Big Belgian Smash Recipe

[Phil_Ozzy_Fer]

Hello,

I was thinking about doing a smash brew for a Belgian Tripel, but would like to get feedback on whether or not a beer this big could fit a smash recipe. Personally, I don't see why not. Here's the recipe idea I was kicking around:

23L/6 gal

6.5 kg/14 lbs. of Belgian Pilsner (Base grain, not changing this)
1 kg/2.2 lbs brown sugar (this is for color so the beer retains a little, and isn't too pale)

30 grams/1 oz. of Simcoe for 60 minutes (probably changing this as well)

- I won't be dry-hopping.

Single infusion mash at 152F/67C

Safale t-58 (this will probably change to some yet to be determined White Labs Belgian Blend)

90 minute boil

Projected OG to be about 1.080
Projected FG to be about 1.020

Thoughts, feelings, suggestions? This is purely a hypothetical at this point, but I feel like it's a fun experiment.

 

[giraffe]

Most commercial tripels are going to be rather smash like, there is no reason it wouldnt work. A simple tripel is pilsner malt, and 10-30% sugar. Id just use plain sucrose, but if you want to use brown sugar, it wont add much flavor anyway.

Some tripels have some late hopping. If you go that route, Id go with something more noble-ish, or goldings-ish; more subtle than simcoe.

But really its all about the yeast. Pick a good yeast strain, and use a calculator and pitch a proper amount. I like wyeast 3787, or 3522. Opinions vary.

 

[ArkotRamathorn]

SMaSH'ing would actually be pretty close to the traditional Belgian way of making beers (whole mess of pilsner, and then some sugar).

I would personally skip brown sugar. If you need some color making home made belgian candi sugar is pretty easy and quick (particularly when you only need a touch more color). If you can I'd also pick up a German/continental breed of hop with lower natural alpha acids, I imagine most 1oz's of simcoe would blow the IBUs needed for a tripel out of the water.

Briefly for making home made candi syrup/sugar. Since you want 2.2lbs I would just grab 2.2lbs of table sugar, 2ish teaspoons of tartaric acid (cream of tartar), and some water (and a dab of corn syrup to keep the sugar from solidifying instantly if you want syrup). Put it all in a pot (I like non stick pans). Throw it on the stove with just enough water to dissolve the sugar. Start the stove and get it heated up and throw a candy thermometer in so you can track the temp (I just use an electronic thermometer SWMBO got me). Let it heat up to between 270 and 280F, hold it around that temp, and watch it carefully.

You'll see a color change in the syrup within a couple minutes, it doesn't take very long to get a gold/blond syrup. Ta-da you've got 1kg of candi sugar for the cost of about 30 cents. It will be a bit closer to traditional this way.


I would add one more thing, I am sipping a 11% Plum BDSA I made with T-58. I love T-58, I have another packet in my fridge right now in fact. But, I don't know if I would use T-58 in a tripel styled beer. If I check my notes I think I had 20% sugar, its dry, it took FOREVER to carbonate, but it came off spicy phenols, very low on the clove phenols, but almost no banana, I sort of would hope for some banana in my tripel, at least a little. Particularly when it was an 11% batch with a single packet pitched (honestly, I was trying for ester formation).

 

[Phil_Ozzy_Fer]

Thanks for the feedback. After a bit of searching I'm going to try and make the candi sugar myself. The ingredients will likely be altered when I brew and the Simcoe hops will probably be swapped out for Saaz and I'll be using a White Labs Belgian yeast, just depends on what the LHBS has available. Thank you for the help.

 

[drgoodbrew]

the great thing about these types of beers is the simplicity.

+1 on the table sugar--it's easy, inexpensive, and works extremely well. i use styrian goldings in mine and it lends the perfect balance of bitterness and spice. the key is balance. WLP500 works really well, just make a solid starter and give it time to work its magic!

if you keg it, your last pint will be your best!

 

[beergolf]

A tripel is pretty much a smash recipe. The classic recipe is 80% pils, 20% sugar. Noble hops to a .375 BU/GU ratio. I like saaz in mine.

The yeast is a big factor in the taste.