Tripel Getting Darker in the Secondary Fermenter

[iamamoustache]

I just racked my first attempt at a Tripel to the secondary fermenter yesterday, and today the beer at the top of the carboy is getting much darker. As of yesterday, the taste, aroma, and SG were spot on. The recipe is mostly extract, steeped 6 oz. Belgian aromatic and added 8 lbs of Extra Light DME. I'm using Wyeast 1214 and the temperature has stayed steady between about 64 and 66ºF. Has anyone seen this before? Am I okay?

 

[trentm]

It appears from the image the yeast are dropping. This is typical after moving to a secondary. Looking good!

 

[pdxal]

Normal for beer to get darker later in fermentation as the yeast that is in suspension finishes fermenting and drops to the bottom, making the beer appear darker.
How to Brew by John Palmer and The Complete Joy of Homebrewing by Charlie Papazian are good books to check out for learning brewing and both talk about this phenomenon.

 

[joshesmusica]

+1 on the above. the light is simply not bouncing off the yeast in suspension at the top anymore. looks like it's going well, and going to be a nice and clear beer!

 

[Spohl1]

Heres the triple i brewed a week ago. It is a brewers best kit. Any thoughts on why its so dark? I kinda thought it was a bit too dark but wasnt sure till i saw this threadView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1421374777.007089.jpg

 

[jack_a_roe]

that does look dark...however, once it's in a pint glass it will be much much lighter. was that a huge tripel? >11% ?? cuz it sure looks like it

 

[pdxal]

Heres the triple i brewed a week ago. It is a brewers best kit. Any thoughts on why its so dark? I kinda thought it was a bit too dark but wasnt sure till i saw this threadView attachment 249061

Was it an extract kit?
If so, and you boiled most or all of the extract for a long period it darkened from caramelization (actually maillard reactions). Look up late extract addition brewing to avoid this and keep extract beers lighter color and more fermentable.
Also, +1 for it being lighter in a glass than in a carboy.

 

[pvault98]

Was it an extract kit?
If so, and you boiled most or all of the extract for a long period it darkened from caramelization (actually maillard reactions). Look up late extract addition brewing to avoid this and keep extract beers lighter color and more fermentable.
Also, +1 for it being lighter in a glass than in a carboy.

Also along the lines of extract brewing.....if you used liquid extract there is a possibility the extract was not fresh and had oxidized leading to a much darker color.

 

[Spohl1]

Ahh that all makes perfect sense. Ya it was an extract kit with 4 oz aromatic and it started at 1.084. Ive done late additions in other beers but just wanted to follow the directions on this one because ive never tasted/ brewed one before. It smelled fantastic on the stove so im sure it will taste great but is a triple supposed to be more blonde/amber colored? And having a dark wall behind cant help so im sure it will be alot lighter in the glass. Thanks for the help

 

[Spohl1]

O ya and fyi following the directions was all the lme, dme, and candi sugar was at the start of the boil

 

[pdxal]

O ya and fyi following the directions was all the lme, dme, and candi sugar was at the start of the boil

There you go- high gravity boil leads to darker color. Late extract addition next time will keep it lighter and drier.
Enjoy this one, regardless of the color.

 

[Spohl1]

Will do! Thanks

 

[Spohl1]

I know there are a few topics on this but i have limited supplies so i was curious about some options. My tripel started at 1.084 and within 3 days was down to 1.03 and i transfered it. Its been over a week since and its still at 1.03. Just wondering if i should leave it be for another week and check again, add sugar, yeast nutrient, or more yeast. All i have at home is a sparkling wine yeast and table sugar but i could make a trip to a lhbs and pick something up if needed

 

[pdxal]

Transferred to secondary WAY too early. You removed it from a lot of yeast that could complete fermentation. Transferring to secondary is a major bone of contention around here, but isn't necessary.
That said, 10 days of fermentation with a current gravity of 1.030 isn't worth worrying about. Wait. Even medium gravity beers typically need a couple of weeks for fermentation to complete. In addition, many of the Belgian yeasts are known for a fast start, then a very prolonged finish with the last 10-20 points dropping very slowly. Worry about that gravity at 3-4 weeks after starting fermentation.
What yeast did you use? What temperature is the fermentor at?

 

[Spohl1]

I cant remember the exact name but it was a safale belgium yeast. Around 68 to 70 degrees. I transfered it after three days because the krausen was already completely gone. I guess next time i should wait a minimum of 5-6 days to transfer then? And i kinda thought i should just give it more time. Thank you very much for the advice!

 

[pdxal]

Safale T-58 or S-33? S-33 isn't really going to give you any 'Belgian' character since it isn't a Belgian yeast, but T-58 might give you some peppery and slightly fruity flavor at 68-70. If it was one of these you shouldn't have to worry about increasing the temperature.
5-6 days might be better, but to simplify things just don't transfer and risk oxidation and contamination or taking the beer off the yeast cake too early. It can stay in the same fermentor through completion. When your practices are solid, then start worrying about secondary or not. You really want to be at the tail end of fermentation so that the beer is still producing a tiny bit of CO2 to prevent oxidation when transferring to secondary.

 

[Spohl1]

Ah ok that makes perfect sense. It was a kit so i didnt write down much but i checked the instructions and it doesnt specify what yeast it was. Thanks for the tips i will definitely hold off of transfering next time