Belgian Triple recipe- would love feed back and advice

[plustroy63]

Just getting into the all grain brewing and decided to start with a nice big triple. I am hoping to get everything ready for it and brew it this weekend. I have been doing some surfing around and reading up on some advice to brewing this and wanted to post and see if I seemed to be heading in the right direction.


RGtripple
Belgian Tripel
Type: All Grain Date: 8/20/2013
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.00 gal
Boil Size: 6.79 gal
Boil Time: 90 min Equipment: Pot and Cooler ( 5 Gal/19 L) - All Grain
End of Boil Volume 5.98 gal Brewhouse Efficiency: 72.00 %
Final Bottling Volume: 4.60 gal Est Mash Efficiency 82.8 %
Fermentation: Ale, Two Stage

Ingredients


Ingredients
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
5.00 gal Portland OR Water 1 -
8 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 2 39.0 %
8 lbs Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (2.0 SRM) Grain 3 39.0 %
1 lbs Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 4 4.9 %
8.0 oz Aromatic Malt (26.0 SRM) Grain 5 2.4 %
1.00 oz Styrian Goldings [5.40 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 6 13.8 IBUs
1.00 oz Styrian Goldings [5.40 %] - Boil 20.0 min Hop 7 8.3 IBUs
1.00 oz Saaz [4.00 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 8 5.1 IBUs
0.25 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 mins) Fining 9 -
1.00 oz Saphir [3.50 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 10 3.2 IBUs
1.00 oz Saaz [4.00 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 11 2.0 IBUs
1.00 oz Saphir [3.50 %] - Boil 1.0 min Hop 12 0.4 IBUs
1.0 pkg Trappist High Gravity (Wyeast Labs #3787) [124.21 ml] Yeast 13 -
3 lbs Sugar, Table (Sucrose) (1.0 SRM) Sugar 14 14.6 %

Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.120 SG Measured Original Gravity: 1.046 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.009 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.010 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 15.0 % Actual Alcohol by Vol: 4.7 %
Bitterness: 32.8 IBUs Calories: 151.6 kcal/12oz
Est Color: 7.2 SRM
Mash Profile

Mash Name: Single Infusion, Light Body, Batch Sparge Total Grain Weight: 20 lbs 8.0 oz
Sparge Water: 3.67 gal Grain Temperature: 72.0 F
Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F Tun Temperature: 72.0 F
Adjust Temp for Equipment: FALSE Mash PH: 5.20

Mash Steps
Name Description Step Temperature Step Time
Mash In Add 21.88 qt of water at 149 for 90 min

Sparge Step: Batch sparge with 5 steps (Drain mash tun, , 0.92gal, 0.92gal, 0.92gal, 0.92gal) of 168.0 F water

So I figured Since this is my first all grain I will probably get pretty poor efficiency and not really hit the 1.120 OG. I know I should probably boil this for 90 min. I was going to mash at 149 for 90 min to make a very fermentable wort then proceed to batch sparge it out. I am gonna make a 2 liter yeast starter with plenty of nutrients. Gonna split the beer into two 6 gallon vessels because I hear this yeast really goes big quick with the krausen. I am doing this instead of a blow off tube in hopes of keeping more yeast in the beer and not losing it to the tube. After a few days when the krausen recedes I will combine the two into one carboy and add the three pounds of sugar (boiled up). I also plan on giving the beer a good shake and probably also using an aquarium pump and diffusion stone on the first day to give the yeast plenty of oxygen to reproduce. I have also read I should pitch this yeast low about 60 or 62 degrees and then let it rise up slowly so I will do my best to do that.

So what am I missing here? How does the recipe look? to complicated I assume since Triples can be made so simple. What did I get wrong?

 

[prpromin]

A few thoughts:
Pretty ambitious for a first AG brew. Have you considered brewing a smaller Belgian first to dial in your equipment? Plus, you could use that first beer as your starter and just pitch the Trpel on the cake.

I'd look at simplifying the hop schedule. That's a lot of variety and additions for something that's going to fade a lot by the time you'll actually want to drink it (think at least six months of aging, probably longer).

The sugar seems like a lot, too. I brewed a Belgian Dark Strong earlier this year (OG - 1.110) and only added a pound of sugar. Granted, it's still bottle conditioning, and will not be drinkable until sometime in 2014, but that was plenty.

Your plan for starter, mash, and boil are all good. With that OG (if it were me), I'd ferment at the low end for at least a few days before letting it rise - that's me, though. Do you have a ferm chamber? That will make the process a lot easier.

Anyway, sounds like you know the basics. If you jump right in with this recipe, good luck.

EDIT: One more thought - will you be kegging or bottling? The yeast might be too pooped to bottle carb with that ABV. I used champagne yeast for my BDSA.

