Belgian tripel sugar quesiton

[Lele]

Hello and greetings from Italy And sorry for my English

Until recently we were told that table sugar gives cider flavor to the beer.
But then in “Brew like a monk” there’s written that it isn’t true.
But in some experiment, somebody noticed that, specially with some yeast (such us Wy3787/WLP530), when you use a lot of table sugar, there's indeed a cider flavor.
Who’s right?
What’s your experience?
In a Tripel, can I use 18% of table sugar or is better another type of sugar (like dextrose, inverted sugar, candy sugar)?

 

[RPh_Guy]

Myth.
I use table sugar in my tripel. No cider flavor.
Lots of homebrewers bottle prime with table sugar.

 

[Joe Dragon]

Lele,

Here is my take:

For a 10 gallon batch
26 pounds of base malt. I use 20 pounds of 2-row and 6 pounds of pilsner
1 pound of carapils
Large pitch of Wyeast 3787

During high krauzen, boil 4 pounds of plain white sugar with a little R.O. water and add that to the fermenter(s).

Yeasts are lazy and will consume simple sugars first if given the opportunity. So let them eat the complex sugars first and add the sugar syrup after 2 or 3 days of active fermentation.

Start fermentation at 62 degrees and raise the fermentation chamber temperature 1 degree every day for a week.

This beer won a Best of Show and has been brewed professionally. Sorry about the Imperial Units. 'Mericans.....

 

[audeyoe]

So, it will absolutely work, and I also have never experienced "cider" flavors. I also have never had an issue implied by others with attenuation regarding giving the yeast simple sugars too early in the process. So, there's absolutely nothing wrong with using normal table sugar. BUT if you've ever tasted Candi sugar straight, it's delicious. It has its own flavor distinct from table sugar, and as soon as I tasted it I knew that was what I wanted to use. It's more expensive, of course, but there's a good reason it's the favorite of monks: it's easy to produce in the region and its flavor is excellent.

 

[Big Monk]

Hello and greetings from Italy And sorry for my English

Until recently we were told that table sugar gives cider flavor to the beer.
But then in “Brew like a monk” there’s written that it isn’t true.
But in some experiment, somebody noticed that, specially with some yeast (such us Wy3787/WLP530), when you use a lot of table sugar, there's indeed a cider flavor.
Who’s right?
What’s your experience?
In a Tripel, can I use 18% of table sugar or is better another type of sugar (like dextrose, inverted sugar, candy sugar)?

Short answer is yes. You can absolutely use table sugar. In fact, it’s very common in that style.

 

[thehaze]

Never experienced that. I just used 4 lbs sugar in 6.6 gallons of beer. No cider taste or aroma, so just use all the sugar you want.

 

[Kent88]

This probably wont help, but you could just brew a small test batch or two (or even more) and see what you think.

If you decide that you don't like that flavor you could look into converting table sugar into something more like brewing candi sugar by heating it and adding something like lemon juice. There are recipes on this site, if you want to go looking.

 

[Lele]

Thank you all for the answers...they've been very useful
Then I'll use simple table sugar, better if during the fermentation.
And an happy new year to everybody

 

[Lele]

Lele,

Here is my take:

For a 10 gallon batch
26 pounds of base malt. I use 20 pounds of 2-row and 6 pounds of pilsner
1 pound of carapils
Large pitch of Wyeast 3787

During high krauzen, boil 4 pounds of plain white sugar with a little R.O. water and add that to the fermenter(s).

Yeasts are lazy and will consume simple sugars first if given the opportunity. So let them eat the complex sugars first and add the sugar syrup after 2 or 3 days of active fermentation.

Start fermentation at 62 degrees and raise the fermentation chamber temperature 1 degree every day for a week.

This beer won a Best of Show and has been brewed professionally. Sorry about the Imperial Units. 'Mericans.....

I continue this discussion for a question. If I put the sugar after the beginning of the fermentation, in order to know the correct yeast pitching rate, I have to calcolate it taking into account the OG without sugar or with sugar?
For example: if I begin the fermentation with a OG OF 1060 and after 2 days I want to put the sugar in the fermenter in order tu rise the OG until 1072, what is the correct yeast pitching rate? That one calculated with OG 1060 or that one with 1072?
I hope I’m making myself clear, sorry for my English

 

[Big Monk]

I continue this discussion for a question. If I put the sugar after the beginning of the fermentation, in order to know the correct yeast pitching rate, I have to calcolate it taking into account the OG without sugar or with sugar?
For example: if I begin the fermentation with a OG OF 1060 and after 2 days I want to put the sugar in the fermenter in order tu rise the OG until 1072, what is the correct yeast pitching rate? That one calculated with OG 1060 or that one with 1072?
I hope I’m making myself clear, sorry for my English

1.060.

 

[RPh_Guy]

I continue this discussion for a question. If I put the sugar after the beginning of the fermentation, in order to know the correct yeast pitching rate, I have to calcolate it taking into account the OG without sugar or with sugar?
For example: if I begin the fermentation with a OG OF 1060 and after 2 days I want to put the sugar in the fermenter in order tu rise the OG until 1072, what is the correct yeast pitching rate? That one calculated with OG 1060 or that one with 1072?
I hope I’m making myself clear, sorry for my English

Pitching for 1.072 is correct, but the beer would probably turn out the same either way.

 

[Big Monk]

Pitching for 1.072 is correct, but the beer would probably turn out the same either way.

Pitching to 1.072 would be an overpitch. This may affect the first few days of fermentation.

2 days in and maximum cell density would be reached and it doesn’t matter so it’s likley better to pitch for 1.060.

 

[Lele]

mmmmh...there are different opinions here...

 

[Big Monk]

mmmmh...there are different opinions here...

I don’t think it’s a big deal either way and I haven’t crunched the numbers to see how many extra cells 0.012 difference in gravity makes.

 

[RPh_Guy]

mmmmh...there are different opinions here...

Welcome to homebrewing

 

[z-bob]

You can absolutely get a "cidery" taste if you skimp on the malt and try to make it up with sugar. Like the old recipes that call for a can of Blue Ribbon malt extract and a malt can of sugar. (perhaps it would work if you added yeast nutrient) But a Belgian tripel has plenty of malt. Adding sugar within reason is just fine. 18% sounds okay to me.