I have a question (probably stupid) to what BJCP category does a Belgian Brown Ale belongs?
Also, what makes a brown ale different to a Dubbel? Is a brown ale also a dubbel? Is it just color?
Any info on this will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
One primary difference is yeast or fermentation character. A dub is going to have a distinct “Belgian” ester to it, where brown ales (by bjcp guide) is going to be British or American
If you used a Belgian yeast, and it’s stronger than about 6.5% alcohol, then call it a dubbel. If not, then we can brainstorm a little more.
I will be using WLP530 and as per Beersmith it fits the Dubbel in everything except color and it is borderline in IBUs too.
my numbers:
OG: 1.067
IBU: 24.5
SRM:23.7
ABV:7.4%
color is too high and bitterness is almost above.
If I was to submit for competition eventually, what category will it be?
I wonder if he found a commercial beer that’s labeled as Belgian Brown? That’s a whole other thing. You’ll find commercial beers that are called by styles not found in the 08 bjcp guide. Might be in the BA guide. Might be something they invented or that isn’t called that by one group or the other. Guidelines aside, pretend they don’t exist, if someone handed me a beer and said check out this Belgian brown… I’d expect it to be brown and Belgian (either a common clovey or spicey fermentation profile, or farmhouse ish with some acidity and barnyard or cherry pie qualities)
Well you were typing while I was guessing. I’d probably enter it as a dubel but it’s a bit on the dark side, which may be too roasty too. Brew it, taste it, then decide
My grain bill from a previous post if it helps
10lbs. pale malt
0.5 lb. dark caramel malt (90° Lovibond)
0.5 lb. Special B malt
0.25 lb. kilncoffee
4 AAU Styrian Goldings hops (1.33 oz. at 3% alpha acid)
4 AAU Saaz hops (1 oz. at 4% alpha acid)
1 lb. Candy syrup D-45
White Labs WLP530
Without having a glass to compare, it’s hard to say. Taste it side by side with a couple of commercial examples of dubbels. If it’s in that wheelhouse, enter it as a dubbel. If it’s distinctly different, enter it as 16e Belgian Specialty and call it a Belgian Brown Ale.
Recipe looks good. The only thing that might throw it off is the coffee(?). If it tastes like coffee at all when it’s done, then it’s a 16E Belgian Specialty beer. If not then it’s a dubbel.
Sure sounds tasty to me. Enjoy!
Thats a Franco-Belges roasted malt, I’ve never tried it before but some say it is not really coffee tasting. It is more of a roasty taste.
Cool. If it adds just a touch of roasty character, more power to your dubbel!
I’ll just cross my finger for some complexity from the kilncoffee malt and add 6oz of raisins at the ten minute mark, give it a clever hipster name and put it under 16E.
(Imagine Cheech Marin saying: “Cashinnng”)
hhahahaha we’ll see what happens
There’s not really a style for Belgian brown ale that isn’t dubbel or oud bruin (or quad if you want to lump it in there) but there’s also not a clear distinction between what is a dubbel and what would be any other type of Belgian brown ale. Dubbels tend to be closely compared to the commercial examples. If the beer tastes similar to one of those then I would call it a dubbel. Otherwise I would continue referring to it as a Belgian brown ale. Your recipe could easily come out very much a dubbel.
Fittingly, the Belgians aren’t hung on beer styles in such a rigid fashion. I don’t think a roasted coffee-like malt like kilncoffee (though it isn’t much) would fit with what we would recognize here as a true dubbel, but that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be a great beer anyway. Go for it !
This looks like a fairly classic dubbel recipe and it’s fairly similar to the one in Brewing Classic Styles.
https://www.brewtoad.com/recipes/black-scapular-dubbel-by-jamil-za
The only exception would be the kiln coffee malt, but I doubt a 1/4lb is going to give it enough roast to be a problem. The style does say - ‘never roast or burnt’ aroma/flavor so taste it and decide. Or enter it as both Belgian Dubbel and 16E - Belgian Brown Ale.