
Type: Liquid packaged
Fermentation Temp Range: 65 -75 degrees f. Note: With these Belgian yeasts I’ve seen the temperature climb all the way into the 90% during fermentation and still made a fantastic beer. This was brewed during the winter and didn’t do that.
Mash Schedule
Mash Temp(s): 163f initial temperature with a target mash temp of 150f.
Mash Time: 60 minutes
Sparge Notes: Sparge target temperature for all my beers is 168f with about 8 gallons. My recirculation method changes how I sparge. I will explain that in another post, but these numbers should work for more traditional methods.
Boil Notes
(Whirlpool steps, hop stands, finings, special additions)
This beer does not require any special steps. I add two Whirlfloc tablets for the final ten minutes. (1 per 5 gallons)
Fermentation Schedule
Primary: Fermentation should be at least four weeks for this beer.
Secondary (Optional): No secondary fermentation for this beer.
Dry Hop: No dry hop for this beer.
Conditioning Notes: No special conditioning required.
Tasting Notes
Appearance: Off-white to tan head with decent retention. Dark but clear beer with ruby highlights.
Aroma: Nutty and malty aroma. Almost no hops. Very pleasant. This is a beer you don’t want to skip over the aroma. It’s worth the extra time.
Flavor: Slightly sweet with nutty and malty flavors. There is a hint of plum or date. Rich, but not overwhelming. If the ABV isn’t too high, you’ll be able to go back for seconds.
Mouthfeel: Even with the rocky head, carbonation still provides a tingle on the tongue. The body is fairly thin for a dark beer. The finish is decently dry, but with higher ABV perceived sweetness will sneak in.
Overall: This is probably my favorite beer to brew. Slightly rich yet thin, I can enjoy a dubbel year-round.
Brewer’s Notes
(Adjustments, lessons learned, equipment quirks, Monkey tricks)
This is a beer I’ve brewed many times. There are a lot of little tweaks I make from batch to batch. When I first developed it, I didn’t get a lot of head retention. Chimay doesn’t have great retention either, but it was a problem I wanted to solve. This version doesn’t do a lot to solve that, but a Carapils/Dextrin addition to the bill will help a bit. If you want that rocky long-lasting head, sub in a pound of flaked oats.
I also used only table sugar in this one. Belgian candi sugar does some pretty wonderful things if you’d rather go that way. I recommend a medium darkness if you do.
