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

[ClemTiger0408]

I'd do it all grain biab- you'll thank me later. There is no reason to do traditional AG anymore (as detailed in Other threads)- traditional all grain is a equivalent of using a flip phone these days. Use an extra pound of the base grain (13.8 lbs pilsner) to compensate for efficiency loss since this is your first time.

You will have to start with more than 5 gallons because you lose water from evaporation during the boil and from grain absorption. You can probably assume an boil off rate of 1-1.5 gallons per hour for your first brew, but keep track of your pre and post volume so you can calculate your boil off rate specific to your pot that you can use for your next brew.

Use this link to figure out water volume to start with:

https://pricelessbrewing.github.io/BiabCalc/

I usually do a 90 min mashes with biab. Not sure it matters- people get by with much shorter mashes, but certainly doesn't hurt.

The other advice I can give you regarding biab is to squeeze the bag like it owes you money. A good way is to use two nested 5 gallon buckets with holes drilled in the bottom and sides of inner bucket so as bag is squeeze wort falls into bottom bucket. You won't need to sparge if you use a pound more of base grain and you squeeze the bag good enough.

You only need one vial of yeast if you're making a starter. Google "yeast calculator" and use one of them to see how to make the starter. 1 vial of yeast would probably work, but would not be optimal.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=233289

I don't love this post and I know it could open up a huge debate. But to say the "traditional" method of all grain is like a flip phone is somewhat disingenuous. I went from BIAB to a 10 gallon Igloo mash tun after a year of doing BIAB.

BIAB is a great way to enter all grain since the equipment requirements are much less and process is easier, however, the trade off is BIAB is kind of a pain.

With BIAB, in order to have a half decent efficiency (I know this doesn't matter a ton) I had make sure the LHBS double crushed my grain, do a 90 minute mash, stir the crap out of the mash every 20 minutes, pull out my ladder from storage so I can set up a pulley, and then squeeze the ever living daylights out of an extremely hot and heavy bag.

Now, I can single crush my grains, do a 60 minute mash, and simply drain the wort from the mash tun into the kettle. The time is about the same but the work is way less and I improved my efficiency by about 6 percentage points. And all I needed was about $60 to build a mash tun (I still use a bag for the filter instead of a false bottom).

My only point here is that BIAB is a different method for mashing than traditional but I wouldn't say its better or worse. For me, like I said, I did BIAB for more than a year and then switched to using a mash tun and haven't once looked back.

 

[andrewmaixner]

I don't love this post and I know it could open up a huge debate. But to say the "traditional" method of all grain is like a flip phone is somewhat disingenuous. I went from BIAB to a 10 gallon Igloo mash tun after a year of doing BIAB.

BIAB is a great way to enter all grain since the equipment requirements are much less and process is easier, however, the trade off is BIAB is kind of a pain.

With BIAB, in order to have a half decent efficiency (I know this doesn't matter a ton) I had make sure the LHBS double crushed my grain, do a 90 minute mash, stir the crap out of the mash every 20 minutes, pull out my ladder from storage so I can set up a pulley, and then squeeze the ever living daylights out of an extremely hot and heavy bag.

Now, I can single crush my grains, do a 60 minute mash, and simply drain the wort from the mash tun into the kettle. The time is about the same but the work is way less and I improved my efficiency by about 6 percentage points. And all I needed was about $60 to build a mash tun (I still use a bag for the filter instead of a false bottom).

My only point here is that BIAB is a different method for mashing than traditional but I wouldn't say its better or worse. For me, like I said, I did BIAB for more than a year and then switched to using a mash tun and haven't once looked back.

Hm, interesting. I went the other way, now using eBIAB. I crush at .045, mash for 45min with two quick stirs, spend 5 minutes to do a pulley hoist / squeeze / pour 1 gallon of water over it / squeeze again, and I get 70 to 80% efficiency depending on gravity. I really like the reduction in equipment space.

 

[thadeus_d3]

I finally got around to brewing a 10g batch of this today. Man, there was a lot of trub, but I hit all my numbers and it all went into the fermenter. Can't wait to try this next year.

 

[Oldskewl]

Does anyone have any recommendations for a water profile for this beer? I plan to brew it sometime this month. I assume a target PH of 5.4?

 

[adroc]

When are you adding the candy sugar to the boil?

 

[thadeus_d3]

When are you adding the candy sugar to the boil?

I added it with 5 minutes left in the boil. I'm not sure if that's the right time to add it bc it was my first time using candi sugar.

 

[Oldskewl]

Most people seem to be adding it around the 10 minute mark. Adding it too early in the boil can cause it to burn in the bottom of the kettle.

Just a word of caution to future brewers, watch the AA% of your hops. This is an older recipe and hops vary from year to year. The Hallertau and Saaz hops I just purchased from More Beer are 2.5% and 2.2% respectively. Which is considerably less(around to 1/2 to 2/3 the AA%) than the AG recipe on page 7. I plan to brew tomorrow night so I need to move my bittering addition back to about 70-75 minutes to increase my IBUs. Probably move my 3 min to 5 min also.

