Dubbel

About This Beer

This beer started as a dual-purpose batch: a large 44-litre double batch on the BrewZilla 65L to produce enough volume for a competition entry and a second keg set aside for blending experiments with a wild sour that has been conditioning since early 2026. Autumn felt like the right time for something with weight and darkness rather than another pale ale, and Belgian Dubbel fit perfectly.

With six weeks of healthy Abbaye slurry still in the fridge from the Belgian Blonde brewed in February, the yeast choice made itself. The recipe leans traditional: Weyermann Pilsner as the base for a clean, neutral foundation, Munich I and Vienna for malt depth and body, Shepherds Delight and Toffee Malt for dark fruit and caramel character, a touch of Light Chocolate for colour, and two packets of D240 X-Dark Candi Syrup added late in the boil. Hopping is deliberately minimal; Pacific Jade at 60 minutes provides clean bittering, Czech Saaz adds earthy spice at both 60 and 10 minutes, and the yeast and malt are left to do the work.

It turned out Euroclash 2026 was accepting Belgian Dubbel entries. That confirmed the plan: one keg for the competition, one held back for blending.

Ingredients

The D240 X-Dark Candi Syrup (two 454g packets, added at 10 minutes) is carrying a significant portion of the fermentable gravity alongside the base malt. True Belgian candi sugar ferments fully clean, so all the colour and dried-fruit character comes from Maillard products formed during production rather than residual sweetness. It pairs naturally with Abbaye’s dried-fruit ester profile.

Gladfield Shepherds Delight contributes cola, toasted, and fruity dark notes at 3.3% of the grist. At this rate it adds character without the bitterness risk that comes from higher usage. Toffee Malt at 2.9% brings subtle honey and toffee sweetness with a mouthfeel benefit. Light Chocolate Malt at under 1% is there purely for colour; at this level it contributes minimal roast flavour.

Brew Day

Brewed on the BrewZilla 65L Gen 4.1 as a full double batch targeting 44 litres into the fermenter. Mashed in at 65°C with 28 litres, rested for 60 minutes, then mashed out at 76°C for 10 minutes. Sparge was 29 litres at 76°C. Mash pH came in at 5.3 and sparge pH at 5.6.

Pre-boil volume was 51 litres, post-boil 47 litres. The 75-minute boil ran to plan: Pacific Jade 15g and Czech Saaz 40g went in at 60 minutes, then Czech Saaz 25g, both packets of D240 candi sugar, Whirlfloc, and 5g of yeast nutrient at 10 minutes. The candi syrup dissolves readily and the wort takes on a deep amber colour as it goes in. OG came in at 1.050, matching the target exactly.

Fermentation

The Abbaye slurry was pitched into the All Rounder 60L at 18.5°C. After 24 hours a healthy krausen of about 2cm was visible and the temperature had naturally risen to 19°C, showing fermentation was well underway. From there I ran a managed free rise: the fridge target temperature was nudged upward to track the actual temperature as it climbed, with cooling hysteresis tightened to prevent overshoot above 23°C.

Abbaye expresses dark fruit esters most strongly between 20 and 23°C during active fermentation. With OG slightly below target, maximising attenuation was also a priority, and higher temperatures within that band support both goals. The RAPT Pill tracked gravity and temperature throughout. Once terminal gravity was confirmed at FG 1.005, I held the beer at 20 to 22°C for a two-day diacetyl rest, then cold crashed.

The Result

Packaged on 26 April. The two corny kegs (19 L and 17 L) were split deliberately: one for the Euroclash entry, the other set aside for blending experiments with the wild sour. Three 1.25 L PET bottles with carb caps round out the batch.

On tasting day the aroma leads with chocolate and ripe banana, the classic Abbaye signature, followed by toffee and a hint of dried fruit underneath. The flavour is clean and malt-forward, with the chocolate and toffee coming through clearly. The banana ester is prominent but well-integrated, and the finish is very smooth with no harsh edges. No faults detected.

This batch is entered as Dubbel de la Vallée at Euroclash 2026 on 16 May 2026 in the 24B Belgian Dubbel category.

What’s Next

The 1.050 OG is fine but a traditional Dubbel sits more comfortably at 1.055 to 1.062. Next time I would add another 300 to 500g of base malt or push the candi sugar to three packets to develop more body and dark fruit character. A slightly higher mash temperature around 66 to 66.5°C might also add residual body without compromising attenuation; Abbaye attenuates so aggressively that there is probably headroom there.