Belgian Tripel

[nordoe]

I am thinking about brewing a Belgian Tripel. I have been reading several recipes on the site a have 2 questions.

1. Alot of the recipes call for turbinado sugar, is that just grocery store bought "sugar in the raw" or is it belgian candi sugar?

2. Also, when is this sugar added, begining of the boil?

 

[JetSmooth]

I am thinking about brewing a Belgian Tripel. I have been reading several recipes on the site a have 2 questions.

1. Alot of the recipes call for turbinado sugar, is that just grocery store bought "sugar in the raw" or is it belgian candi sugar?

2. Also, when is this sugar added, begining of the boil?

Turbinado is just sugar in the raw. Save your money and don't get the Belgian candi. I did that with my Golden Strong ale and could have just used regular sugar.

I added the sugar during fermentation, but you will find many varying opinions on when to add the sugar.

 

[Revvy]

Yes, Turbinado is "sugar in the raw."

FYI "Belgian candy sugar" is really just whatever sugar the monks and Belgian brewers bought in bulk, then inverted and boiled down to whatever darkness they wanted in their beer. It's not a special magical sugar, grown for them by secret society of castrated elves specially for the monks to brew beer with. It was whatever was reasonably priced in bulk. More often than not it was beet, but it could have been cane, depending on what traders had for them...but "Belgian Candy Sugar" is really just "the sugar that the belgians happened to use." And to me, buying overpriced sugar is ridiculus, especially when you can make your own. I think that the original Belgian Monks would laugh at us silly American homebrewers who pay 3 times as much for it from the LHBS, when we can buy it from bulk food warehouse.

Graham Sanders on the aussie craft brewer radio first brought it up with one of those authors of Beligian Style books, can't recall who.

We've been discussing it for years.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f36/quick-interesting-read-dubbels-99971/

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/candi-sugar-necessity-148786/

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/candi-syrup-all-out-stock-128960/#post1445241

And many even argue that if you're just using "clear" cadi sugar or syrup, then just dump it directly in the kettle, since the sugar theoretically inverts itself during the boil. If you are using darker grades in your recipes, then inverting them with a little cream of tartar, citric acid, lemon juice or vinegar, and pre carmalizing them to the level you want is a good idea. There are "recipes" for making candi in both rock and syryp form. It's really easy. No harder than making Candy.

When to add it? If it is just a couple pounds you can add it anytime in the boil...if it is more than two and is a big recipe, I usually add the rest throught primary fermentation. Usually a pound at a time. I wait for the intial krausen to fall, then add a pound, which will re-krausen, then when that falls I'll add the next batch, ad infitum....That way you aren't over taxing the yeast too much.

 

[nordoe]

Thanks guys. I used the candi sugar in the past, I guess what threw me off was the name "Turbinado" sugar.

 

[mhenry41h]

Revvy,

I am making a tripel on Sunday and I am using a blend of sugars. Im going to use a tad of corn sugar, some inverted organic cane, and some inverted turbinado. I was considering adding the corn sugar to the boil and inverted turbinado to the boil. I will need 1.62 lbs of inverted cane which I plan on adding to the primary. I was planning on adding 1 lb when high krausen starts to drop, and then remaining .62 lbs when that krausen falls. The obvious reason is keeping my yeast protected from fatigue and cutting down on any off-flavors from said fatigue. I also think, and this is speculation, that adding sugar in intervals like you mentioned also keeps the fermentation healthy by forcing the healthiest yeast to do the fermenting of the late sugars. The tired and spent yeast have fallen out and only the most vigorous would therefore be hitting your sugar additions right? Or am I thinking too hard?

 

[Jawbox0]

Also, sometimes you can find cheap sugar in the raw in with the Mexican foods of your local grocery store. This is what I usually use.

 

[Revvy]

Revvy,

I am making a tripel on Sunday and I am using a blend of sugars. Im going to use a tad of corn sugar, some inverted organic cane, and some inverted turbinado. I was considering adding the corn sugar to the boil and inverted turbinado to the boil. I will need 1.62 lbs of inverted cane which I plan on adding to the primary. I was planning on adding 1 lb when high krausen starts to drop, and then remaining .62 lbs when that krausen falls. The obvious reason is keeping my yeast protected from fatigue and cutting down on any off-flavors from said fatigue. I also think, and this is speculation, that adding sugar in intervals like you mentioned also keeps the fermentation healthy by forcing the healthiest yeast to do the fermenting of the late sugars. The tired and spent yeast have fallen out and only the most vigorous would therefore be hitting your sugar additions right? Or am I thinking too hard?

That's pretty much how I do multiple sugar additions.

 

[mhenry41h]

Revvy, I killed it today. Absolutely killed it. Color is spot on, and I missed my gravity by 6 points to the high side. I cannot wait for this one. I'm calling it Isabella's 8. My wife is due with our daughter Isabella any day now, in fact, she started reporting some contracting as I finished the brew...divine intervention?

coming soon...to a fridge near you!

 

[cyprusholidays]

Revvy...you gave a great report..I will make it this wednesday or Saturday.