Baby Dubbel

I never got around to posting this recipe, I'm not sure why, because I brewed it on 01.02.13. Anywhoo, it's nothing like a Dubbel, but it's nothing like a blonde either, so I decided on Baby Dubbel. The beer itself is pretty interesting and definitely yeast forward like many Belgian beers. By yeast forward, I don't necessarily mean you taste nothing but yeast, but that the yeast plays a dominant role in the final outcome. Many of your higher gravity beers utilize a good amount of sugar; candi sugar, corn sugar, brown sugar, whatever, knowing that it's often just to raise gravity or fermentable sugars and it's the yeast that builds the character of the final product. I'm drinking one of these as I write this, and man, this is a really smooth beer for 6% alcohol. It definitely has some classis Belgian fruity overtones, but it also has some of the spice often associated with Saisons. There's a bit of warming on the finish, surprising since I fermented this below the target range for this yeast-maybe it was a bit stressed. The beer is also incredibly clear for something I brewed 8 weeks ago without finings or cold crashing. I am currently conditioning 6 of these (corked) at 52 degrees and 6 (corked) at basement temperatures (currently 64 degrees) to see how they evolve over the next couple of months if they last that long.
Recipe:
7 lbs. Belgian Pilsner malt
0.5 lbs Belgian CaraPils
0.5 lbs Belgian CaraVienne
0.25 lbs Belgian Aromatic
0.25 lbs Belgian Biscuit Malt

Mash at 149° F for 70 minutes

Mashout  170° F for 10 minutes

Hops:
1 oz Styrian Goldings (60 min)
1/2 oz Styrian Goldings (30 min)

Adjuncts:
1 lb Belgian Soft Candi Sugar (60 min)

Yeast:

Wyeast 3538 Leuven Pale Ale. . I don't normally post detail about the yeast, but this yeast is a seasonal/limited availability yeast that imparts the majority of the character to this beer. From Wyeast: This vigorous top fermenting Belgian style strain produces a distinct spicy character along with mild esters. Phenolics developed during fermentation may dissipate with conditioning. This strain is an excellent choice for a variety of Belgian beer styles including pales, dubbels and brown ales.

Origin: Leuven, Belgium
Flocculation: High
Attenuation: 75-78%
Temperature Range: 65-80F (18-27C)
Alcohol Tolerance: 12% ABV

I fermented this at 60 degrees.