Beer Forum

Hi guys,

My first post on here (finally, registered 2yrs ago...) - and looking for some advice on the use of D2 from over the pond - we can't get hold of it in the UK yet

I have a 1kg sample from a UK supplier who is looking into starting to sell a range of candy syrups -I have the Candimic Extra Dark (which I believe is the same as D2 as sold in the US?). I'd like to make a Dubbel and use it to showcase the flavours from the syrup - so I wonder if anyone has ever made a dubbel along the following lines, without the use of speciality malts and getting flavour from the syrup instead? (inspiration from Westmalle...)


5.5kg Pilsner malt
1kg D2

Hallertau/Styrian Goldings to ~28IBU
OG: 1064
FG: somewhere around 1008-12

Using WLP530, pitch and 17C and allow to free rise to 24C and hold.

Any thoughts gratefully received Thanks!

The D2 syrup is fantastic, but I feel that it does benefit from some additional grains simply to increase the complexity and depth of the beer. Think along the lines of character malts like munich or aromatic. Some additional "cara" malts are also a nice addition for added sweetness esp. in a good dubbel (think caravienne, caramunich, etc).

Keep in mind that as complex as that syrup is, it is still pretty fermentable and will dry the beer out. If you do go just the route of pilsner malt and syrup, then you might want to mash just a tad higher to keep the beer from drying out too much. Good luck and keep us posted with what you decide to do and the results. Always good to learn from each other!

Thanks for the feedback on D2 and mixing it with the speciality grains - it's hard to know just how much flavour it's going to impart on its own without having done it...

This is somewhat of a test brew (as I know the supplier well, and this is "sample" stock for feedback ) so while I don't want to have a beer that's lacking, I don't want to use so many speciality malts to drown the contributions from the syrup. All a question of balance I guess - caramunich and perhaps aromatic seem fairly restrained at half pound each. I'll have a play around with the recipe based on what I have and get growing some yeast up (though I need to wait for a weizenbock to finish up first and free up my fermenting fridge...)

Thanks again.

I haven't gotten a chance to use D2, we were getting it at the shop I work at for a while, but only the clear, never the D or D2. Eventually our distributor stopped carrying them altogether.

I really like the D-180 from these guys http://www.candisyrup.com/ better than any Darkcandi product I have used

I definitely wouldn't depend on the D2 alone for flavor. you definitely need some special B or caramunich or something along those lines to give the beer depth of flavor.

Graeme,

How did this come out?

Did you get a good dubbel out of it and if you could do it again would you do it the same or add the specialty malts?



Adam

spiderwrangler wrote:I haven't gotten a chance to use D2, we were getting it at the shop I work at for a while, but only the clear, never the D or D2. Eventually our distributor stopped carrying them altogether.

We've now started carrying the pouched products. I'm planning on using the D45 in the Boog's ORCA I'll be brewing Saturday.