 

[biodarwin]

Personally if you were interested in brewing trippels I would find the simplest recipe you can find and slowly add to it. When starting off with a style and new a process you are not familiar with you are over complicating things. Start simple, then slowing add to the recipe so you can understand how the different ingredients change the overall brew. Once you understand the "base" recipe, you can then branch out and add more to your grain bill etc.

 

[Bankshot]

I agree that a triple is a bit ambitious on an untested all grain setup. I would go with a very simple and cheap beer like a wheat just so you can make mistakes and get an idea of your efficiency.

 

[solbes]

Agree with others that a beer that large is not a great one to start out on for AG. 72% efficiency is fairly easy to hit on a 1.050 beer, but can be harder for a 1.10+ beer. Also a 15% tripel? Whoa, it will take at least a year to mellow out. I have made one at 8% and one at 9% and found that to be a sweet spot. You will need way more yeast than a 2 liter starter to ferment it that low. I like to make a Patersbier first (1.050 gravity), and pitch the top 1/2 of the cake from that.

I usually use 1 or 2 varieties of hops for belgians. Saaz and Styrian Goldings are a good pairing. I find its mostly about the unique yeast flavors with Belgians.

3 lbs of sucrose is probably okay in that high of a gravity, but I would drop to 2 lbs if you go with a ~ 1.080 gravity. If you wanted to add some extra flavors, maybe consider subbing Candi Syrup for some of your Sucrose. Or you can invert your own on the stove and make some amber syrup.

Your temp schedule looks excellent, as does your plan to split into 2 fermenters if you are going that big. 3787 is BEASTLY. Good luck!

 

[plustroy63]

Ok so a lot of what I feared. maybe I will drop the specialty grains and reduce the sugar to two pounds. That drops my gravity a fair amount. I will drop the saphir hops as well. I will be bottling these so I figured I may have to use champagne yeast to do that. Sadly no kegging equipment nor do I have a ferm chamber just gonna have to use water and ice to try and keep that temp down.




Or would it be better to keep the specialty grains and take some of the base malts out? I know triples can be brewed with just base malt so I am not sure.

 

[plustroy63]

I would like to thank you all for talking me down hahaha. So now I am thinking it should look a little more like this.

Ingredients
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
5.00 gal Portland OR Water 1 -
6 lbs Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (2.0 SRM) Grain 2 41.4 %
5 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 3 34.5 %
1 lbs Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 4 6.9 %
8.0 oz Aromatic Malt (26.0 SRM) Grain 5 3.4 %
1.00 oz Styrian Goldings [5.40 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 6 16.8 IBUs
1.00 oz Styrian Goldings [5.40 %] - Boil 20.0 min Hop 7 10.2 IBUs
1.00 oz Saaz [4.00 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 8 6.2 IBUs
0.25 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 mins) Fining 9 -
1.00 oz Saaz [4.00 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 10 2.5 IBUs
1.0 pkg Trappist High Gravity (Wyeast Labs #3787) [124.21 ml] Yeast 11 -
2 lbs Sugar, Table (Sucrose) (1.0 SRM) Sugar 12 13.8 %

Then just do everything the same. pitch low and ramp up the temp slowly. split into two containers and add the sugar in later.

 

[signpost]

Go for it. Just jump in the deep end. You'll learn a ton.

 

[sweetcell]

if you want a traditional tripel: replace the 2-row with pilsner. traditionally tripels are all pilsner. drop, or at least reduce, the munich. here's is Jamil's tripel recipe, from Brewing Classic Styles: http://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/23709/jamil-s-tripel

the hop schedule is really complicated for a tripel. ideally you want one 60 minute bittering addition, and a single *small* late addition. tripels are not hoppy beers. all those late additions you have, while tasty, will put you out of style.

alternately, throw the style book out the window and brew this as-is. although i agree that a big beer like this might not be the best thing to try on a new system. maybe start with a witbier, belgian pale ale, belgian blond, etc.

 

[solbes]

Bottling higher gravity beers is the way to go IMO. You will likely consume it over a period of 9-18 months anyway, so no reason to tie up a keg line. I have not had any issue with 3787 bottle conditioning. Haven't added any fresh yeast either. However the highest I have gone is 9% with that yeast.

Maybe your Munich and aromatic isn't quite to style, but keep it in if you want it. It's your recipe.

 

[plustroy63]

Well I brewed this beer according to the second recipe yesterday. Sadly I had some equipment issues and hobbled together a mlt which was less than ideal and then broke my hydrometer so I am flying blind on it. The two fermenters are bubbling away and I guess I will see how this turns out. Just hoping it becomes tasty.

 

[RonPopeil]

lol hope you like it.

if i were you i would've done

13lbs pils
.5 lbs aromatic

hallertau mittlefrueh at 60 and 15 for a total of ~25 IBUs.

1cup of sugar disolved in 1 cup of water on day three of fermentation

step mash, 145F for 45mins, 155F for 45mins

4L yeast starter.

lager at 40F for 8 weeks.