Belgian IPA(s)

Hi!

So I have a decision to make about a Belgian IPA I want to brew. I need to decide between a Dubbel IPA or a Tripel IPA. I think I'd rather go with the Tripel, but it needs to be done by the first week in July, and I won't be able to brew until next weekend (May 12th ish). Can a tripel be ready in about 7.5 weeks? I'd also like to see if these recipes look OK. Thanks for any comments!

Just wondering, if I only boil the extract for the last 15 minutes, will I be able to use less hops, or does that only apply if I add the extract after I turn off the fire?

Here are the (partial mash) recipes:

Dubbel IPA

2.50 lbs Pilsner Malt (2-row Belgian)
2.00 lbs Munich Malt
0.50 lbs Caramunich Malt
0.25 lbs Special B Malt
4.00 lbs Extra Light Dry Extract (15 minute boil)
0.75 lbs Candi Sugar (Amber)

1.25 oz Chinhook (60 min)
1.00 oz Halltertaur Mittelfrueh (30 min)
1.00 oz Mt. Hood (15 min)
1.00 oz Cascade (dry hop 7 days)

1 package White Labs Yeast #WLP500 (I'll make a starter)


Tripel IPA

5.00 lbs Pilsner Malt (2-row Belgian)
5.00 lbs Extra Light Dry Extract (15 minute boil)
1.00 lbs Turbinado (raw) Sugar

1.25 oz Columbus/Tomahawk (60 minutes)
1.00 oz Cascade (35 min)
1.00 oz Goldings (20 min)
1.00 oz Cascade (dry hop 7 days)

1 package White Labs Yeast #WLP500 (I'll make a starter)

I'll ferment as long as they need it and bottle when they're ready.


Again, thanks for any comments!

Why not go with a Saison IPA? Use 3711 instead of your go to yeast on your favorite IPA recipe. It should finish in time.

I would add a pound more of the sugar at the end of the boil for either recipe you do. It will help get the attenuation that you need for a Tripel. I would also definitely make a huge starter. Start with about 100 g of DME in 1 L water and let it go for about 2-3 days (swirl it a couple of times per day, or use a stir plate). Crash cool the starter and re-feed it with an additional 1.5 L of wort (150 g in 1.5L water), then use it a few days later in the batch. Hops look good, but I would shift the aroma additions to a little later in the boil and add more. Lastly, see if you can find PILSNER liquid malt extract. The Pilsner malt is an absolute necessity for a Belgian Tripel or Dubbel.

Just my $0.02....

Good luck!

Cheers!

Thanks for the comments guys!

MrOH - I've never made an IPA, but I'm sure I could come up with something for a Saison IPA

rcsoccer - Add an extra pound of sugar at the end of each recipe? Or is this replacing something? I feel like another pound would really raise the OG. Also, I've gotten Pilsner LME before, I'll switch out the extra light with that.

Any comments on adding the extract the last 15 minutes of the boil? I think that adding it that late would reduce the amount of bittering hops I need to use, but Beersmith disagrees. It will only reduce hop requirements if I add the extract after the fire is out.

Thanks!

dnelson1025 said:

rcsoccer - Add an extra pound of sugar at the end of each recipe? Or is this replacing something? I feel like another pound would really raise the OG. Also, I've gotten Pilsner LME before, I'll switch out the extra light with that.

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Yeah, I've seen a few Tripel recipes which have up to 3 lbs. of sugar added to help get the attenuation down. Maybe only add another pound if you do the tripel and cut out the pilsner malt and replace it with 2 lbs. of pilsner malt extract. If you just go with grains that you only have to steep, like Crystals, you can cut out all of the actual pilsner malt to make it easier. Also, adding the malt extract at the end would be fine if you are doing a partial mash like in the dubbel recipe you have.

Ok, I made a couple changes for both recipes. I want to do a partial mash for either one, so I left in the Pilsner and Munich malts. The changes are in bold.

I'm still confused as to how adding the extract with 15 minutes left in the boil doesn't lower hop requirements for a given IBU rating, but adding it at flameout does.

Dubbel IPA - the OG is up to 1.077 now, estimated ABV 9.0%

2.50 lbs Pilsner Malt (2-row Belgian)
2.00 lbs Munich Malt
0.50 lbs Caramunich Malt
0.25 lbs Special B Malt
5.00 lbs Pilsner LME (15 minute boil)
1.00 lbs Candi Sugar (Amber)
0.50 lbs Cane Sugar

1.25 oz Chinhook (60 min)
1.00 oz Halltertaur Mittelfrueh (30 min)
1.50 oz Mt. Hood (10 min)
1.00 oz Cascade (dry hop 7 days)

1 package White Labs Yeast #WLP550 (I'll make a starter)


Tripel IPA - the OG is up to 1.089 now, estimated ABV 10.6%

5.00 lbs Pilsner Malt (2-row Belgian)
6.00 lbs Pilsner LME (15 minute boil)
2.00 lbs Turbinado (raw) Sugar

1.50 oz Columbus/Tomahawk (60 minutes)
1.00 oz Cascade (35 min)
2.00 oz Goldings (10 min)
1.00 oz Cascade (dry hop 7 days)

1 package White Labs Yeast #WLP550 (I'll make a starter)

Thanks for the help! I want to be able to hit the style gravity and ABV - it's looking high for both the Dubbel and the Tripel.

