Pros/cons of aging a Tripel

[trumpetbeard]

So I've checked the many (there are waaayyy too many) threads on the effects of aging big beers and have found conflicting information on aging tripels.

Conventional wisdom, and most of the recommendations I've found, state that beers above 8.5% abv should spend at least 6 months in the bottle. However, I've also seen many people suggest that tripels taste best about 3-4 months after fermentation.

I have about 2 gallons of a huge tripel (my hydrometer broke during the brew but beersmith puts it at ~10.3% [it was a small batch that attenuated way more than I was expecting and my volumes were a little suspect to begin with]), and right now there's some good things happening, but all of that is overshadowed by some serious fusel alcohol taste. Like, there's some good belgian estery flavors and some nice fruit, citrus, and earthy saaz notes, but all of that plays second fiddle to hot alcohol. Some bottles have been worse than others.

So I guess my question is What can I expect to come from aging this brew? Will the mellowing of the fusels merit the fading of the hop presence? For those of you with lots of experience with big belgians, will the flavor profile become more complex or less with time in the bottle? Because it was a small batch I want to make sure I enjoy it at it's peak.

Thanks for your help. I'd be happy to post the recipe and process if it helps.

 

[solbes]

A 10.3% tripel is going to need time. Are you sure you have fusel alcohols (fermented too warm the first 48 hours), or do you just notice an alcohol bite? B/C both of my tripels (8% and 9.3%) did not have problems with fusels, but did have a noticeable alcohol bite for the first 6-8 months. That fades up to a year and then it disappears completely. Also, which yeast strain did you use?

Some of the Saaz flavors/aromas fade too, but what has been far more interesting are the yeast flavors. Belgians are usually not about the hops (Belgian IPA maybe exception), but more about the complex yeast contributions which take time to develop. To be honest, I would try to space out the consumption between 4 and 18 months. Then you get to see how it changes over time and have that experience for future brews. You might notice a flavor improvement if you age at cellar temps, and then give bottles 3-4 weeks fridge time prior to consumption.

 

[Denny]

Decide for yourself...taste it every once in a while. When it tastes good to you, it's ready. Just that simple.

 

[AmandaK]

A 10.3% tripel is going to need time.

Not if you ferment it properly in the beginning.

I make a Belgian Golden Strong at 9.5% and I'm drinking it at 5 weeks in the bottle with no fusels, no terrible, no bad anything. It's beautiful.
Ferment started at 64* and raised it to 80* over 10 days. Then room temp for 3 weeks. Then 50* for 6 weeks. After five weeks in the bottle, it's perfect.

If I count that all up, that makes 3 months and 3 weeks until it was perfect.

Decide for yourself...taste it every once in a while. When it tastes good to you, it's ready. Just that simple.

+50,000

 

[trumpetbeard]

Awesome, thanks. I think I'll table this beer until september or october and then bust out the note pad to see how it develops.

I agree with the tasting it over time, but because I only have 20 bottles left I'm trying to conserve when possible. It's so easy to get attached to a beer.

Also, which yeast strain did you use?

I used wyeast 3937, flanders golden. I fermented at ~72-75 and left it in primary for around 1.5 months. I forgot to mention earlier that it's been about 3 months since brewday.

One further question then. I know have a better system of temp control for fermentation, how will starting the yeast at a lower temp, say 62-66, impact the yeast character of the beer? I'm actually getting set to brew a lower alcohol version of this beer right now.

 

[burkecw]

hey there AmandaK,

glad I found this thread. I also brewed a golden strong of just about the same gravity, with just about the same fermentation temp profile, and was wondering how to handle aging the beer before bottling. its about 10 days in now and cant wait to taste this beast

I was wondering about the 50* x 6 weeks stage. was this "lagering step" for clarity and flavor development, I assume? also, with the cooler age time, did you need to re-pitch at bottling for carbonation?

thanks and awesome to hear yours came out money.

 

[AmandaK]

hey there AmandaK,

glad I found this thread. I also brewed a golden strong of just about the same gravity, with just about the same fermentation temp profile, and was wondering how to handle aging the beer before bottling. its about 10 days in now and cant wait to taste this beast

I was wondering about the 50* x 6 weeks stage. was this "lagering step" for clarity and flavor development, I assume? also, with the cooler age time, did you need to re-pitch at bottling for carbonation?

thanks and awesome to hear yours came out money.

I haven't ever repitched yeast when I bottle beer (yes, even with a 1.5 year old lambic), so I personally would not repitch any yeast, but other people swear by it. So... YMMV.

I do the 'pseudo lager' at 50* for my high octane beers because I feel like it accelerates the 'smoothing' process. I barely ever have fusels coming out of the primary, so they don't need to 'smooth' much, but I like to do it. Do I have any empirical evidence that this is true? Nah, but I guess it gives me the warm fuzzies. I think I picked it up from John Palmer or the Brewing Network or somewhere, but don't quote me on that.