11/12/07: The Tripel Twins (#49 and 50!)

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Evan!

Evan!

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Nothing better than taking off Friday afternoon to brew some beers and smoke some pork butt. Hell yes. And though the clouds threatened to rain on me, it never got worse than a light sprinkle. I brewed the Tripel Twins...two batches, same recipe, one gets Chimay yeast (WLP500), the other gets Rochefort (Wyeast 1762).

So I left work around 11:15 and went to the Super Reid Market...pretty ghetto, but the best pork in town. Dropped a measly $29 on this massive butt:

4914-pork.JPG


Then I raced across town to the UPS distribution center to pick up my new 15 gallon kettle. Here she is, next to one of my old 8 gallon pots. Holy hell, she is pretty!

4914-newpot.JPG


Got the chimney going for the smoker

4914-chimney.JPG


Milled my grains and was mashed in by 12:30:

4914-TTmash.JPG


(yes, my patio was a bloody mess, but it's been cleaned up since)
 
Finally took a minute to pour myself a glass of ohiobrewtus' ordinary bitter. Damn fine stuff!

4914-29bitter.JPG


What a pretty mash. I got distracted by the Chemlawn dude who needed to speak with me, and my strike water got a little too hot, so my first step was 20 mins at 140f, rather than 30 mins at 133f. No worries. Bumped up to the low 150's after that for 70 minutes, up to 158 to complete the conversion, and then 167 for mashout.

4914-TTmash2.JPG


draining the sweet stuff...first running from the first batch:

4914-TTsparge.JPG
 
The new kettle, well...it kicks WAY too much ass. Hardly had to worry about boiling over, and was able to get a great rolling boil going. How did I ever brew without it?

4914-TTboil.JPG


And last but not least...

4914-TTferm.JPG


Hit my OG right on the money for both batches. About 78% efficiency, I believe. Pitched each starter in its entirety into each batch. They hadn't done a thing, but I still had faith. 24 hours later, nothing. 48 hours later...the Rochefort had some spots on top. 60 hours later, the Rochefort has a bonafide krausen and some airlock activity...and the Chimay has some small spots on top (it's a little late because the Rochefort was in a smack pack, so it got going a little earlier). Very nice...that yeast had a manuf. date of March! So, I'm confident that these 2 and a half days of the repro stage will really give me some strong Belgian ester qualities that I'm looking for. And what's more, my basement is now a balmy 60f, meaning that I don't have to do ice baths anymore! In fact, I actually had to put the heating pad on them this morning. I love winter!

Then, on Saturday, I went on a grueling mountain bike trip with a friend of mine. 21 miles in all. We drove to the other side of the Blue Ridge, hit a trail on the valley floor, and did that for awhile. Some technical rock gardens that threw me, but really fun. Very difficult ride...then we got to the base of the Blue Ridge. The Gates of Hell, he called it. We rose a few thousand feet in less than a horizontal mile. All switchbacks. All steep and slick (it snowed the night before!!!). I walked half of it...there's simply no way anyone other than the best riders in the world could have pedaled all the way up without walking. But it was a hell of a climb, and when we got to the top...bam, we're on top of Bald Mountain. Rode down a fire road and we hit the Blue Ridge Parkway. Took that a couple miles to an overlook, and then hit some awesome downhills to get back to the car. A hell of a time, but I'm still feeling it. Finished the night with some excellent barbecue and yard bocce (I finally won!)

So, anyway...here's to brewing, biking, barbecue and bocce. :mug:

And here's to my 49th and 50th batches!!! :rockin:
 
Sounds like an awesome weekend. No kids I take it?
 
I haven't been to bald mountain in a while. I love & miss the blue ridge.

Dude, the beers look awesome. You are gonna love the WLP500. I used it on a specialty ale, but man, it is goooood. Gotta love the belgians.
 
Sounds like a good session. I wish I would have taken some pics Saturday. It was certainly an experience doing my first 2 ten gallon batches.

