Low-gravity Tripel - does such a thing exist?

[brianpablo]

I recently made clone of Unibroe's La Fin du Monde, but intentionally lowered the gravity to keep the ABV in the range of around 6.5 rather than 9. I love the flavors and I love Belgian tripels but i genuinely don't need to be that drunk all the time. I'm just not even sure what to call this thing - is it still a tripel if it's barely even at dubbel strength? Would this simply be a Belgian ale?

It came out nice, though I used Weyerman's Abbey Ale yeast that gave it a distinct clove flavor, which is not the wine-like character I remember from the last time I had LFDM. Would Weyerman's Trappist High Gravity get me a bit closer? I happen to have that onhand, and do not have the Franco-Belgian yeast that one is supposed to use to make this beer (though I may seek it out soon).

 

[pdxal]

Your beer wouldn't be considered a Tripel, though it might qualify as a Blond or a Belgian Specialty Ale, depending on the flavor/direction you went with it.
Here's the BJCP guidelines on them, though Belgian or Canadian/Belgian brewers would probably argue that they never brew to "style"
http://www.bjcp.org/2008styles/style18.php
http://www.bjcp.org/2008styles/style16.php

Part of the "wine like character" comes from the alcohol, though LFDM also uses un named spices to get the flavor. I'm not familiar with the yeast you used, but Wyeast has the Unibroue yeast occasionally as Canadian-Belgian or something like that. I would think that the Westmalle yeast would also capture a similar flavor if used correctly.

 

[electrolight]

Low gravity tripel? Sounds like a dubel...

 

[pdxal]

A dubbel is dark and malty.

 

[dinnerstick]

there are lots of that sort of beer in belgium, and belgians are't too fussed about labeling beers by style, with the exception of trippels, dubbels and the various incarnations of lambic. call it a pale ale? when you say weyermann yeast i assume you mean wyeast? then the trappist high gravity is the westmalle if i'm not mistaken. make sure you pitch a good amount and it's healthy and active, or you get banana candy beer!

 

[brianpablo]

Sorry, the actual name of it is Wyeast 1214 Belgian Abbey, it's one that I used for a dubbel that came out quite nice. It seemed a bit as though I was getting a lot of the same flavors in the tripel where I was expecting a different finish. I don't usually have access to liquid yeasts and generally ferment with something neutral like Safale 05, so I'm starting to see how using the same specialized yeasts over and over and can start to make the flavor of different beers run together. Perhaps I should just call this one a "Belgian Pale Ale."

I really like LFDM and wanted to make something like it that wouldn't be quite so boozy. I've never totally understood why Belgian brewing involves constantly spiking the wort with candy sugar, as this seems to raise ABV without altering flavor. I gather folks do that to make the wort more fermentable, though I don't really have that problem since I live at an altitude of 3,000 feet that seems to keep the yeasties turbo-charged.

I'm going to give it a try with the Canadian-Belgian yeast, I've seen it on NB's website, perhaps that will change the flavor a bit. Guessing I'll have to just punt on the mystery spices and go with plain old coriander and orange peel

 

[Brettomomyces]

A Belgian Pale Dubbel?

The sugar helps a lot to give the beer that hint of boozy without being heavy or cloying, as it just ferments out 100%. More alcohol, thinner body. A lot of folks use plain sugar though, instead of seeking out that expensive candi stuff. YMMV