 

[Oldskewl]

I brewed the AG version on PG.7 over the week-end BIAB. For some reason I missed my OG by a mile. I'm usually within a couple points and average about 80% brewhouse efficiency. My pre-boil gravity was 1.056 and my final gravity with candi syrup additions was 1.080. I'm guessing conversion may not have been complete. I mashed for 60 minutes with a stir at the 30 minute mark and the 60 minute mark. It's the same process I usually use and have conversion by the 45-50 minute mark. Then the last screw up was I pitched my yeast at 65 degrees and put it in my fermentation fridge. I set the temp for 66 degrees on my STC-1000. I came down Saturday morning and the STC-1000 is reading 45 degrees. I forgot to push the power button on the STC-1000 which sets the temp when you change it. So I put my yeast to sleep for about a day. Its been bubbling away pretty steady for the last 2 days. Lets hope those yeast have enough O2 to take it down into the 1.016 range. Fingers crossed.

 

[Oldskewl]

Good news! I checked the FG last night and even with putting the yeast to sleep with a cold ferm chamber, I am at 1.010. So I am happy with a 9% Tripel. I plan on bottling tomorrow night.

 

[stever1000]

Can I sub the styrian goldings with EK goldings without a noticeable difference?

 

[pmaster]

Im about to try this batch this weekend. Anyone know if i could substitute the candi sugar for Simplicity Candi Syrup? I have some left that I'd like to use, im just unsure about the quantities

 

[andrewmaixner]

Im about to try this batch this weekend. Anyone know if i could substitute the candi sugar for Simplicity Candi Syrup? I have some left that I'd like to use, im just unsure about the quantities

All 0 srm sucrose is essentially identical. If the syrup is invert, that's just fine also.

 

[Oldskewl]

I used the clear syrup. Morebeer was out of the sugar when I ordered. Sample tasted sweet, but it's too early to tell. I think it'll be fine.

 

[pmaster]

Thanks for the info! Candi Syrup it will be!

 

[pmaster]

Anyone had issues with their wlp500 starter? Mine's been going on for 36h and it doesn't seem like there's been much activity at all. Ill be measuring the gravity tonight...

 

[Oldskewl]

Mine was fine. Pitched at 18hrs on stirplate

 

[pmaster]

Anyone had issues with their wlp500 starter? Mine's been going on for 36h and it doesn't seem like there's been much activity at all. Ill be measuring the gravity tonight...

Well, it seems to have taken off sometime today, its definitely changed color and I know have a little foam on top.

I guess I will let it on the stirplate until tomorrow, and drop it right when my wort is ready tomorrow. I would've prefered to decant since its around 1.5L, but I won't have time for a proper cold crash anyway.

 

[pmaster]

So, I hit 1.090 on my FG with everything added....not sure where I went wrong in my calculations, but I'm afraid to end up with jet fuel...Should I empty my carboy a bit to make room for some water to dilute it?? I have a 6.5gal which is almost to the neck...:-/

 

[Oldskewl]

You'll be fine. The original recipe was around 1.094. It will mellow with time.

 

[pmaster]

Well....This is very, very frustrating. I am pretty much certain I wasted this batch. For the last 3 batches I had issues which caused a bad taste which I couldn't pin point...A burnt/smokey taste to my beer. I thought it was possibly the fermentation temp, or the hops I used, or something I had messed up when sanitizing. Tonight I tasted it in the hydrometer sample when I measured my FG. Again, a strong burnt/cigarette taste, much worst than the other times!! Arghh!! So frustrating, and this was a fairly expensive and big batch to make!! The good news, I guess, is that I know what happened.... It seems some air got under my biab bag and the elements where not completely submerged for just enough time for it to burn the wort...I noticed my flow wasn't great from the pump when doing high gravity beers, due to bad ciruclation and dense wort, I guess it never occured to me that I could have actually burnt the wort (I burnt an element 5-6 months ago this way...).

So...I'll let the thing ferment, just in case, but once its finished, if the taste is just as bad I'll probably throw it down the drain

I'll post in the ebiab section and see if I can get help to fix my system...

 

[andrewmaixner]

Well....This is very, very frustrating. I am pretty much certain I wasted this batch. For the last 3 batches I had issues which caused a bad taste which I couldn't pin point...A burnt/smokey taste to my beer. I thought it was possibly the fermentation temp, or the hops I used, or something I had messed up when sanitizing. Tonight I tasted it in the hydrometer sample when I measured my FG. Again, a strong burnt/cigarette taste, much worst than the other times!! Arghh!! So frustrating, and this was a fairly expensive and big batch to make!! The good news, I guess, is that I know what happened.... It seems some air got under my biab bag and the elements where not completely submerged for just enough time for it to burn the wort...I noticed my flow wasn't great from the pump when doing high gravity beers, due to bad ciruclation and dense wort, I guess it never occured to me that I could have actually burnt the wort (I burnt an element 5-6 months ago this way...).

So...I'll let the thing ferment, just in case, but once its finished, if the taste is just as bad I'll probably throw it down the drain

I'll post in the ebiab section and see if I can get help to fix my system...

I too have a system like that, and I did have the air gap / burning issue when I was getting used to it, but I was never able to taste it in the finished beer, even when the element with 50% covered with char and took a half hour scrubbing with Bar Keepers Friend to clean.

