Grains for Belgian Triple

[Daver77]

Belgian Triples are one of my favorite styles of beer. I made one once from a Brooklyn Brew kit (1 gal) it came out awesome. Not I'm building my own recipe. I know your supposed to use Belgian Pilsner but I'm being cheep right now. I wonder if I can get away with using regular 2 row. Or perhaps half and half. My reasoning is that the flavor profile of the yeast would dominate the taste buds.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. Below if my recipe

13.0 lb (80.0%) 2 Row Pale Malt; Malteurop
4.0 oz (1.5%) Belgian Aromatic
3.0 lb (18.5%) White Table Sugar (Sucrose)
1.0 oz (66.7%) Saaz (5.0%) - added during boil, boiled 60 m
.5 oz (33.3%) Hallertau (4.5%) - added duri2.0 ea WYeast 1214 Belgian Abbey™


Recipe
Original Gravity: 1.096
Terminal Gravity: 1.019
Color: 6.5 SRM
Alcohol: 10.17%

 

[Bensiff]

2-row is not a replacement for pilsen malt...use a domestic pilsen malt if you can't afford a continental pilsen, it should cost just as much as domestic 2-row.

 

[Tiber_Brew]

I've made tripels with domestic 2-row, and they still taste great. Of course the color was a little darker, but still extremely light. The yeast really is the front and center ingredient with this beer, but I would still suggest sticking to Pils malt if you want to stay within style.

TB

 

[944play]

I like a lot more bitterness in my Tripel.

I also add a few percent acidulated malt, which is obviously unnecessary if you have a pH correction regime already.

 

[Daver77]

It's not that I can't afford it it's that I have 2 bags of 2 row and I'm being cheep about buying more grains. I just wanted to see if anyone has tried it. Tiber_Brew I'd imagine your right the color would be a bit off. I'm going to try it and see what happens.

 

[annasdadhockey]

I'm going to try it and see what happens.

What's the worst that could happen?

 

[Tiber_Brew]

It's not that I can't afford it it's that I have 2 bags of 2 row and I'm being cheep about buying more grains. I just wanted to see if anyone has tried it. Tiber_Brew I'd imagine your right the color would be a bit off. I'm going to try it and see what happens.

As a matter of fact, my most recent Tripel was all 2-row base. It isn't on tap yet, but the samples from kegging tasted great and looked too close to tell if color was far off. Now, I'm not recommending you make a habit of using 2-row for tripels, but I can tell you that it will still turn out to be a good brew.

I will take a picture of my 2-row Tripel when it's on tap if you'd like.

TB

 

[teucer]

Honestly, I wouldn't bother with the aromatic malt. Pilsen and sucrose, and then pick the right yeast, which for my money is Wyeast 3787 (Trappist High Gravity - they sourced it from Westmalle originally). Hot primary (mid 70s is ideal), cold secondary (by which I mean as cold as you can do without freezing the beer), pitch more yeast at bottling time.

 

[Daver77]

Honestly, I wouldn't bother with the aromatic malt. Pilsen and sucrose, and then pick the right yeast, which for my money is Wyeast 3787 (Trappist High Gravity - they sourced it from Westmalle originally). Hot primary (mid 70s is ideal), cold secondary (by which I mean as cold as you can do without freezing the beer), pitch more yeast at bottling time.

Really? Mid 70s?

 

[Tiber_Brew]

Honestly, I wouldn't bother with the aromatic malt. Pilsen and sucrose, and then pick the right yeast, which for my money is Wyeast 3787 (Trappist High Gravity - they sourced it from Westmalle originally). Hot primary (mid 70s is ideal), cold secondary (by which I mean as cold as you can do without freezing the beer), pitch more yeast at bottling time.

Agreed. I typically use WLP530, which is the same as WY3787, with good results. Keep the ferment temp around 70 for the first day or two, then let it rise to the mid-high 70s until desired attenuation. A few days @ 34 or so, then keg/bottle. Works every time.

 

[GuldTuborg]

Yup. A light base malt bill, Westmalle yeast, and mid-70s fermentation temps makes for a mighty tasty beer. Mine haven't been quite as good as St. Bernardus Triple, say, but they've been good. Then again, I've only done two triples before, so maybe 3rd time will be charm!

 

[teucer]

Really? Mid 70s?

Absolutely. Actually, some of the authentic Trappist ones get as hot as the mid 80s.