Jimmy Von Tripel

Recipes 

I brewed a simple Tripel back on Dec 4th.

All Grain
12 lbs Pilsner
3 lbs cane sugar
Mash Temp 149ºF for 60 min
Sparge Water 170º
Boil time 60 min

Yeast Wyeast 3787, used a large starter, used pure oxygen.

Initial Ferment temp 65ºF, raised to 70º once yeast slowed down and the carboy stopped having blow outs.

The OG was 1.086 and in 3 days (the 7th) the gravity dropped to 1.040. It was an extremely active, hot ferment. 5 days (the 12th) later the gravity was 1.033. 11 days (the 23rd) later the gravity was 1.018. And 5 days after that (today) the gravity is at 1.015. Is this a very slow ferment or is it just me? Its been 3 weeks and 3 days and I'm still 5 points away from my goal of a FG of 1.010.

This beer has never stopped doing the swirling thing in the carboy. You look at it with a flashlight and its twisting and churning, going up and down all the time.

Has anyone else had a similar experience with 3787? I could easily see this thing being in the primary for 5 weeks.

Jimmy Von Tripel

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Anyone at all? Just trying to figure out if I need to do something to speed this yeast up.

david_42

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Five weeks for a beer that big isn't unreasonable. Also, excluding the cane sugar, you're at 75% attenuation. Based on the attenuation range for the yeast, one or two more points is about all you can expect.

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landhoney

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I didn't take gravity readings until it finished, but my latest tripel with 3787 did something silmilar. It was kept at ~68F through the very active fermentation, then I warmed it up and it seemed to just chug along slowly for longer than 'normal' ~ several weeks.
You may not make you target for the final gravity, but if its still working just let it go. What's the problem with just letting it keep going until it stops? If its still churning that would indicate to me its still working and just needs more time, you probably don't need to raise the temp anymore either. My .02

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Jimmy Von Tripel

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Thanks david_42.

I checked the BJCP guidelines for the Tripel and the highest FG they state is 1.016. So I'm okay.

AnOldUR

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I'll be doing a tripel using 3787 with a similar OG tomorrow. How did yours turn out? Did you get anymore drop in gravity? It'll be my first time with this yeast, so knowing what to expect is nice. Thanks for this thread.

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ColoradoXJ13

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That yeast starts fast, then slows down and keeps chugging, the two beers I brewed with it (1.080 range) were both in secondaries on oak for a couple months and they both finished around 1.010, give it time, that strain makes great flavors in belgians and in the imperial stout I have in secondary on oak. I may start using that strain for a lot of other beer styles...

mithion

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I have a tripel in primary as we speak. I used the WLP530 which is the same as the 3787 strain. The first 48 hours were furious with a good 8in Krausen. And now 5 days into the fermentation, it's bubbling nice and gently every 5-10 secs. It will probably continue to do so for a long time. I've used this strain once before and the same thing happened. My theory is that belgian yeasts are very tolerant to alchohol and thus can work (albeit more slowly) just fine in high alcohol environments. English yeasts are more sensitive to alcohol levels so a rapid attenuation to FG isn't only desired, but is required. Belgian yeasts don't require that and will chew away the sugars over a longer period of time. But yeah, your experience with this strain is exactly like mine.

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Primary:
Secondary: Chimay Tripel #1
Conditioning: The Day After Christmas Eve Old Ale, Phil's Classic English #2
Drinking: Irish Rebellion
Next Beer: Earthly Brown

adagiogray

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Hullo all - I tried the 'Easy Chimay Blue' recipe on these forums as my first delve into zymurgy.
However, I substituted, Wyeast 3787 Trappist instead of White Labs WPL 500 Belgian Trappist. There's another Wyeast I think there is a Wyeast 1214 that is supposed to be their equivalent of the WPL500, but the 3787 was all my shop had. The recipe calls for 5 days in the primary and 10 in the secondary, and bottle age to 6 months. Should I wait longer on either my primary or secondary?

dawgman

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Gray,

It may take longer, but only a hydrometer reading will tell you the truth. Also, many on here recommend not using a secondary. Just leave it on the yeast cake in primary for 4 or five weeks then (if done fermenting) bottle and age.