Easier style for Beginner? (Belgian Tripel or Russian Imperial Stout)

[CincyStout]

Hi, all. This is my first time posting here, and I'd appreciate some guidance. I haven't home brewed in three years or so. Even then, I'd only done a half-dozen batches, so I'm very much an amateur at this. I've got a weekend without the wife and kid coming up, so I thought I'd get out the old gear and brew something up. I was thinking about either a Belgian style tripel or maybe a Russian Imperial Stout. Are either of these styles manageable for someone with no real skill?

Any tips for brewing one of theses?

Secondary question: I've never used a wort chiller before. Is it really worth the investment?

Thanks!

 

[Rhumbline]

Sure, you don't say if you'll be building the recipe from scratch or using a kit. A kit would eliminate some of the chances for mistakes, but it's your call. I've just recently brewed a Trippel and a Russian Imperial Stout. The only real problem with the stout from your perspective is the wait involved before it will be drinkable.

I didn't think either one of them was very tricky to brew. They were both from AHS.

As for the wort chiller, that's almost a religious question for some. I'm a small potatoes brewer, I've never used one and always had good results so far. I've only brewed seven kits, though.

Good Luck!

 

[ncbrewer]

As for the wort chiller, that's almost a religious question for some. I'm a small potatoes brewer, I've never used one and always had good results so far. I've only brewed seven kits, though.

Good Luck!

I agree about the wort chiller, assuming you're doing partial boils that can be chilled in a sink full of ice. Just make sure you have plenty of ice.

 

[Polboy]

chiller is useful but if you gona make few batches every 3 years then i wouldnt buy it. Triple is easier to brew if you doing all grain but its not much different if using extract/kit

 

[chiteface]

For both of those make sure you use the proper amount of yeast. Either make a starter, use dry yeast or two vials of yeast. If you are doing partial mash either style is just as challenging.

 

[dracus]

I think the triple is more forgiving of fermentation temp than the stout. Since it's summer and likely to be hot.

 

[CincyStout]

Thanks for the feedback. I'll likely do a kit. For the stout, I expected that I wouldn't be drinking it until winter.

 

[LAXflyguy]

I'm a noob and a Trippel kit was my first brew. SO easy and turned out amazing. A. May. Zing.
Also, I found a used copper immersion chiller on CL and bought it for $25. If u have it, use it. As long as it's simple to hook up, it was easier and faster than buying ice and stirring a pot in an ice bath. It cut the chill-to-pitch temp time almost in half too.
(Of course, it's one more thing to clean and sanitize too...!

 

[Ramitt]

I would not call either style easy to brew well. The Trippel might be better with out any temp control, but it is still not going to be great or easy with out some advanced brewing equipment ( like chilling and temp control). Do what you like and learn, it is still fun and usually drinkable, but my advice as a guy who keeps breqing stuff he is not really equipped for keep with the simple stuff or be prepared for some sort of crappy batches along the way, Thankfully I have most of the important stuff in place now and my brews keep getting better.

 

[Rhumbline]

I would not call either style easy to brew well. The Trippel might be better with out any temp control, but it is still not going to be great or easy with out some advanced brewing equipment ( like chilling and temp control). Do what you like and learn, it is still fun and usually drinkable, but my advice as a guy who keeps breqing stuff he is not really equipped for keep with the simple stuff or be prepared for some sort of crappy batches along the way, Thankfully I have most of the important stuff in place now and my brews keep getting better.

I admire your passion for this hobby, but I have to disagree with you.

Either brew is simple with a well thought out kit. It's quite easy to brew a great beer using simple equipment and attention to detail.

Or maybe I am just blessed with an unsophisticated palate, as Mark Twain said...

It is a gratification to me to know that I am ignorant of art, and ignorant also of surgery. Because people who understand art find nothing in pictures but blemishes, and surgeons and anatomists see no beautiful women in all their lives, but only a ghastly stack of bones with Latin names to them, and a network of nerves and muscles and tissues.
- "Academy of Design,"

 

[unionrdr]

I think a pale ale would be easier to get your feet wet again. I like midwests' Cascade Pale Ale kit,but it's partial mash. Had a very good balance & was easy to brew for me,since I've moved to PB/PM BIAB. But there are many similarly easy pale ale kits out there that are AE,or E/SG.

 

[Rhumbline]

Along the Imperial Stout lines, I really enjoyed the Austin Homebrew Cannonball Stout.

Their Noel Stout was even better. Both were simple to brew, the Noel almost blew the roof off the house. I'd recommend a blow off tube for that one.

Happy brewing.

 

[chiteface]

I admire your passion for this hobby, but I have to disagree with you.

Either brew is simple with a well thought out kit. It's quite easy to brew a great beer using simple equipment and attention to detail.

Or maybe I am just blessed with an unsophisticated palate, as Mark Twain said...

It is a gratification to me to know that I am ignorant of art, and ignorant also of surgery. Because people who understand art find nothing in pictures but blemishes, and surgeons and anatomists see no beautiful women in all their lives, but only a ghastly stack of bones with Latin names to them, and a network of nerves and muscles and tissues.
- "Academy of Design,"

And I am going to gave to respectfully disagree with you. If something is higher gravity, by default it is harder to brew. Kits don't come with the proper equipment for higher gravities. The kits in question are higher gravity. Williams brewing for example rates theirs according to level of difficulty and advises the brewer that they will need additional things outside of the kit.
Also while I do enjoy your quote, you cannot unlearn that which you know. I won't speak for anyone else, but mt tongue cannot unlearn good beer. Lord knows I have made some high gravity dogs due to not being experienced enough and those dogs don't hunt.

