Help a friend with a Tripel !! :)

[JahazielB]

Hi guys, today i intended to brew my first Tripel, but sadly i didn´t hit my OG.
I think it was my Mash efficiency due to the milling. Anyway, i used belgian candi in the boiling (About 12 % of the bill), but even with that, my OG was 1.060 and i was aiming 1.075 at least.

So my question is: it's a bad idea to add cane sugar in primary to hit the 1.075? and if it´s not, is there a calculator around to do the math?

 

[myelo]

Here are my thoughts while we wait on the experts to chime in.

Just in case, I would make sure your gravity reading was correct; for example, correcting hydrometer for temperature, stirred well.

Then you have several options. The best time to fix this is after the mash/before the boil. But it sounds like you maybe have already starting fermenting.

1. Just go with it: that's what I tend do do, especially if you've already started fermenting.

2. Add malt extract to make up the difference. For a triple, you probably want pilsner dry malt extract or liquid malt extract. DME has about 45 "gravity points" meaning 1 pound of DME will raise the specific gravity of 1 gallon of wort 1.045. So to go from 1.060 to 1.075, you need 15 gravity points per gallon. Assuming a 5 gallon batch, you need a total of 75 gravity points. That would be roughly 1.7 pounds of DME. Please check my math ... I've had a few pints.

LME has about 36 gravity points.

The easiest time to add this is in the boil. It wound like you are beyond that, so you will need to add the malt extract in jsut enough hot water to dissolve it. (I'm ignoring the effect of adding some volume with water in the above calculations). If you have already pitched yeast, you'll need to cool that enough to not kill the yeast and you need to be as sanitary as possible.

3. Add sugar. Table sugar has about 45 gravity points, so you would need about 1.6 pounds. This will "dry" the beer out a bit more than using malt extract. May not be an issue with a tripel, which are pretty dry anyway ... but that's quit a bit more sugar and I don't know for sure how that will go.

 

[JahazielB]

Here are my thoughts while we wait on the experts to chime in.

Just in case, I would make sure your gravity reading was correct; for example, correcting hydrometer for temperature, stirred well.

Then you have several options. The best time to fix this is after the mash/before the boil. But it sounds like you maybe have already starting fermenting.

1. Just go with it: that's what I tend do do, especially if you've already started fermenting.

2. Add malt extract to make up the difference. For a triple, you probably want pilsner dry malt extract or liquid malt extract. DME has about 45 "gravity points" meaning 1 pound of DME will raise the specific gravity of 1 gallon of wort 1.045. So to go from 1.060 to 1.075, you need 15 gravity points per gallon. Assuming a 5 gallon batch, you need a total of 75 gravity points. That would be roughly 1.7 pounds of DME. Please check my math ... I've had a few pints.

LME has about 36 gravity points.

The easiest time to add this is in the boil. It wound like you are beyond that, so you will need to add the malt extract in jsut enough hot water to dissolve it. (I'm ignoring the effect of adding some volume with water in the above calculations). If you have already pitched yeast, you'll need to cool that enough to not kill the yeast and you need to be as sanitary as possible.

3. Add sugar. Table sugar has about 45 gravity points, so you would need about 1.6 pounds. This will "dry" the beer out a bit more than using malt extract. May not be an issue with a tripel, which are pretty dry anyway ... but that's quit a bit more sugar and I don't know for sure how that will go.

Oh thanks. Yes i already pitched the yeast a few hours ago, and indeed it´s a 5 gallon batch.
I don´t have malt extract right now, only sugar, and i know that could dry out the beer, but as you mentioned, it is intended for a tripel, but my concern was that maybe adding sugar in the primary plus the candi i added in boling, would be a lot of sugar adjunts. I don´t know, i consider myself a newbie.

Im thinking that maybe a pound of sugar in primary would rise the OG a little bit, and may not reach the 1.075 but extra 1.7 pounds sound a looot. BUUUT leaving the beer at 1.060 doesn´t sound like a tiple you know.

 

[hottpeper13]

I've found out thru the batches (over 200) that the best approach to fixing a beer that went a little off mark is to change the name or style (in your case it's a Belgian blonde) and drink it. Taking good notes will allow you to get it the way you want it on the next one. On another note......who wouldn't want a Belgian blonde?

 

[@RoyalGallon]

When I make a tripel I always add the candy sugar (Or I use Golden Syrup) directly into the fermenter once it’s gone about halfway through. I’ve heard this is better for yeast health - might be a misnomer - but either way it works fine.

So I’d dissolve the candy sugar in as little boiled water as I could - or if using a syrup microwave so it gets above 60C - leave to cool and pour into the fermenter.