So tonight I racked over my Dubbel Dribbleto the secondary and while the FG was well in line at 1.012 (should have shot for 1.018m but oh well), the color looked a little light. Not only is this a style issue, it’s also an issue with the grain and Belgian Candi Sugar I used. It was supposed to be 275 SRM and should have brought the whole brew to a 17 to 20 range. Instead it looks like I am at the lower end of the 14 to 17 range.
It’s kind of crazy to me because Beer Smith gave me a pretty high reading based on the ingredients, but it didn’t turn out that way.
Any thoughts on this?
looking at the grain bill, seems like there should be some dark roasted grain in there….at least a couple ounces of chocolate. I don’t think the dark candi sugar is enough to darken it as much as you’re looking for. Those chocolate malts can also lend a nuttiness that you’re aiming for. Special B is also a great grain to use for bigger Belgians and will definitely add some color and some of that Abbey beer taste.
Interesting. I was concerned about the base malt more than the specialty grains. Here is a question for the ages, how much Choc malt is enough, but not too much?
Looked at your recipe. I would add six to eight ounces of Special B or 120L Crystal, not chocolate malt.
Cheers for the great information – I had fun reading it! I always love browsing this blog.