 

[CincyStout]

What type of equipment is necessary for higher gravity brews? I tend to prefer the stronger beers, so I'm open to reasonable investments to do it right?

 

[unionrdr]

About the only thing you'd need would be a secondary vessel for extended aging of a big beer.

 

[MotorcycleMatt]

He could just age in the bottles.

Pitch the right amount of yeast, have good ferm temp control and you should be fine.

 

[Rhumbline]

What type of equipment is necessary for higher gravity brews? I tend to prefer the stronger beers, so I'm open to reasonable investments to do it right?

The only thing I'm aware of would be a secondary and a lot of patience or willpower.

Aside from the additional aging that the big stouts require I'm not aware of any equipment or techniques that are different.

Have fun,

 

[eric19312]

What type of equipment is necessary for higher gravity brews? I tend to prefer the stronger beers, so I'm open to reasonable investments to do it right?

Temperature control
Yeast starter
Oxygenation
Secondary


I have temp control but not others. I oxygenate by splashing and use harvested yeast so can pitch decent amounts but am seeing some hit and miss in high gravity brews.

If you can manage temp control - tub of water, towel & fan, ice.... Then I'd get 2 packs of us-05 dry yeast and make the RIS. If you are going to rely on ambient temp in moderate range I'd go belgian but plan to make a starter. I'd spend extra for upgrade to the yeast on that kit.

Either of these would benefit from secondary IMO. Oxygenate either best you can (after chilling, before pitching yeast).

 

[Rhumbline]

Temperature control
Yeast starter
Oxygenation
Secondary


...

I've only done two stouts. I don't do starters but I did double pitch the yeast as the kit suggested, I oxygenated using a wine whisk in a drill, temp control was a tub of water without ice.

Secondary for a few weeks, and bottle conditioning for several months and I'm very happy with the results.

 

[dracus]

A high gravity beer is nothing more that a regular beer with more sugar in it. It's not harder or more difficult to brew. The hardest part of brewing a high gravity beer is waiting long enough to drink it.

You'll need exactly the same type of equipment you do for any other brew. You mention you have brewed before but not often so I am going to assume you're doing extract.

I believe that a wort chiller is essential to brewing. It is worth it, absolutely however if you're going to brew every 3 years, then don't waste your money, Ice bath will work just fine.

The most challenging part is making sure you have enough yeast to do the job. The stout will be easier to do that with 2 packets of s-05 should do you fine. I just got done brewing a clone of old rasputin we used wlp100 which is the same as S-05 dry yeast.

The triple is a bit tricker I don't know that there is a good dry yeast for that style. Liquid yeast is a lot more expensive and two vials are expensive so you'd want to grow a single vial up in a starter not difficult but it does require some time and a vessel to do it in.

If you're in cincy as your name suggests then you are blessed by having not 1 but 2 really good brew stores. Listermans and BrewMonkeys. Both stores are staffed by avid brewers who are super willing to answer all your questions.

Listerman has really good extract kits with everything you need in there and they go through a 55gallon drum of extract a week so its always SUPER fresh. I've personally brewed their triple and it used a dry yeast as I recall it was quite good. They also have other kits. They also carry a wort chiller already made for you if you decide to brew more often.

BrewMonkeys carrys the Brewers Best kits and everything else you could want. I have only brewed one of their kits and it was excellent.

The only other thing I'd make sure you have a really decent sanitizer I only trust StarSan. A small bottle is cheap and lasts forever if you use distilled water to make it.

You don't need to secondary anything. Leave it in the fermentor for 4 weeks then transfer it to bottle in about 4 weeks its should be drinkable depending on how green you like it.

 

[highgravitybacon]

There's a lot of bad advice in this thread. If you want to make something alcoholic, then just start with the biggest beer you can find. If you want to make a good beer, a tripel or RIS is not the place to start.

You don't sit on the couch for six years and then all the sudden ask, "What's easier? Doing a triathlon or an ultramarathon?"

 

[dracus]

On oxygenation, pouring it back and forth a few times will do that, and so will 2 -3 minutes of good old fashioned wisking.

Personally I use strait O2 with a o2 stone. A bit overkill but its predictable and measurable I tend to be a bit more "Science" and a bit less "art" when I brew.

Don't get bogged down with all the extra's they are nice and they allow for a great refinement in your brews but don't in anyway guarantee a better beer.

Some of my best beers ever have been done with no oxygenation, no where near enough yeast, no wort chiller, and no temp control. Hell I wonder why they were drinkable at all.

The moral of the story is a good kit, anal sanitation and basic directions will get you 90% of the way there.

 

[Leithoa]

I've gotta disagree with your analogy Highgravitybacon, If you're using a kit or proven recipe brewing a big beer is no more difficult than brewing a normal beer. Proper sanitation, hold your temps, hit your volumes, add hops on time, and ferment at a stable (and appropriate) temperature.

To no one in particular: People get caught up in the science of beer too much. It's easy and fun to know everything about your beer and have shiny toys. Just remember, these styles are from days without much in the way of temperature control and minimal science. At the end of the day there will still be beer in the carboy, RDWHAHB.

OP: With a good starter(or 2x dry yeast), proper sanitation and decent fermentation temps neither of these styles should give you a problem from a kit or recipe.

 

[tripplehazzard]

That's great. Belgium triple is the first extract brew I ever brewed!! Good luck and happy brewing. As for the wort chiller .. we have made it part of our routine.

 

[Darwin18]

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned an Amber. Super simple, easy, and somewhat forgiving. I certainly wouldn't brew a Triple or a RIS unless I had my pitching rates and temperature control down. Given that it's getting warmer out you could try a Saison if you don't have adequate temperature control.