Fruity/spicy flavors in Tripel

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Parker36

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So I brewed a Belgian Tripel back in the beginning of November which I have just opened and is great. I would like to add a little more spice and fruity ester flavoring to it. I know I should keep ferment temp a little higher for longer to get some more ester flavors (I started at 75 and was down to 70 within a week where it stayed until it was racked to secondary 3 weeks later), but I don't know if this will be enough. Also, I have no idea where to start to get some more spice (only a little) in the final flavor.

Extract/Specialty Grain

OG: 1.096
FG: 1.020

0.8 lbs Flaked Oats
1.2 lbs Flaked Rye
9.9 lbs Light LME (6.6 lbs late addition)
1.0 lb Light Belgian Candi Sugar (late addition)
1.0 lb Dark Belgian Candi Sugar (late addition)
6 oz Kent Golding Pellet (aa=4.0%) @ 60min
4 oz Domestic Fuggles Whole Leaf (aa=4.7%) @ 60min

Grains steeped at 160F for 75 min, 60min boil with 4.5gallons. Irish Moss added with 15min to go in boil. White Labs Belgian Ale Yeast (WLP550)

3 weeks in Primary (75-70F)
10 weeks in Secondary (70-65F)
2.5 months bottle conditioned (65F)
 
You might be interested in Wyeast 3787 Trappist. Here's the characteristics as quoted by Midwest Supplies:

Produces intense esters and phenolic characteristics with complex fruitiness. Does not produce significant amount of iso-amyl acetate (banana esters) or bubble gum esters typical of many yeast of this style. Phenol and ester production are influenced by fermentation temperatures. Phenols tend to dissipate as beer matures. This type of yeast benefits from incremental feeding of sugars during fermentation, making suitable conditions for doubles and triples, to ferment to dryness. True top cropping yeast with broad temperature range. Flocculation: Medium-High; Attenuation: 74-78%; Temperature Range: 64-78°F, 18-25C; Alcohol Tolerance: 12% ABV; Styles: Belgian Dubbels, Tripels, Belgian Specialty Ales, Belgian Golden Strong Ales, Biere de Garde.

I strongly believe that Wyeast's Belgian yeast strains are among the best, though I suppose anyone who had a spare moment could debate me on that one. :p

Besides the yeast, though, you might want to mash at a lower temp. Maybe in the 148-152 range. That will provide you with extra fermentables which will give the yeast more to play with and provide additional phenols and esters. Finally, as stated by BLAM, there is a trade-off in pitching rate to attenuation and attenuation to the phenols and esters. I'll have to go and refer to my copy and update that, just to be sure. I'd hate to mislead you. Anyway, those are the best ways, I think, to improve phenols, esters and fruitiness without actually adding anything other than what's in your recipe.
 
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