A keggle full of wort about 3 inches from the top is a beautiful thing, but boy did I underestimate the amount of time that it would take to hit my temps with that much liquid.
 
Yep, I usually take pics just to have them.

Anyway, I went home for lunch and checked on the carboys while I was there.

...and the little spots on the Chimay batch have become a nice white ring around the surface. The definite beginnings of fermentation. This is excellent! Both of them ended up working out...
 
What a festival of life. If I did all that, plus maybe had sex and smoked a Cuban, then if my number came up that day I would have died a happy man.
 
That IS a massive pork butt! Looks like 4 of 'em stuck together! BTW, you gonna bottle all that beer?
 
PseudoChef said:
What a cock tease with no final picks of the pork butt....
Click to expand...

Man, I know...but I was pretty fuggin druck by the time I pulled that junk off the smoker. 9 hours or so on there, then overnight in the oven at 250. Fell off the bone. To fit it in the smoker, I had to lop it in half! Maybe this will suffice:

4914-P1010210.JPG


ScubaSteve said:
That IS a massive pork butt! Looks like 4 of 'em stuck together! BTW, you gonna bottle all that beer?
Click to expand...

Yeah, when the butcher brought that thing out, I was astounded. The lady at the checkout kept saying, "my, my, that sho' is a big piece o' meat!" :D I get that a lot.

Yeah, I'll end up bottling it. My plans for kegerator-ifying my operation don't hit the ground until New Years. I just dropped $70 on that new kettle, and about $150 on all that grain. So...yeah...bottling. Plus, for a high-grav Tripel like this that needs some age, I'd probably bottle them anyway.
 
nice beer pr0n!

especially the pork butt.. .drools....

i want to keg too evan, but i am finding that i'm shifting gears in the goat brewery to more heavy ales, and i like the bottle finish after six months or a year. i've gotta get the keg going for the small beers, but i won't abandon bottles when i do upgrade.
 
Damn...the Rochefort batch is roiling. I thought, with an ambient brewery temp of 61.7f, I'd have mid to upper 60's for the wort temp during fermentation. Checked them this morning...the Chimay is around 65 with a nice 1" krausen and is just getting going. The Rochefort, on the other hand, is sitting at 70f and threatening to blow off. I had to wrap the carboy in some ice packs this morning, just to keep it at a good temp.

I'll let it rise to the mid 70's later...maybe.
 
uglygoat said:
sometimes the monks let the ferment reach into the high 80's... ;)
Click to expand...

From what I understand, they start out low and gradually let it rise...but I don't think this is true for something like a tripel. I thought that higher ferments like that were the domaine of Saisons.

Anyone else like to chime in? I'd be happy to let it rise to 80 if it were appropriate...

EDIT: from bjcp:

Belgian yeast strains are used - those that produce fruity esters, spicy phenolics and higher alcohols - often aided by slightly warmer fermentation temperatures.
Click to expand...

I wonder what my range is...I want some esters, but I don't want to nastify the beer.

EDIT: Wyeast's site says 65-75f for the 1762...so I guess 70 is about right.

65-72f for the WLP500.
 
I don't post recipes in my pulldown until they're done and tested and approved...but here's the tripel recipe I used:

Code: 
Tripel Twins - Rochefort

A ProMash Recipe Report

BJCP Style and Style Guidelines
-------------------------------

18-C  Belgian Strong Ale, Belgian Tripel

Min OG:  1.075   Max OG:  1.085
Min IBU:    25   Max IBU:    38
Min Clr:     5   Max Clr:     6  Color in SRM, Lovibond

Recipe Specifics
----------------

Batch Size (Gal):         5.25    Wort Size (Gal):    5.25
Total Grain (Lbs):       14.63
Anticipated OG:          1.082    Plato:             19.87
Anticipated SRM:           5.8
Anticipated IBU:          36.5
Brewhouse Efficiency:       78 %
Wort Boil Time:             90    Minutes

Pre-Boil Amounts
----------------

Evaporation Rate:      15.00    Percent Per Hour
Pre-Boil Wort Size:    6.77    Gal
Pre-Boil Gravity:      1.064    SG          15.64  Plato

Formulas Used
-------------

Brewhouse Efficiency and Predicted Gravity based on Method #1, Potential Used.
Final Gravity Calculation Based on Points.
Hard Value of Sucrose applied. Value for recipe: 46.2100 ppppg
% Yield Type used in Gravity Prediction: Fine Grind Dry Basis.

