Triple a tad too sweet--not bottled--fixable?

I've brewed a few beers before, mostly IPAs, a dubbel, and a saison, all with good results. I recently tried my hand at a Belgian Tripel. After four weeks in the primary (bubbler had completely stopped), I moved the beer into the secondary and tasted what was left in the syphon. While the smell is very good, the taste is just a tad sweet for me. I know a lot of triples are often on the sweeter side, but I prefer mine dry. Because the beer isn't bottle yet, I'm wondering if there's something I can do to it in the secondary to help it dry out a bit. Any suggestions? I appreciate the help.

I've attached the recipe below. It's a modified version of a Northern Brewer triple, which actually called for 2 lbs. of sugar but I reduced it to one pound because I knew I wanted it dryer.

8 lbs LME malts (6.5 pale, 1.5 amber)
2 lbs Base malts, steeped for 45 minutes (1 lb Vienna, ½ Crystal 20L, ½ Special B)
1 lb Belgian Candy sugar
1 oz bitter orange peel
Wyeast Saison yeast (alteration to their recipe, I hoped the saison yeast would also dry it out more)

1 oz Simcoe (60 min)
1 oz Fuggle (10 min)
1 oz Riwaka (5 min)

What is your currenty gravity reading? What is your expected FG?

Eric

erichowerton said:

It's a modified version of a Northern Brewer triple, which actually called for 2 lbs. of sugar but I reduced it to one pound because I knew I wanted it dryer.

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I think you got something backwards, sugar will dry out a beer; so by leaving the sugar out you're leaving it less dry.

So if I add that extra pound of sugar, the beer will end up drying out more?

erichowerton said:

So if I add that extra pound of sugar, the beer will end up drying out more?

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Yes, in theory, but you already transferred to secondary right? You might need to add more yeast as well.

The simple sugars in Belgians are what give them the characteristic dry flavor. The simple sugars are 100 percent fermentable, which dry out the beer more. By removing that pound from the recipe, you raised the FG.

Did you take a hydrometer reading?

Eric

Thanks for all the help so far.

Fortunately, I harvested the yeast from the primary, so I can make a starter and pitch it with another pound of dissolved sugar. Do all types of sugar produce the same degree of dryness, or do some produce more than others?

I didn't take an original hydrometer reading, but I'll take one tomorrow and post it.

All simple sugars should ferment out completely. The only difference being some slight flavor differences depending on the type of sugar.

How sweet was it really? Our perception of sweetness is often affected by carbonation. For instance, which tastes sweeter, a flat coke, or a freshly cracked can of coke? Certainly the flat one tastes sweeter but the carbonation helps cut the sweetness thus altering our perception of it.

True. It's not cloying, it's perfectly drinkable, but ideally I'd like it just a tad dryer. I was hoping it would be at least as dry as Victory Golden Monkey and that flavor's not really there yet.

erichowerton said:

True. It's not cloying, it's perfectly drinkable, but ideally I'd like it just a tad dryer. I was hoping it would be at least as dry as Victory Golden Monkey and that flavor's not really there yet.

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I think your hydrometer reading will help you decide if the level of dryness is appropriate. Please post both your OG and FG, so we can look at ADF to see if it is in line with the yeast used.

Eric

jmo88 said:

How sweet was it really? Our perception of sweetness is often affected by carbonation. For instance, which tastes sweeter, a flat coke, or a freshly cracked can of coke? Certainly the flat one tastes sweeter but the carbonation helps cut the sweetness thus altering our perception of it.

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Very true.

Eric

What about pitching some champagne or wine yeast? That should dry it out a little mroe.

I thought of the champagne yeast idea, but there's really no way to control it, right? Once you pitch champagne yeast every last sugar gets converted until the brew is bone dry, no? I've heard to counterbalance this you can add lactose (because it won't ferment), but that seems like a lot of mucking about.

erichowerton said:

I thought of the champagne yeast idea, but there's really no way to control it, right? Once you pitch champagne yeast every last sugar gets converted until the brew is bone dry, no? I've heard to counterbalance this you can add lactose (because it won't ferment), but that seems like a lot of mucking about.

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It is an option, but I don't believe it should be your first (or second, or third for that matter). I think once you know your gravity, we can give you a better idea really how dry it is.

You are right about mucking about. The champagne yeast might work fine. It might not. Then you may have a bigger problem then you started with.

Eric

Okay, so I just did a gravity reading and it's at 1.032. That's high! No wonder it tastes sweet.

But the yeast had totally stopped bubbling and the temperature of the beer never dropped below 70. Did my yeast run out of oxygen? Should I repitch some yeast?

http://www.wyeastlab.com/rw_yeaststrain_detail.cfm?ID=60

"This strain is notorious for a rapid and vigorous start to fermentation, only to stick around 1.035 sg. Fermentation will eventually finish, given time and warm temperatures."

I would make a starter and repitch. I would consider trying a different, but not conflicting yeast. The first one I thought of is WLP001 - high attenuation and clean.

Eric

I have some Wyeast American Ale II yeast in the fridge. I think that'll probably work.

Thanks for all the help guys.

Make a good starter and that should work just fine.

Eric