Belgian Tripel Belgian Trippel (2006 World Beer Cup Gold Medal: Dragonmead Final Absolution clone)

[Outrigger]

I brewed this (AG) on Tuesday; OG of 1.091. Sampled today and it's 1.010. It smells good, very hot, but that's expected.

I mashed .5lb of carapils for mouthfeel but other that that, used the recipe. I did use a starter with stirplate and oxygen as well. It began to ferment in just a few hours and I've never seen such vigorous fermentation. My blowoff tube rests in a 2qt pitcher and the bubbling was almost so fast as to seem like a continuous flow of CO2, rather than actual bubbling.

For those making this recipe (as well as other high gravity beers) I STRONGLY recommend a starter. I make a starter most every time, but you should consider it mandatory for this recipe.

It's going to sit in primary for at least two weeks ~65-70 degrees, then after that I'll rack to a secondary and let it age for a month, likely more. Then off to the keg.

Edit: I let things settle when I took my gravity reading and also tasted it. I've been brewing for several years and I'm *really* surprised at how good it tastes this early on. I tasted it again and I'm a little blown away with how delicious this is.

 

[shanlmt]

I am very interested in making this recipe. The only high gravity beer I've made was a Chimay Blue clone. It turned out great, but I want to try something different. I had a question about the extract version of your recipe. When you say "12.4 total pounds of fermentables", what are the fermentables you are using? I've read through about 13 pages of posts on this recipe, and no one else asks this question, so I feel kinda silly . But I just want to make sure I do it up right. It looks great and I can't wait to get to brewing. Thanks!

 

[shanlmt]

Ohhhhhh, I think I understand the question I asked about the 12.4 lbs of fermentables. Adding up all the Malt extracts, DME and candi sugar = 12.4 lbs.

 

[HenryVance3]

Ding ding ding ding, tell him what he has won Bob.....

 

[kreausenator]

A new car!!!!!!!!

 

[HuRRiC4Ne]

Ohhhhhh, I think I understand the question I asked about the 12.4 lbs of fermentables. Adding up all the Malt extracts, DME and candi sugar = 12.4 lbs.

Yeah thats correct. It's like bragging rights, for example. "yeah, the beer had 14 total pounds of fermentables!"... I just added it because the guys at my local brew shop would always be like "yeah, that kit has 9lbs of fermentables!!!!"... so it sounded cool to say 12.4

 

[shanlmt]

Hurricane, this question is for you. I am going to brew the all-grain version tomorrow. I'm making a 1L starter today. My question is: I have 14lbs of belgian Pilsner, 1lb 9oz of munich and 1/2 lb of carapils. I bought 2lbs of light belgian candy syrup. The recipe calls for 1.6lbs of the candy syrup, but with the extra additions of grains should I use the whole 2lbs of candy syrup? 2nd question is.... For all grain, I've always used the ratio of 1-1.3L water to 1lb grain. I notice that your ration is 2.5quarts water per lb grains. That seems like a lot of water!! What is the purpose of the higher ration? I'm a fairly new brewer, so I apologize if my questions seem silly. But, I'm really excited about this recipe!!

 

[ecpratt]

Hey guys, any idea what temp would be best to age this beer? I've got the batch split between regular 12oz bottles and the larger 22oz variety. The 22oz cases are in my darkroom at ~70 while the 12oz set are chilling in a 55 refrigerator.

I chose to add the belgian candi after a few days of fermentation so the belgian has a dryer composition and was fermented at 63C...

 

[shanlmt]

I brewed the all grain version today. First off let me say this is my first all-grain high gravity. I made a few changes: 16lbs pilsner belgian, 1.9 oz munich malt, 8 oz carapils. It was cold outside today and I had an impossible time getting my mash temperature high enough. I started with 4 gallons of strike water heated to 170, but after grains were added mash temp was 140. I ended up adding 2 gallons of boiling water and it only came up to 145, so that is what it mashed at for 90 minutes. Iodine conversion test showed all the starches had converted out. I also added a full 2lbs of light belgian candy syrup, since I bumped up the grain bill. I also added 1 tsp irish moss and 1 packet Lalvin K1-V1116 the last 10 minutes of boil. My O.G. ended up being 1.082

 

[Sharkman20]

Me and my buddy are brewing this up the all grain version of this next Saturday and we were thinking of doing a smaller gravity beer with the second runnings. My questions is, if we do that, will we be way off on our target gravity for this recipe?