Color Formula Used:   Morey
Hop IBU Formula Used: Tinseth
Tinseth Concentration Factor: 1.30

Additional Utilization Used For First Wort Hops: -10 %


Grain/Extract/Sugar

   %     Amount     Name                          Origin        Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 23.9     3.50 lbs. Gleneagle's Maris Otter Pale  Great Britain  1.038      5
 49.6     7.25 lbs. Pilsener Malt(2-Row)          Continental Eu 1.035      1
 10.3     1.50 lbs. Candi Sugar (clear)           Generic        1.046      1
  6.8     1.00 lbs. Flaked Soft White Wheat       America        1.034      2
  6.8     1.00 lbs. Munich Malt(light)            America        1.033     10
  2.6     0.38 lbs. Cara-Pils Dextrine Malt                      1.033      2

Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.


Hops

   Amount     Name                              Form    Alpha  IBU  Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  0.50 oz.    Hallertauer                       Whole    4.00   5.6  First WH
  1.50 oz.    Goldings - E.K.                   Whole    6.00  26.3  60 min.
  0.25 oz.    Hallertauer                       Whole    4.00   2.2  30 min.
  0.50 oz.    Saazer                            Whole    3.30   2.4  15 min.


Extras

  Amount      Name                           Type      Time
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
  2.00 Tsp    Irish Moss                     Fining    15 Min.(boil) 
  1.00 Tbsp   pH Stabilizer                  Other     60 Min.(mash) 


Yeast
-----

WYeast 1762 Belgian Abbey II


Mash Schedule
-------------

Mash Type: Multi Step

Grain Lbs:   13.13
Water Qts:   14.38 - Before Additional Infusions
Water Gal:    3.60 - Before Additional Infusions

Qts Water Per Lbs Grain: 1.10 - Before Additional Infusions

Acid Rest Temp :               0  Time:   0
Protein Rest Temp :            0  Time:   0
Intermediate Rest Temp :     133  Time:  30
Saccharification Rest Temp : 149  Time:  60
Mash-out Rest Temp :         158  Time:  20
Sparge Temp :                170  Time:  10


Total Mash Volume Gal: 4.65 - Dough-In Infusion Only

All temperature measurements are degrees Fahrenheit.
 
98EXL said:
got link?

Nice brew day pics there buddy!

EDIT: oh, and nice ass :D
Click to expand...

Word. It was $70 shipped, which was incredible. And they were very great with customer service. Since I was brewing at noon and UPS doesn't come to our neighborhood till after 5 typically, I called them and asked them to tell UPS to hold it at the dist center for my pickup. They took care of it no problem. And the prices..well...jeeeez!

Yeah, that was a pretty ass...and we've now got a fridge full of barbecue...and it's so freakin good...
 
98EXL said:
Nice....you not worried about the aluminum/stainless controversy?
Click to expand...

what controversy? You mean the irrational fear that some people have of getting Alzheimer's from using an aluminum stock pot to brew beer in, even though there's no real evidence to support it?

yeah, no, I'm not worried about that. :D
 
Evan! said:
what controversy? You mean the irrational fear that some people have of getting Alzheimer's from using an aluminum stock pot to brew beer in, even though there's no real evidence to support it?

yeah, no, I'm not worried about that. :D
Click to expand...

obviously....so when you aren't around for a month...I'm going to stop using my AL pot to brew in :D
 
98EXL said:
obviously....so when you aren't around for a month...I'm going to stop using my AL pot to brew in :D
Click to expand...

