Thoughts on Yeast for Tripel

[mchrispen]

Thought I would check in with experts here on this idea.

I am brewing a 10G Tripel, simple recipe, but failed to pickup an extra Trappist High Gravity smack pack. I have one, and not enough time to make a starter. I also have a couple of packs of T-58 for cases like this.

Recipe is:
85% Belgian Pils
10% Sugar
5% wheat (torrified and flaked)
2 oz Hallertau
2 oz Saaz
OG ~ 1.075

Will mash low for fermentability (142, step to 150, mashout). Want to dry this out a bit below 1.010 if possible.

Thinking I will pitch rehydrated T-38 to start, holding back a portion of the sugar. Then past high krausen, add the rest of the sugar, and pitch a starter of the Trappist High Gravity, made with second runnings of the wort. Say 3-4 days...

Will ferment low to start (65 degrees or so) and control fermentation up to around 72 degrees.

Thoughts?

 

[Jayhem]

I'm no expert but I'm pretty sure pitching 2 different strains is not a good idea...could lead to unpredictable off flavors as you will likely stress the second yeast strain out pitching it into already fermenting beer.

I have a Dubbel going right now with the Trappist 3787 and it's working great! I had to make a 2-stage starter for it for a 5.5 gallon batch so I would image the amount of yeast needed for a 10+ gallon Tripel is ridiculous!

I use this for figuring out how much yeast and starter I need. Something I learned the hard way is that you do NOT want to underpitch a big beer!

 

[mchrispen]

Sorry - I meant T-58 in my post, not the Air Force Training Jet.

Both BeerSmith, Mr Malty and YeastCalc figure I need upwards of a 1G starter with the Trappist HG, or 4 packs of T-58. And I do like the spicyness of T-58, just figured I could hit the "appropriate" yeast counts doing what I suggested. It's a rather long drive to my local homebrew shop.

Also figured that the Trappist HG could drive the FG down if the fermentation stalls. Also figured staggering in the sugar could help the T-58 do its job first.

Perhaps it would be better to do a split fermentation, 5G on T-58 and the rest on THG? That way only one batch will be underpitched...

 

[RIC0]

I'm far from an expert but actually did my first tripel this weekend. It was an extract full 5 gallon boil and I used a dry yeast Safbrew T-58, 11.5g packet. According to mrmalty it was slightly under pitched but after rehydrating the yeast and pitching it, 6 hours later it was starting to ferment so I figured that was good.

OG was 1.078 and I'm shooting for 8% ABV

Good luck on your 10 gal batch.

 

[Jayhem]

Perhaps it would be better to do a split fermentation, 5G on T-58 and the rest on THG? That way only one batch will be underpitched...

This is what I would do! In fact when I try a new recipe that is 10-11 gallons I always try to pitch 2 different but "to style" yeasts, one to each fermenter. This way you get to experiment as to which yeast you like better in the recipe, saves a lot of trail and error down the road! I can tell you from experience that it sucks making 11 gallons of a new recipe only to find that the yeast you used is so nasty tasting when fermented at 68F that the beer is barely drinkable!

 

[mchrispen]

Well, I went ahead and did the full 10G batch. Would rather use my stainless fermentor and the protection it provides than risk splitting the batch (really just too lazy ). This way, nothing touches the air, except for the sugar additions. First time getting the cooling temp below 60 degrees... its chilly in Central Texas right now. Pitched at 62. Blow off started within 4 hours. Glug Glug.

So here's the plan. I am staggering the sugar additions, with only a half pound in the boil. Added the first addition today at the 18 hour mark at high krausen (65 degrees wort temp) and pulled some krausen and added it to 1 liter of wort I pulled last night. It's on the stir plate right now and already showing activity. Will add more wort to krausen before I repitch to get it active as primary ferm slows.

Will add that back in later in the week with another small sugar addition, as ferm starts to stall.

Saving the smackpack of THG to see how this finishes in a couple of weeks to squeeze out that last few points to dry it out only if needed. If so, will build a large starter.

I should note, checking my brew log that a BSG I did last January was on just 2 packs of T-58 - came out really nice and spicy. Two bombers left, but opened a bottle after Christmas and it was brilliant (according to me anyway!), crystal clear and absolutely no heat (9.5% ABV). It took a long time to finish - about 4 weeks before I bulk conditioned, and carbed in a Sanke for 2 months.