Bottled Belgian Dubbel

Just got around to bottling the Belgian Dubbel I brewed 2 and a half weeks ago. I was able to bottle much more than the expected 25 bombers, which was a welcomed surprise. Seems like I was able to limit the amount of beer I left in each container after each of the two times I siphoned. I primed with 3.5 oz. of cane sugar, which should give me a level of carbonation anywhere between 2.0 to 2.5 volumes of CO2. I bottled 25 22 oz. bombers and six 12 oz. bottles. The small 12 oz. bottles should give a pretty good indication of how the 22 oz. bombers are carbonating, so they'll be the first I'll try in order to avoid opening an uncarbed 22 oz. bottle.

With the remaining beer I was able to measure the FG. I hit my anticipated FG of 1.012 exactly, putting the Dubbel at 6.9% ABV. It's got to be a good sign of a healthy fermentation that the yeast was able to ferment the final beer to the expected final gravity. A small taste of the beer revealed no off flavors as well, just the typical flavors of banana, clove, a little cinnamon, some medicinal flavors from phenols, but mostly a strong malt backbone that is the primary character sought in Belgian Dubbles. In two weeks after carbonation has hopefully finished, I think this beer will make a nice end of winter beer.

The Belgian Pale Ale is almost gone from the keg, unfortunately just about the same time it began to mature (I have a problem of drinking beers too young!). The German ales, the Kolsch and the Alt, are both wrapping up fermentation with the Alt beginning conditioning at 55 F and the Kolsch on week two of fermentation at 60 F. The English Oatmeal Stout has finished fermentation for the most part, with very little CO2 coming through the blow off tube. The stout should be ready to be transferred to the keg once I'm ready to use the yeast for the next high gravity brew.