 

[shanlmt]

A little more than a day after brewing and my beer is chugging away at probably 120 bubbles/min. I've never used a blow-off tube before, but I decided to use one this time instead of an airlock , since it's such a high octane brew. It makes me so happy to see those bubbles and know my yeast is happily working away.

 

[David8464]

This will probably be my next brew. I had the pleasure of trying St. Bernardus Tripel this weekend which really turned me on to the style. From what I've read, that beer has a pretty fast turn around for the style, which is another thing that made this recipe stand out to me.

 

[D_Ranged_Eskimo]

This will probably be my next brew. I had the pleasure of trying St. Bernardus Tripel this weekend which really turned me on to the style. From what I've read, that beer has a pretty fast turn around for the style, which is another thing that made this recipe stand out to me.

I just tried that last night and man was that some good beer. Now I really want to try this, hoping that it will be similar (and possibly better)!

 

[J-ROD]

Brewed this up last night. I had made a starter and pitched at 11:30. It was going crazy tonight when I got home. First Belgian and I'm really excited!

 

[phuff7129]

Subscribed

 

[Ericbme]

This one is currently in the mash tun...stoked! I love some graveyard brewing!

 

[kreausenator]

All grain version in secondary now. Should be yummy

 

[SoupNazi]

I have this sitting at 2 weeks in the primary. I had to tweak this recipe, and came came out with an OG of 1.100. Going to take a gravity and taste tomorrow. Super psyched about this one!

 

[ahaagis]

Cracked open a 22 oz bottle of this for sharing and it was great and well carbonated after 30 days but it needs some time to mellow. I opened a 12 oz bottle and it was still a bit flat. For an extract brew this is fantastic.

 

[envader]

I'm planning on doing a partial boil for this recipe this week, and was wondering what everyone has been using for their fermenting chambers? I've got a 6.5 gal bucket, but part of me wants to say that's not going to be big enough for a 6 gal batch.

 

[insp79]

All grain version in secondary now. Should be yummy

AG is in the secondary as well. Cannot wait. It has been fermenting for 28 days (14 in primary). I plan on bottling in a week, after a cold crash.
Bottle age for another 30 days.

This should be good.

 

[shanlmt]

envader, I used a 6.5 gallon bucket for my primary and it worked fine. I used a blow off tube inserted in sterilizing fluid. I will be moving mine into a secondary (glass carboy) this weekend, after 2 weeks in the primary.

 

[SoupNazi]

I brewed this 3 weeks ago today. Took a gravity and read 1.020, same as when I checked it a couple of days ago. I gently swirled the bucket and put into my warmest closet at around 74*F. Hoping to kick down a couple more points in the next week or two, then bottle.

I did have me another taste, and its like bananas drenched in 151.

 

[SoupNazi]

I ended up bottling after 1 month in the primary with a fg of 1.019. I would have liked to see it come down more, but my og was 1.100. Can't wait top see how this is in a month.

 

[teachtim]

questions answered.

 

[DrDRum]

I took a stab at this one last night. I'm a bit of a novice still, but it did seem awfully easy. I'm excited about this brew, I had it at a grand rapids brew festival this winter and it was my favorite there. Plus it's my first high gravity, etc.

Based on the great info in this thread, here's what I made:

Starter[\u]
WLP500 Trappist ale yeast. This was my first time doing a starter. Seemed easy enough to make. Used 4cups water & 2 cups light dme. It went into a couple quart mason jars with alum foil. I then gave 'em a good swirl / shake a half dozen times each day for 2 days, then into the fridge. Some research on here suggests using your starter with a day-ish for maximu
Viability...so I hope I didn't mess that up. I gave it a few hours on the counter before pitching to warm up, decanted half the beer off before pitching.

Recipe was slightly altered based on what was available.

