Grain bill
| Gladfield Pilsner Malt | 3.8 kg | 54.7% |
| Gladfield Munich Malt | 0.7 kg | 10.1% |
| Gladfield Aurora Malt | 0.7 kg | 10.1% |
| Gladfield Wheat Malt | 0.7 kg | 10.1% |
| Gladfield Brown Malt | 0.25 kg | 3.6% |
| Gladfield Dark Crystal Malt | 0.25 kg | 3.6% |
Adjuncts
| Whirlfloc | half tablet @ 15 min |
| Yeast nutrient | half tsp @ 15 min |
| Amber candi sugar (homemade) | 350 g @ 10 min |
Water additions
| Calcium Chloride | 4 g in mash |
| Calcium Sulphate | 1 g in mash |
| Magnesium Sulphate | 2 g in mash |
| Calcium Carbonate | 2.5 g in mash |
| Lactic acid (88%) | 4 ml in mash |
Tasting notes
Owen's first Dubbel. Homemade amber candi sugar, Gladfield grain bill, Fuggles hops, Abbaye yeast. OG lower than expected; FG higher than expected at 1.018. ABV 5.5%. Kegged.
About This Beer
Owen’s first foray into Belgian Dubbel territory — a style he chose specifically to try something different from his usual hoppy ales. The grain bill follows a classic Dubbel template: Pilsner as the base, Munich and Aurora for malt depth, Wheat for body and haze, Brown Malt for nutty complexity, and Dark Crystal for colour and sweetness. Fuggles provide traditional earthy bitterness across two boil additions.
The candi sugar is the centrepiece experiment: Owen made it from scratch, starting with 400g dextrose and lemon juice, heating the mixture in a wok (easier to control than a pot) to around 140°C until it reached a nice amber colour, then setting it in silicon moulds. It went into the boil at 10 minutes.
Abbaye yeast fermented at 18°C, stepping up to 20°C then 22°C over 9 days before being stepped down gradually to 5°C. Zero pressure until Day 10, then CO2 added to 15 psi and topped up daily as it absorbed. Kegged. OG 1.058, FG 1.018, ABV 5.5%. 23 litres.