Too dry for a Belgian Tripel?

[Mightyscoop]

I brewed a Triple based off of The Dragonmead Final Absolution Clone 3 weeks ago today. Here's the recipe I followed:

Brew Type: All Grain Date: 3/19/2011

Ingredients Amount Item Type % or IBU
14.50 lb Pilsner (2 Row) Bel (2.0 SRM) Grain 78.9 %
1.88 lb Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 10.2 %
3.00 oz Hallertauer Mittelfrueh [4.00%] (60 min) Hops 29.1 IBU
0.40 oz Styrian Goldings [5.40%] (30 min) Hops 4.0 IBU
1.00 oz Saaz [4.00%] (0 min) Hops -
2.00 lb Candi Sugar, Clear (0.5 SRM) Sugar 10.9 %
1 Pkgs Trappist Ale (White Labs #WLP500) Yeast-Ale (1.5L Starter pitched at high krausen)

Mashed at 148ºF. 90min boil, ended up with an O.G. of 1.094 with the candi sugar added at 10 min. It's been 3 weeks now, and the S.G. is at 1.004 (and has been for over a week and a half now.) Now, I wanted it to dry out, but WHOA. Go WLP500. I was shooting for more around 1.012. Aside from it smelling like jet-fuel (which I kind of expect for an 11.9% beer) I'm a bit worried it will need a bit more body. It was suggested to me that I add some maltodextrine to bring the body up a bit. Would this be a reasonable thing to do? Granted, I have not tasted the beer yet and probably won't for another month or so to gauge how long it'll need to age out. If I do add unfermentables, would now be the time to do it?

 

[mhenry41h]

1.004? Wow! 95 percent attenuation is something. I'm at 3 weeks today on a tripel as well. Mine was a 1.081 beer. As of Weds, I was down to 1.018. Didn't check it this weekend as I'm waiting for the 4 week mark. I'd like it to finish from 1.010-1.012

coming soon...to a fridge near you!

 

[theschick]

bumping for you. I brewed the same recipe this weekend. I'm adding the sugar additions throughout the fermentation instead of during the boil. I checked the gravity this morning, and its down to 1.014 (1.062 before any sugar added). My guess its going to end really dry after I add the sugar.

First taste today wasn't great. Warm, only a few days old, and just brushed my teeth .

 

[theschick]

I decided to search malto-dextrin, and you can add it at any time. I'd recommend boiling it, cooling, then adding. A pound should add around 4-5 points to the gravity, but a pound might be too noticeable for a tripel. Maybe 8 oz???

 

[SickTransitMundus]

I came to this thread to say a trip can't ever be too dry, but... 1.004! Jebus. I have a good tripel on tap right now that finished out at 1.008.

I would wait to add any unfermentables until the beer ages a bit and drops some of its solvent character. Then you can taste some and see if you want to add anything.

Also, you may want to check your hydrometer calibration.

 

[smokinghole]

Do some more searching on using MD. Most recommendations I find suggest no more than 4oz in a 5gal batch. I recently used 4oz in a stout that went too dry for me. I ended up adding a full pound of lactose with the batch and 4oz of maltodextrine. It came out acceptable but not the way I wanted.

 

[GuldTuborg]

Whoa, hold on a second here. You're beer is not even done fermenting and you're already considering throwing more stuff in it? Give it some good time. If you're really that concerned, when it's done fermenting (in another week or two, no sooner), transfer it to a secondary and let it sit for a couple months. If you're still convinced it's no good, then think about adding stuff like MD to it. Most Belgian brewers of triples are in the 80-90% AA range, so I wouldn't sweat this right now. Don't ruin your beer.

 

[Mightyscoop]

Thanks for the comments folks.

As far as calibration of my hydrometer goes, it's fine. 1.000 in distilled water, and it confirmed the 1.004 with my buddy's refractometer. As I said in my OP, I'm not even going to be tasting it for a while. I know very well this 11.9% monster is going to take a while to age out. And as suggested, I'll wait until then to see if I need the MD, and if I do, I'll only add a little amount (max 4oz.)

Thanks again for the replies folks, big help as always.

 

[kyleobie]

I just had the same issue - I did all the right things to dry out my tripel (BIG starter, staggered the sugar additions over 4 days of fermentation, let temps rise in days 3 and 4) and WHOA, 1.004 FG.

Curious to hear how the beer aged out and if you did anything to resolve it.

 

[OLDBREW]

sounds like you had an out of control fermentation going on to get a jet fuel (hot alcohol) smell.
The trick with theses yeasts is to start low and controled, then let the yeast come up in temp to give you those great esters and complexity the yeast brings.

I have a feeling you won't get rid of the fusel alcohols in this brew

 

[JoeBuch]

While 1.004 is low, my last Tripel finished at 1.007 and was great. I used WLP550 as well. I thought it was to style as well.

I would just run with this one and takes notes for the future. A little age will round it out as well.

 

[kyleobie]

Thanks. Right now, that's the plan. It tastes a little hot, but not too bad, enjoyed drinking the sample. I did do my best at temperature control and while the heat wave made it tough the first couple of days were around 69-70 before I let her rip with the remainder of the simple sugars.

Bigger beer yet, though! 1.077 OG to 1.004 FG.

 

[Mightyscoop]

The sleeping beast has been disturbed!

Well, just about 4 months after brewing this tripel, I'm still aging it. It's sitting carbed in a keg as I speak. The fusel alcohol has dropped pretty dramatically, and it's drinking pretty well now. Great esters, and with the carbonation it doesn't seem to dry at all. I imagine things will only improve with age, which is a good thing... I've still got about 4.5 gallons of it.

 

[Houblon]

I just had the same issue - I did all the right things to dry out my tripel (BIG starter, staggered the sugar additions over 4 days of fermentation, let temps rise in days 3 and 4) and WHOA, 1.004 FG.
.

and yet I and many other just add all the sugar during the boil and get those same numbers...



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18C. Belgian Tripel

Vital Statistics: OG: 1.070 – 1.095
IBUs: 22 – 35 FG: 1.005 – 1.016
SRM: 3 – 6 ABV: 7.5 – 10.5%