I'm looking to brew a Belgian Double and want to get some feedbackon the hopping schedule for such a brew. I know these beers tend to be malty and sweat. When should the hops be added?

All bittering addition--beginning of boil.

yup, and i would use a larger amount of a low aa hop (i use 3 oz of saaz for 90 min in mine) rather than a small amount of a high aa hop such as magnum...

Use your oldest, most oxidized hops in order to rotate your stock.

is it true that belians get the type of carbonation (champagne like small fizzy) from the candy sugar? are there any other ways to produce that type of carbonation? it just seems unique to many belgians.

I don't know about using old, oxidized hops in a dubbel. Maybe in a lambic or gueze...


Candy sugar helps dry out Belgian beers and supposedly adds a distinct flavor, although many argue that any recipe calling for candy sugar can easily have it replaced with table sugar with no changes in flavor. The lower FG may lend to the champagne'y feel when paired with the higher carb levels found in many Belgians.

Most dubbels I've had are on the sweet side. Not very dry. Tripels tend to be more dry IMHO.


Anyway, my 2 pennies on the hops... All saaz just as jeff described.

Robert said: "although many argue that any recipe calling for candy sugar can easily have it replaced with table sugar with no changes in flavor."

What about the caramel flavor derived from candy sugar?

I agree with Robert. I wouldn't use candi sugar because like Robert says it can be replaced with table sugar without any impact to flavor. I would use candi syrup like Dark or D2 to impart some flavor. Thats good stuff. The last one I made was:

12 lbs Belgian pils
0.5 lbs special B
0.13 lbs carafa special
1 bottle D2 syrup
0.5 oz magnum (12.9% AA) @ 60 min
0.25 oz saaz (5.8% AA) @ 15 min

I used Wy 1388 (Duval strain used in Maredous 8) but I would use the Westvelle yeast next time.

i like my dubbles a little on the drier side, more for the mouthfeel than the actual sweetness of it. here's my recipe...

(this is for an 8 gallon batch)
18# pale
1.5# munich
.75# biscuit
.75# caramunich
.5# honey malt
.33# special b
1# maple sugar
1# amber candi sugar
3 oz saaz (90)
wlp 530

mash 152 for 90 min

i took half of this batch and aged it for about a week on some oak chips that i soaked for a month in raspberry wine. both were good, but the oaked version took the cake...

I'm with Robert on the hops....no place in a dubbel for old oxidized hops.

Arin, there is no caramel flavor from candi sugar. And the carbonation is produced just like every other beer. The candi sugar has nothing to do with it. In fact, most Belgian brewers don't even use candi sugar!

I'm just saying use whatever is in the back of your freezer to get it the heck out of there.

Yeah, but if they're really bad, I prefer to toss 'em rather than compromise a batch of beer.