However, I definitely have had a smokey phenolic issue but was able to narrow it down to a sanitation issue on one or two specific pieces of hardware (air stone, or a plastic fermenter) that I believe led to a wild yeast taking hold. I know that my issue was not from to the element burning, because I always do 10-gallon batches, and the beer from one fermenter would be good, but from the other it would be bad. Additionally, on a batch where I had very obvious element burning issues, The Taste was not present at all.

Unfortunately that doesn't guarantee that your issue is the same as my issue, best of luck figuring it out!

 

[pmaster]

I too have a system like that, and I did have the air gap / burning issue when I was getting used to it, but I was never able to taste it in the finished beer, even when the element with 50% covered with char and took a half hour scrubbing with Bar Keepers Friend to clean.

However, I definitely have had a smokey phenolic issue but was able to narrow it down to a sanitation issue on one or two specific pieces of hardware (air stone, or a plastic fermenter) that I believe led to a wild yeast taking hold. I know that my issue was not from to the element burning, because I always do 10-gallon batches, and the beer from one fermenter would be good, but from the other it would be bad. Additionally, on a batch where I had very obvious element burning issues, The Taste was not present at all.

Unfortunately that doesn't guarantee that your issue is the same as my issue, best of luck figuring it out!

Thanks for the reply. I guess sanitation may have played a part too in previous batches... I'm always very careful, but one never knows. However this time I'm pretty sure that its related to the element scorching the wort since I tasted the hydrometer sample just before filling up the carboy, thus no fermentation had taken place yet. And I still have the issue related to the pump flow which seems to empty too fast the bottom of the kettle, although I try to slow it down as much as possible... I'll have to rethink a few things, i sure don't intend to waste another batch like this

 

[zuko51]

Just wondering if you have a way to do a partial grain recipe. I really want to try and make this but I don't have all grain setup and can't stand all extract. Thanks!

 

[pmaster]

Going at it again tonight, this is my second try at this beer, first attempt went down in the toilet since I burned the wort with my element.
This time, no recirculation, I am mashing at 149F and letting it there for 90min with insulation around the kettle. Let's hope it ends better than last time!

 

[pmaster]

Going at it again tonight, this is my second try at this beer, first attempt went down in the toilet since I burned the wort with my element.
This time, no recirculation, I am mashing at 149F and letting it there for 90min with insulation around the kettle. Let's hope it ends better than last time!

Well, the plan started well, i guess. I heated up my water to 160, dropped the grain in and it went to 149-150. Perfect. I insulated everything with the lid on for 90min. I switched on the 'keep warm' option on the stove, figuring it would keep the bottom warm. Fast forward 90min, I open up the lid, stir and take the temp: 160F...
I guess that keep warm option on the stove heats more than I thought! I guess if it climbed to 160 over 1.5h its not too bad...hopefully it still ferments fairly dry. Fermentation is very active anyway, there's like a small tornado going on in there!

 

[pmaster]

From 1.084 to 1.01 in 1 week and there's still bubbling, maybe 1 per 30 sec. Hopefully it doesnt attenuate much more as im already close to 10% abv!

 

[brick_haus]

What do you guys/gals think about the 2.5qts strike water per pound/grain mash ratio as per the all grain recipe. Is this required for any particular reason? Body?

 

[LaurieGator]

Just made the extract version and put it into the carboy a few days ago. Next time, I am going all grain on this one. The recipe looked fun, so I used it to get the "kinks" out of my brewing system after taking a 2 year break and moving from sea level to 6900 ft elevation.

My two helpful hints for anyone making this recipe:

1. Don't bother with an air lock. Just hook up a blow off tube. This baby would have overwhelmed an air lock in no time flat. With 1/2 inch tubing, I am getting ~ 1.5 bubbles per second. She is really active!

2. Allow plenty of head space. I had a 6 gallon better bottle and allowed close to a gallon of head space. It expanded to use almost all of the available space.

I am looking forward to a summer/fall tasting on this one!

 

[HiImBrian]

From 1.084 to 1.01 in 1 week and there's still bubbling, maybe 1 per 30 sec. Hopefully it doesnt attenuate much more as im already close to 10% abv!

Wow that's super fast!
- What temp did you pitch at?
- What temp are you fermenting at?
- How did you oxygenate?
- I assume you made a big starter?

 

[pmaster]

Wow that's super fast!
- What temp did you pitch at?
- What temp are you fermenting at?
- How did you oxygenate?
- I assume you made a big starter?

Made a good 2L starter. I pitched at around 62-64 and it fermented at probably around 66-67, and gradually upped the temperature after a few days. Didn't even use the blow-off tube, it just fermented steadily and seemed like a very healthy fermentation.

Just oxygenated by shaking the carboy by hand, nothing special.

It turned out awesome in the end, and only gets better with time. From the hydro readings I have something like 9.9% abv, but it doesn't taste hot or anything so I'm very happy (I was scared it'd taste too strong!)

Edit: actually now that I think about it, I think I did use the blow-off tube. Its the batch I did just after that for which I didn't! lol