Dude, I'll still be around, I just won't remember that we had this conversation :drunk: ;)
 
are the saisons refermented with wild funk in the barrell like the lambics and flanders red/browns? sour is refreshing to those belgians ;), and i don't think your triple would suffer from a higher frement temp. gradual is the way though.

i'll dig up the quote about how high the one brother let the ferment temp get, for fear of crashing the yeast. he said the strain tolerated it and it was good. apparently they aim more for attenuation, and 'digestabilty'.
 
uglygoat said:
are the saisons refermented with wild funk in the barrell like the lambics and flanders red/browns? sour is refreshing to those belgians ;), and i don't think your triple would suffer from a higher frement temp. gradual is the way though.

i'll dig up the quote about how high the one brother let the ferment temp get, for fear of crashing the yeast. he said the strain tolerated it and it was good. apparently they aim more for attenuation, and 'digestabilty'.
Click to expand...

I don't think saisons are refermented like that, but I don't know for sure. Maybe some are, some aren't? I'm actually enjoying one of my last few saison's right now. I let this bugger hit 85+ after a day of fermentation. It is AWESOME!

As far as letting the trappist/abbey yeasts hit that temp. I dunno, worth an experiment, but probably not while you are already doing a taste comparison experiment. I say keep it at 70-71 and below.

I like that recipe, Evan ... very nice. Yours will be within the SRM range, no? :mug:
 
Yeah, I'll be under 6 if all my grains were what ProMash assumes.

Sure smells tasty and malty in my brewery right now. They're both chugging away like pros...holding at 68f.
 
Well, I went out of town for the weekend and returned to both batches having finished (pretty much) and having dropped their krausens. I tested and sampled both of them last night. The Chimay is at 1.015 (down from 1.080) and the Rochefort is at 1.016 (down from 1.080). The sample both tasted freakin' incredible. And unless I told you, you would NOT guess that the recipes are identical save for the yeast. They are immensely different, much more so than I expected (and I expected a lot). The Rochefort is cleaner and warmer, the Chimay has more Belgian esters and has a rounder mouthfeel, despite being about the same FG. These are both winners, and I can't wait to get them in bottle.
 
Evan! said:
Oh, and no, I've never heard of a Saison being refermented like a lambic or flanders sour.
Click to expand...

You have now ;) That's what the Fantome dreggs are for, I haven't cultured them yet though - that starter you commented on was from the Oerbier Reserve and a Kriek. I've heard that Fantome works well though, and that they can work in as little as three months to funkify/sour.

Glad to hear they're both turning out so well, if you're still planning on blending some of the two batches I think it'll be great to see how the blend ends up tasting. :mug:
 
Yeah, I might blend some of it, though I do like the contrast between the two so far, so I might just blend enough for a few "limited edition blend" 750's. Mmmm...limited edition...

Again, good luck with the fantome dregs. I came up empty, like I said, and they were from fresh bottles almost right off the container.
 
Evan! said:
Again, good luck with the fantome dregs. I came up empty, like I said, and they were from fresh bottles almost right off the container.
Click to expand...

I've been having luck starting with very small amounts of very light gravity wort, like 30-50mL. What was your technique?
 
landhoney said:
I've been having luck starting with very small amounts of very light gravity wort, like 30-50mL. What was your technique?
Click to expand...

same. I was so pissed, too, because I really really want some fantome yeast.
 
What fermentation temps did you decide to go with, and how well did the tastes balance out? Been planning a big belgian for a while now and this thread got me going. I'm brewing sunday. Would like your input.:mug:
 
High 60's, letting it rise up to 74 towards the end of fermentation just to ensure completion. The Rochefort is awesome. I think the Chimay is screwed up, though. It tasted plasticy and super-bitter, like eat orange rind.
 

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