10lbs Light malt extract LME (lhbs said it's the same as pilsner lme)
1lbs Amber DME
1lbs Light Belgian Candy
1/2 lb of pilsner light dme
1/2 lb of Cara pils steeped @160 for mouthfeel (I'm new to this term, but went with it)
12.5 lbs fermentables.

Hops: (IBU at 21 according to beer calculus)
1 oz. German Hallertau 3.8%AA 60min (subbed for mittlefruh)
0.25 oz. Cascade 12%AA 60 min (had this leftover from prev brew and accidentally didn't buy two packages of hallertau)
1/2 oz. Styrian Goldings 3.4% AA 30min
0.8 oz. Saaz 2.8% AA 3min

Also did a bit of late add with some of the lme, for Hopp utilization.

Steeped cara pils for 25min @ 160. In 3.5 gallons.
Brought to boil.
Remove Fromm boil.
Add 5lbs lme, candi, 1/2 lb Pilsen dme.
Reboil.
60 min - Add hallertau & cascade
Continue boil (never really threatened to boilover)
25 min - amber dme & styrian goldings
15 min - add 5lbs lme (and immersion chiller to sterilize)
5 min - add saaz.

Cooled with immersion chiller while on the stove.
Swirled to cone trub
Racked out wort, almost no trub
Added 2 gallons filtered water.
Poured back / forth to aerate.
Og: 1.093 :rockin:
Pitch that yeast.
Use blowoff.

Fermenting in our extra bathroom @ 72 - 75.

This morning, already bubbling, every 2-3 seconds thru 3/8" blowoff . Nice spicy banana scent.

Well see how it goes .

DRum:rockin:

 

[Praesil]

So I brewed this on Veteran's day, bottled on New Year's day, and still l have some left around. It was my first all grain batch and had somewhat of a low efficiency - around 65% ish, but that was my poor understanding at the time of the difference between fly and batch sparging.

(Don't use fly sparging when your tun is set up for batching).

Anyways, the yeast has settled to the bottom and it's now clear, and boy is it something. Really crisp, good spicy notes. The banana has worn off a bit, but when it was fermenting that's all I could smell. I really like this one - thanks for the recipe.

Only thing I would note for followers is to leave it in the secondary longer than you would think, and the longer in the bottle the better.

 

[telder4336]

I've had this in secondary for about 2 weeks and just added some bourbon soaked oak chips to it that I'm going to leave in for 5-7 days. Should give it the bourbon barrel aged taste as well. Smells fantastic!!

 

[SoupNazi]

I've had this in secondary for about 2 weeks and just added some bourbon soaked oak chips to it that I'm going to leave in for 5-7 days. Should give it the bourbon barrel aged taste as well. Smells fantastic!!

Bourbon soaked oak in a tripel? sounds horrible, but I'd try it

 

[DrDRum]

Update from me:

@ 24 hour hours fermentation, my bathroom was at 80F. And freakin' HUMMIN like a drunken sailor . I mean, I have never seen such violent fermentation. I'd called our in-home babysitter during the day, to ask her what it looked like. She said "It smells like banana bread in here. Wow...there's lots of bubbles coming out of this jug". I had the 3/8" blowoff in a half-full gallon jug of star-san...and it was bubbling krausen through the blowoff, into the star san, and was spouting krausen/starsan bubbles out the top of the jug, onto my bathroom floor.

By that evening it was 84 in the bathroom (yay heat spell in March)...and I got nervous. I jumped online, and explored fermentation as a function of temp. All about esters, fusels, diacetyls & acetaldehydes...more nervous. So I moved it to a cooler room in the basement...~75*F. However, when I woke in the morning (day 2), it was 62*F in the room (SWMBO must have turned the thermostat off). Oops. Still bubbling every 3-5 seconds though.

By that afternoon, it was 65F, with zero bubble activity. Hoping I hadn't thermally freaked my yeast...I let it sit. When in doubt RDWHAHB (never has it been tougher than this).

Day 4: I took a reading today, 1.024. Hmmm, not sure if we're finished yet. So I've moved it up to the warmer bathroom again (now that our heat wave is over), gave it a good shake with the lid back on, and am hoping for lower 70s in there for the next few days.

We'll see in a few days if we rack to secondary yet...I'm thinking at least a week in primary.

DRum