Smelgian Smubbel

This is a 1999 BJCP style 18a beer.

Recipe: Belgian Dubbel
Volume: 5 gallons
Dates:

Brew date: Feb 22, 2004
Transfer to secondary: Mar 2, 2004
Kegging: Mar 24, 2004
Bottling: Apr 21, 2004

Ingredients:

Water source: basement utility sink filtered dispenser
Yeast: White Labs WLP530 Abbey (pitchable vial)
7 Bridges Belgian Dubbel all-grain kit

Grain bill

	Potential sg pppg	Points per gal
8 lbs Briess pale 2-row malt 1 lb Weyermann Pale Munich malt 1 lb Weyermann Carahell malt 3/4 lb Briess caramel 60L malt 1/4 lb Briess caramel 120L malt 1 lb cane sugar	1.037 1.033 1.033 1.036 1.036 1.046	296.00 33.00 33.00 27.00 9.00 46.00
12 lbs	Ideal: Pre-boil: Target:	453 (46 + 407 (46 + 407	/ 5 gal = 90.6 >>> 1.091 * 70%) / 6 gal = 55.1 >>> 1.055 * 70%) / 5 gal = 66.2 >>> 1.066

Hops

1/2 oz German Hallertaur Tradition pellet hops - bittering - 6.2% avg alpha Utilization: 60 minutes @ 1.055 = 22.1%	*IBU = 0.5 6.2 * 22.1 * 0.75 / 5 = 10.3**
1 oz German Spalt Select whole hops - flavor - 6.9% avg alpha Utilization: 20 minutes @ 1.055 = 13.4%	*IBU = 1 6.9 * 13.4 * 0.75 / 5 = 13.9**
1 oz German Hallertaur Mittlefrueh hops - aroma - 5.2% avg alpha Utilization: 5 minutes @ 1.055 = 4.4%	*IBU = 1 5.2 * 4.4 * 0.75 / 5 = 3.4**
	Total IBU = 28

Other

1/2 teaspoon Irish Moss
20 minutes 4 oz rice hulls
end of mash

Activity Log

Yeast Starter:

About 11 hours before brew, boiled 2 oz of pale malt extract in 20 oz of water in flask for 10 minutes. Cooled in ice and water bath in a bowl. Pitched vial of yeast and fitted stopper and airlock.

Mash/Lauter/Sparge:

Heated 4 1/2 gallons of water to 170 f and added grain. Mashed at 154 f for 30 minutes and tested positive for conversion. Raised temperature to mash out at 170 f. Added rice hulls, then scooped into lauter tun, recirculating until relatively clear. Sparged with 170 f water until 6 1/2 gallons of runoff was obtained.

Boil:

Boiled through first break then added bittering hops and cane sugar. Boiled for 40 minutes then added Irish Moss and whole flavor hops in mesh bag. Boiled for 15 more minutes then added whole aroma hops to mesh bag. Boiled for 6 more minutes then turned off heat and placed pot on basement floor. Sanitized cooling coil in iodophor solution. Cooled to ~65 f with coil and siphoned to fermenter taking a reading of 1.062. Aerated by rocking carboy on folded towel and pitched yeast starter. Fitted with stopper and airlock and put on fermenting bench with temperature controller set to 70 f.

Fermentation:

Observations of primary stage (7 PM start):

1 day 13 hours: 1/4 inch foam, 1 bubble per second
2 days: 1/4 inch foam with some large bubbles, 2 bubbles per second
3 days: bottle filled with foam and clogged airlock, replaced with blowoff tube
4 days 3 hours: foam receding, 1 group of bubbles every 10 seconds from blowoff tube
4 days 13 hours: replaced blowoff tube with airlock, 1/2 inch foam, 1 bubble every 20 seconds
5 days 13 hours: 1/4 inch foam, 1 bubble every 22 seconds
6 days 2 hours: 3/4 inch foam, 1 bubble every 31 seconds
7 days: 1/4 inch foam, 1 bubble every 38 seconds
8 days 12 hours: light bubbly foam, 1 bubble every 2 minutes 20 seconds

Transferred to 5 gallon carboy and fitted stopper and airlock.

9 days 2 hours: 1 bubble every 2 minutes 34 seconds
10 days 3 hours: 1 bubble every 3 minutes 9 seconds
11 days 2 hours: 1 bubble every 3 minutes 40 seconds

Kegging/Bottling:

Siphoned into 5 gallon soda keg and put under 30 lbs/sq in CO2 in fridge. Took FG reading of 1.018 which puts the alcohol content at about 5.7% ABV.

Bottled and capped 11 bottles from the keg using counter-pressure bottle filler. Used keg immediately out of fridge and chilled bottles.

See Smelgian Smubbel labels here.

Results:

Testimonials here