Duvel Belgian Ale clone

5 Gallon; OG = 1.070; FG = 1.012; IBU = 30; ABV= 7-8

Founded in 1871, Moortgat is still owned by the same family. The present-day version of Duvel has only existed since 1970, replacing a darker version developed after World War I by Belgian brewing scientist Jean De Clerck using McEwan’s Scotch Ale yeast. Moortgat malts its own barley; its brewers were unable to brew as pale a beer as they liked by using commercial malt. 

Duvel’s unique flavor is due, in part, to a cycle of cool-cold-cool-warm fermentation temperatures. Duvel is often served chilled as an aperitif, in its own wide, distinctive, tulip-shaped glass.

• 4 lbs. pale malt
• 0.5 lb. CaraVienne malt
• 4 lbs. unhopped light dry malt extract (DME)
• 1 lb. clear candi sugar
• 6 AAU Saaz hops (1.5 oz. at 4% alpha acid)
• Belgian Strong Ale yeast (White Labs WLP570 or Wyeast 3787)
• 1 cup unhopped light dry malt extract to prime

Step by Step:

Heat 8 quarts water to 163° F. Crush grains and add to liquor. Hold mash at 152° F for 90 minutes. Runoff and sparge with 10 quarts water at 170° F. Add dried malt extract and candi sugar, stir well, bring to a boil. Add Saaz hops, boil 90 minutes. Remove from heat. Add to fermenter along with enough pre-boiled and chilled water to make up 5.25 gallons. Cool to 70° F, pitch yeast. Ferment at 68° F for two weeks, rack to secondary and condition cool (50° F) for two weeks and then an additional week at 68°. Prime with dried malt extract, bottle and age three to four weeks at 45° F. Serve in a tulip-shaped snifter at about 45° F.

All-grain option:

Replace the DME with another 5 lbs. pale malt and 0.5 lb. carapils malt. Increase mash water to 16 quarts and sparge water to 18 quarts. Mash time and temperatures will be the same. Add candi sugar and proceed as above from boiling.

All-extract option:

Omit pale malt. Steep CaraVienne in 3 gallons at 150° F for 30 minutes. Remove grains. Increase DME to 6.5 lbs., add candi sugar and proceed as above from boiling.