Tripel question

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D-urb

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I'm brewing my first tripel today for a friend who likes them. While I have been brewing for >5 yrs, I mostly do IPAs, wheats, browns, etc and haven't done too many belgian beers. My question is how long to condition it? I know that belgian yeasts take a bit longer for the primary fermentation so I'm expecting to leave it for a good 3-4 weeks opposed to a lot of my other ales where I keg them after 10-14 d. Secondly, I would like to keg it and I've seen people say to bottle condition for 3 mo minimum. Is this true? I assume I can do this in my kegs but don't really want to take two of them out of the rotation for 3 mo. Can I force carb them and just let them condition in the keg for a month or so?
 
I just made one Sunday. I will be bottling mine and have found that as far as fermentation time goes, it depends on the strain, and if you can keep temps in the 65-70 range. I have used Belgian strains that just want to rock, and generate lots of heat making temperature control a little more difficult with more esters, but generally, the conditioning time is to taste. If you can keep your temps lower with a longer fermentation, you may find it tasting good after letting it condition a week or so.

In fact I recommend that you taste it along the way, as you may find it hitting stride sooner than you think under the right conditions (which are random!)
 
If you're really on the ball with your pitching rate and aeration, and your fermentation temperature control if flawless, you'll shorten the timeline, but the fact is that a big beer like a Tripel is best with age. The pros rush em out, and most commercial ones I find are best after a bit of aging. It may be decent after a month in the keg, but it won't be at its prime. If you want it to really be its best and don't want to hold up a keg, it might be best to bottle condition it.
 
Also I'd highly recommend that you start Belgians lower and ramp the temperature up. Exactly where you start and finish will depend on the strain you're using, but I usually start em in the mid to upper 60s and then slowly ramp them to the mid 70s. The higher temps help the attenuation, the lower start helps keep the solventy stuff at bay. Should help it go a little faster. If you start low and stay low, you may not get the esters/phenols you want, and it may not attenuate as dry as most Belgians should be.
 
Another little tip, the Triple that I did was third in a string. Did a starter, then brewed a Golden (6%) then transferred the Golden after a week and pitched that yeast into a Dubbel (7.5%) then transferred that one (still finishing out) and pitched into the Tripel.....a 19.2 Plato beer and it started (temps in 60's) in a few hours.
 
Thanks for the help. I'll either bottle them or maybe I'll just buy two new kegs so that I can condition a beer here and there while keeping my rotation going.
 
Update. It's been a week and I checked the gravity, which is way low at 1.002. I have another issue I've been working out so for more on that see my "trouble figuring out low efficiency thread". Long story short I think I may have a hydrometer problem. Either way, this thing brewed down pretty quick. The day after pitching, it was a little high around 72, but then I wrapped a towel around it and put a fan on it and it was 68 for the next few days. It's warmed up here(no fermentation chamber, just a basement) so now it's at 70. My actual basement temp is only 63, so it may be time to invest in a fermentation chamber. Although, this isn't the worst conditions for most beers and I just try not to pick too fickle of yeasts...well, except this one I guess:cross:. I tasted it and it tastes great, so I'll probably put it in my kegs and let it mature for a month or more in them.
 
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