I suppose I can reduce the amount of extract then? That'll lower the OG, but I think too far before I get the alcohol down to an acceptable level (for me, at least). Candi sugar is pretty expensive, but if I use it instead of the cane and turbinado sugar, it could help.

dnelson1025 said:

I'm still confused as to how adding the extract with 15 minutes left in the boil doesn't lower hop requirements for a given IBU rating, but adding it at flameout does.

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I would just add it with 15 mins left in the boil. Your hops utilization shouldn't be that far off if you are doing a partial mash. Maybe you could add half of it at the beginning and half at 15 mins left. Remember to boil for at least 90 mins because of the Pilsner malt. It contains 8 times the amount of DMS (Di-methyl sulfide) than 2-row pale and it needs to be boiled for longer to get rid of it.

dnelson1025 said:

I suppose I can reduce the amount of extract then? That'll lower the OG, but I think too far before I get the alcohol down to an acceptable level (for me, at least).

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I would reduce the amount of extract a little bit to get within the target gravity for the style. You could always get extra and add it at the end if you don't hit your target.

dnelson1025 said:

Candi sugar is pretty expensive, but if I use it instead of the cane and turbinado sugar, it could help.

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No reason to buy candi sugar. It is ridiculously expensive for what it is. Just get the cane and turbinado. You can dissolve it in some warm water and cook it down by about half if you want to get a little color and caramel flavor in the beer, but be careful not to burn it.

Also, when doing your partial mash make sure you mash at the low end (140-142 F) to get as much fermentables as you can. There is not much in a belgian dubbel or tripel. The yeast gives it most of the character.

Cheer!

Go with this for the Tripel:

5.5 lbs Pilsner LME
5.0 lbs Pilsner Malt
1.0 lb Turbinado
1.0 lb Cane sugar

1.50 oz. Columbus (60 mins)
2 oz. Cascade + 2 oz. Goldings (1 oz. each at 15, 10, 5, & 0 mins) This will give awesome aroma!

I would go for the same hop schedule for the dubbel if you decide to do that, but just decrease the bittering hops a little.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do! I hope this turns out awesome!

Great, thanks for the help! I might just brew both of them.

Another option is to make invert sugar and add it to the primary after the initial fermentation has started to subside. I don't think it would be a problem with this recipe but if you get too high % of simple sugar the yeast sometimes gets lazy and doesn't ferment the sugars from the malt as well.

Or so I've read, anyway......

I'm going to do the tripel and might make some of my own light invert sugar instead of the turbinado. I've heard the same thing about the yeast, but I think I'm only at about 15% of fermentables from the sugar.

I'm brewing next Saturday; I'll be able to see how it turns out in a month and a half or so.

Good luck! I'll be brewing a belgian IPA next Sunday for a 3rd of July party. Can't wait to try out the pound of citra I just bought...

Ok I've been doing some reading and am wondering if I have to add fresh yeast to the bottling bucket when I'm ready to bottle. Or will my yeast from primary fermentation work fine? And will I have to make a second starter for bottling? Thanks for everyone's help so far!

And a pound of that'll hop a lot of beer; sounds awesome!

dnelson1025 said:

Ok I've been doing some reading and am wondering if I have to add fresh yeast to the bottling bucket when I'm ready to bottle. Or will my yeast from primary fermentation work fine? And will I have to make a second starter for bottling? Thanks for everyone's help so far!

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I would ferment in the primary for 7-10 days, or until the airlock is only bubbling once every 2 minutes. Then, transfer to a secondary carboy and let it sit for about 2-3 weeks.

You should still have plenty of yeast in solution for bottling, but if you are worried about it you could always scrape your racking cane along the bottom of the carboy when transferring to a bottling bucket to grab a little of the yeast.

Thanks for the help! I brewed today and the yeast started working in about an hour after I pitched. Having that big starter really helped!

@dnelson1025 - Can you let me know how this turned out? I'm planning on doing a Belgian IPA this weekend (tripel). I'd like to do something similar to Green Flash's Le Freak.

dnelson1025 said:

Thanks for the help! I brewed today and the yeast started working in about an hour after I pitched. Having that big starter really helped!

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