Recipe Critique Tripel

[RainierBeer]

Hello new AG brewer here (BIAB), this is a great resource decided to post a question about a Tripel recipe I am brewing this week. I found this on the internet and it seemed well put together.

I'm brewing 4 gallons as that is my max due to space ATM.

6.5 lbs 2-row
3.2 lbs Carapils
.8 lbs Blgn aromatic
.8 lbs corn sugar (after fermentation slows a little 3-4 days)

.8oz Tett boil
.8oz Saaz 15 left

Mash 152 for 90

WY 3787

Also I have a 5 gallon primary bucket with airlock, do you suggest I fashion some sort of blowoff with 1 gallon headspace?

Thanks in advance

 

[skibb]

Oh hell no. I would...

Eliminate the carapils and replace it with base malt - its unfermentable and that is a CRAP TON of it - you want a tripel to be VERY dry. For the most part, specialty malts do not fit with the classic design of the style but a little aromatic could be a nice thing. Jamil uses 4 oz in his award winning Tripel recipe (so I would recommend probably halving yours).

A big characteristic to a tripel is pilsner malt - I'm sure you can make a good beer with 2-row or American pilsner, but I would try to source out Belgian pils if possible. That being said I brew most of my Belgian beers with Weyermann Pils (it's a continental pils malt that is very similar and widely available).

Also, consider upping the corn sugar - I would shoot for around 10-15%. Again you want this sucker DRY. And to add to that, I would mash lower, get more beta-amylase enzymes involved with a mash around 145-148 for 90 or so minutes to make this sucker as fermentable as possible.

Definitely use a blowoff. There is a lot of sugar here and the yeast will go nuts. Better safe than sorry!

Lastly, 3787 is my favorite Belgian yeast strain, but it is a beast. If left alone it can shoot fermentation temperatures up towards and over 90 F. I highly recommend using some sort of fermentation temperature control and, if possible, pitch in the low to mid 60's and let the fermentation carry the temperature up to/around 68-70 F in 3-4 days until it finishes out. This is a fermentation schedule very close to Westmalles Tripel schedule (the source of the yeast). If you are worried about attenuation you can add the sugar during fermentation when it starts to slow down - just use a little water and create a simple syrup with the sugar, let it cool, then add it to the fermenter.

Hope this helps!

 

[RainierBeer]

Awesome, thanks. I thought it was weird when I looked at the Carapils and it was in a small container that you could only get half a pound at a time. I actually bought a 5 gallon Better Bottle today so I'll outfit that with a blow-off no worries. Westmalles Tripel is an awesome beer, the clones I looked at seemed a little advanced as far as mash schedule so I thought this one would be a good fit for me, considering this is my 4th AG batch and single infusion.

I'll mash lower as well, found out in my first batch that I was mashing too high and not seeing a lot of fermentation action, lowered temps on subsequent batches and am seeing what I am used to as an extract brewer. This definately takes practice. Thanks for your input.

 

[teucer]

I'm also a fan of 3787, but that's partly *because* it pushes the temperatures up. Higher-than-normal fermentation temperatures are part of what create the proper Trappist flavor profiles. Don't let it get above the low 80s, and pitch it cool enough that it takes some time to get even that high, but yeah, warmth is great in Trappists.

Otherwise, what skibb said. Pils is your base malt here, whether Belgian or otherwise. Personally I'd leave out all specialty grains, but a touch of high-kilned malts or aromatic malt or even wheat (for head much like you're used to using cpils for) can do decently well for the style.

I also suggest table sugar instead of corn sugar. It's a more authentic Belgain choice if you care, and it adds a touch of rum-like flavor that is certainly not necessary for the style but which I personally appreciate.

 

[RainierBeer]

Followed Skibb's advice and did exactly what was said, beer turned out perfect. I think mine is a little lighter than what I would have liked to see, but that because of the 2-row I'm assuming? I'm going to brew this again this weekend but use true Belgian pils. (tastes great none the less)

One thing I've discovered, brewing multiple beers and always having some readily available makes it easier to wait for beers like a Tripel. Thanks for the advice.