Duvel (Belgian Golden Strong Ale Clone)¶

Ingredients¶

5.2 kg (11.5 lb) Belgian Pilsner malt
230 g (8 oz) corn sugar (kettle addition)
450 g (1 lb) corn sugar (dosage addition after primary)
34 g (1.2 oz, ~5% AA) Styrian Goldings hops – 60 min
27 g (0.93 oz, ~4% AA) Saaz hops – 15 min
21 g (0.75 oz) Saaz hops – flameout/0 min
1 tsp Irish moss – 15 min
1/4 tsp yeast nutrients – 15 min
"A pinch" (~1/16 tsp) yeast nutrients – with dosage sugar
Wyeast 1388 (Belgian Strong Ale) or White Labs WLP570 (Belgian Golden Ale) yeast – build a 3 L (3 qt) starter
Corn sugar for priming if bottling (about 1 cup / 150–160 g to reach ~3+ vols CO₂)

Targets for 19 L (5 gal): OG 1.061, FG 1.007, ABV ~8.5%, IBU ~30, SRM ~3.

Mash in around 20 L (5.3 gal) of water at 55°C (131°F) and slowly heat over ~15 minutes to 60°C (140°F).
Raise the mash to 64°C (148°F) with boiling water and rest for 60 minutes. Mash out, vorlauf, and sparge at 76°C (168°F) to collect enough wort for a 90-minute boil. (For a more fermentable wort, you can start at ~37°C / 99°F and ramp slowly to mash-out over 90–180 minutes.)
Boil 90 minutes. Add Styrian Goldings at 60 minutes.
With 15 minutes left, add Irish moss, yeast nutrients (kettle addition), Saaz hops (15 min charge), and the kettle corn sugar, stirring to dissolve.
At flameout, add the 0-minute Saaz addition, chill rapidly, and transfer clear wort to a sanitized fermenter. The gravity should be about 1.061.
Pitch the well-aerated wort at ~16°C (60°F) and allow the fermentation to free-rise as high as ~29°C (84°F). If you cannot ramp, pitch and hold around 20°C (68°F).
After 3–4 days, when fermentation slows, dissolve the dosage corn sugar and a pinch of yeast nutrient in hot water held at 71°C (160°F) for 15 minutes. Cool slightly and add to the fermenter.
Once final gravity is reached, rack to secondary and condition 2–3 weeks until clear.
Package. If bottling, prime with corn sugar and use heavy bottles to handle high carbonation. Age cool for at least a few weeks before serving.