Duvel Clone

Duvel clone
Author: BYO Staff
Issue: May/Jun 2005
Duvel clone
(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.072 FG = 1.006
IBU = 30 SRM = 5 ABV = 8.5%

Duvel is the classic Belgian golden ale. Although it is very strong (8.5% ABV), the beer is extremely light in color and dry in taste. The dense, white head that sits above the beer lasts until the beer is done. In the US, bottles of Duvel often show some oxidation in the aroma. Brewing it fresh at home gives you a glimpse of what it tastes like in Belgium. The yeast will not have an easy job here; they are dealing with a high-gravity, high-adjunct wort. Help them (and yourself) out by making a big yeast starter for a high cell count at pitching.

Ingredients
1.8 lbs. (0.82 kg) Coopers Extra Light dried malt extract
3.5 lbs. (1.6 kg) Coopers Light liquid malt extract (late addition)
3.0 lbs. (1.4 kg) Pilsner malt
1 lb. 11 oz. (0.77 kg) corn sugar (kettle)
11 oz. (0.31 g) corn sugar (dosage)
6 AAU Styrian Goldings hops (60 mins) (1.2 oz./34 g of 5% alpha acids)
3.75 AAU Saaz hops (15 mins) (0.93 oz./27 g of 4% alpha acids)
0.75 oz. (21 g) Saaz hops (0 mins)
1/4 tsp yeast nutrients (kettle)
1/16 tsp ("a pinch") yeast nutrients (dosage)
1 tsp Irish moss
Wyeast 1388 (Belgian Strong Ale) or White Labs WLP570 (Belgian Golden Ale) yeast (3 qt./3 L yeast starter)
1 cup corn sugar (for priming)

Step by Step
In a large soup pot, heat 4.5 quarts (4.3 L) of water to 161 °F (72 °C). Add crushed grains to grain bag. Submerge bag and let grains steep around 150 °F (66 °C) for 45 minutes. While grains steep, begin heating 2.1 gallons (7.8 L) of water in your brewpot. When steep is over, remove 1.5 qts. (1.4 L) of water from brewpot and add to the "grain tea" in steeping pot. Place colander over brewpot and place steeping bag in it. Pour diluted grain tea through grain bag. Heat liquid in brewpot to a boil, then stir in dried malt extract, add first charge of hops and begin the 60 minute boil. With 15 minutes left in boil, add kettle sugar, hops and Irish moss, then turn off heat and stir in liquid malt extract. Stir well to dissolve extract, then resume heating. (Keep the boil clock running while you stir.) At the end of the boil, add last charge of hops, cool wort and transfer to fermenter. Add water to make 5 gallons (19 L), aerate wort and pitch yeast. Ferment at 68 °F (20 °C). Rack to secondary and add dosage sugar. Bottle when beer falls clear.

All-grain option:
Replace grains and extracts with 10.5 lbs. (4.8 kg) Pilsner malt, 8.5 oz. (0.24 kg) CaraPils malt, 1 lb. 11 oz. (0.77 kg) corn sugar (kettle) and 11 oz. (0.31 g) corn sugar (dosage). In your kettle, mash in to 131 °F (55 °C) and heat the mash slowly, over 15 minutes, to 140 °F (60 °C). Add boiling water to raise temperature to 148 °F (64 °C) and hold for 60 minutes. Mash out to 168 °F (76 °C). Boil for 90 minutes, following remaining instruction in extract recipe.