Can I save my Tripel?

After traveling to Belgium and the Netherlands a couple years ago, I've been in love with high gravity beers, so I made the Midwest Supplies Tripel all extract kit back in January. Followed the instructions to the letter...

Everyone said "let it rest", so I did.

Two weeks in the primary in a 70 degree room, 3 months in the secondary in a 55 degree room, bottled with Prime Dose tablets to get some bubbles.

After 5 months (total), it was a little boozy, a little flat, but had promise.

Now, after 7 months have passed, I've cracked another (that seemed to be the general consensus for how long the tripel should magically become drinkable).

Tastes like a bottle of Miller that's been left out on the counter overnight. Its flat and pretty much flavorless.

Can I do anything to save it? Throw in a couple pounds of dark candi and some raisins, boil it for a bit and re-ferment to make a sorta quad out of it?

Which yeast did you use and the amount? What was the OG and the FG? What was the temperature of the storage area for bottle conditioning?

My notes are all written down at home, will follow up tonight but OG - FG put the estimated ABV at about 9.3% if my memory is correct. Which should be about right, so I guess I assumed everything was going as it should.

I believe I used the Wyeast 1214 smack pack. Just one. It was slow and steady.

I bottled and kept it at 72-74 for 2 weeks, then back to a shelf in the basement at 55-60 degrees for the past 6-8 weeks.

I'll post my full notes tonight.

I doubt this is improvable. Opening and re-capping is tricky to do cleanly (and if you add anything, like more primings, you'll get foam quickly), but you could try doubling the priming dose for a few bottles.

Probably not enough priming sugar to get the high vol CO2 typical of the style. Yeast could also have been 'sleepy.' carbonating high ABV beers can require a fresh dose of yeast, though you might tilt the bottles to rouse the yeast again.

I'd guess the pitch rate was (far) low for the high OG. Learning to make starters is critical to making clean high gravity beers (read Yeast by Jamil + Chris White). Ditto adequate pre-pitch oxygenation.

The '70' degree ambient temperatures means the yeast could have driven the temperatures in any old way, easily could have gone over 80 internally early on. Temp schedule and ramp up is also critical to getting desirable characteristics from a Belgian strain.

I would recommend longer in the primary (say 21-28 days) then straight to bottle. No offence or accusations, but racking to 2* is a possible staling and infection risk ("...left on the counter overnight" could be oxidation). 2 weeks primary for a very high OG beer, esp. with a too-low pitch rate, is rushed.

Cliff's : Study 'Yeast' and 'Brew Like a Monk,' make a kick ass high gravity Belgian next time. Share this batch with friends.

it was Wyeast 1214, SG 1.070, FG 1.008. Primary was on the breakfast bar 72 during the day 62 degrees at night (it was January). 2 weeks in the primary.

Secondary 2 months at a pretty steady 62 degrees.

Bottled at 10 weeks still 1.008.

8 capsules of prime dose in 1 liter flip tops. Prime Dose has sugar and yeast, so it 8 capsules should have been on the high side. Left those at 72 degrees for 2 weeks, then back to 62 since mid April.

Could be interesting to take the gravity now if you can. Next time you pop one open, take a reading. At least then you will know if its a bottle conditioning issue. It would seem to me that 8 capsules would be plenty, to the point you at least wouldn't consider it flat. For some reason I seem to think its related to not enough fermentation in the bottle.

Tyler

maybe its too cold where I have them resting, I'll bring them up into the 75 degree upstairs for a couple weeks, flip them over, and see if that helps. If not, maybe another couple pills in each... or maybe my prime dose tablets are dead?

The beer did sit in the secondary for quite some time and I did not stir up the sediment when I bottled, its quite clear.

Maybe bloom a little yeast in some warm water and eye-dropper a couple drops in each?

I went ahead and popped one open, the gravity is still sitting at 1.008.

jslande01 said:

maybe its too cold where I have them resting, I'll bring them up into the 75 degree upstairs for a couple weeks, flip them over, and see if that helps. If not, maybe another couple pills in each... or maybe my prime dose tablets are dead?

The beer did sit in the secondary for quite some time and I did not stir up the sediment when I bottled, its quite clear.

Maybe bloom a little yeast in some warm water and eye-dropper a couple drops in each?

I went ahead and popped one open, the gravity is still sitting at 1.008.

Click to expand...

Eight prime dose capsules should have been enough to give you some carbonation. I wouldn't add anymore. It is possible the cool conditioning temperature held back the carbonation. The only way to tell will be at least three weeks at warmer temperatures. Gently tilt the bottles after a few days of warm up. Shaking could oxidize the beer.

Another possibility is the flip tops are leaking. The beer could have carbonated and gone flat. Test one of the bottles you opened with fresh soda pop. Fill the bottle and hold it under water to look for escaping CO2.

Adding a bit of yeast to each and letting them sit for a few weeks did finally get some bubbles. (and it tastes WONDERFUL! even my wife likes it) Thanks everyone for the advice.

I had a similar problem with a trippel I brewed about 4 months ago. I used priming sugar only and it wasn't flavorless, but flat. Try laying the bottles on there sides. I did that with a few and let them sit for another month and they carbed up. Not to the level I wanted, but definitely not flat anymore.


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