SWMBO had a belgian tripel at a micro brewery we went to the other day and wanted to know if i could make one.
I did make a Belgian way back in the MRB days i believe it was one of their first seasonals . So if anyone has a good AG recipe I would appreciate it
Cheers Ray
Looking for a Belgian trippel recipe
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Re: Looking for a Belgian trippel recipe
I have a bunch of good ones, but it would help to know what exactly it was she liked so I can give you the right one. A tripel made with Chimay yeast is going to be very different then one made with Westmalle yeast, or some other yeast. Some tripels are very dry and somewhat bitter and push into the same territory as strong golden ales, some are not so much. It can be as simple as pils, hops, candi sugar, and yeast, and temperature. Some have wheat, some even have oats and flaked barley. So well. It depends on what you are looking for.
Can you describe how it tasted? (spicy, fruity, dry or slightly sweet, very light bodied or with a bit of mouth feel?, etc.?)
Can you describe how it tasted? (spicy, fruity, dry or slightly sweet, very light bodied or with a bit of mouth feel?, etc.?)
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The_Professor
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Re: Looking for a Belgian trippel recipe
I have not made a Belgian tripel yet, but simple is what I have in mind when I do. Belgian pils for the grain, Simplicity for the added sugar, noble hop as desired, choose a Belgian yeast and decide on fermentation temps.mashani wrote:...It can be as simple as pils, hops, candi sugar, and yeast, and temperature...
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Rayyankee
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Re: Looking for a Belgian trippel recipe
It was slightly sweet light gold and and light bodied.mashani wrote:Can you describe how it tasted? (spicy, fruity, dry or slightly sweet, very light bodied or with a bit of mouth feel?, etc.?)
Re: Looking for a Belgian trippel recipe
This is one I'm going to brew at some point this summer, except I'll likely use MoreBeer pils or do it as a PM with some MoreBeer pils instead of AG pils. But either way, it is similar to what you describe. The basic recipe is simple. The rest of it is "tips for success" and ideas on how to tweak it. I've made this many times in the past and it's great.
For 5 gallons:
12.0# Pilsner (use Belgian or other European Pilsner if you can get it)
0.5# CaraPils. Or use 0.5# of Torrified Wheat if you want a little bit of wheaty sweetness in the mix. I like it both ways.
2.0# 1L/clear or a mix of 1# 1L and 1# 5L Candi Syrup (adding some 5L will give you a bit more complex fruitiness and a touch more sweetness, but only a touch) **
2.0oz Czech Saaz (3.5% AA) @60
1.5oz Styrian Goldings (4.5% AA) @20
Use WLP 530 or Wyeast 3787 yeast. (or see *** below for dry alternative). If putting in the sugar up front, then make a good sized starter (trust Mr. Malty on this one), or if you don't want to bother with a starter then pitch 2 smack packs or 2 vials, and then *feed it* the sugar **. If putting the sugar in up front is what you want to do, then don't do it without a starter. Just don't. No. Do not attempt.
Mash at 147. Assuming you want to do a single infusion mash, then it might be best to mash it for 90 minutes if using less modified Belgian or Euro Pilsner at temps that low. If using highly modified American stuff you can probably do 60. You could bump up the pils and get rid of the carapils, but the carapils or wheat will give you slightly more body (it will still seem very light bodied) and a little extra hint of sweetness and better head retention.
90 minute boil.
Adjust amount of Saaz depending on your actual AA. Your going for around 33-34 IBUs here. Don't add more Styrians, just adjust the bittering hop addition. If you like it and want to play around with variations in the future, Hallertauer or Spalter varieties work nicely too. East Kent Goldings also work nicely, especially as a single hop through the entire beer (IE if you want to SMaSH it). But my favorite combo is the Saaz and Styrians with the yeast I'm suggesting.
Start your fermentation around 64 degrees. Let it free rise and keep it anywhere between 74-78 degrees over the first week of fermentation and/or during the feedings. Then let it finish in the mid to upper 60s. Stable temperature control *is not your friend* in this case. Westmalle yeast makes the most wonderful flavors it can only if you ramp up the temps.
** You can put the candi sugar in the boil with about 10 minutes left, or feed it, it's your choice. I like to feed it as it helps dry it out, and you end up with a smoother more drinkable beer at younger ages too as it makes the yeasts job a lot easier (give the yeast time to adapt to wort conditions over time - less stress). Also with Westmalle yeast, it knocks yeast that's stuck in the huge rocky krausen back into the fermenting beer. But if you want it to finish slightly sweeter then up front is ok. If feeding it, feed 1# when high krausen just starts to fall (about 3-5 days in) and then feed the second 1# about 3 days after that, once the krausen from that starts to fall. Another option is to throw 1# of just plain sugar into the boil at the very beginning. It will slightly caramelize along with the wort and give you a similar vibe to having used 1# of 5L. And then feed or add the 1L stuff @10.
*** If you wanted to use DRY yeast then the only yeast I would use in this is Lallemand Abbaye, and ferment that around 70-72 or so. I'm sure that would turn out great. I like the Lallemand Abbaye almost as much as Westmalle strain. It will give you a vibe kind of like Duval if you've ever had that.
If for some crazy reason you wanted to use Chimay yeast (WLP500) then I'd have to give you different fermenting instructions. But this sort of simple beer is so much better with Westmalle yeast (or the Abbaye) IMHO. Chimay yeast is either too much earthy yuck, or too much cloves, or too much bananas depending on your temps. The Westmalle yeast is more complex (hints of apples, pear, plums) yet also more delicate and won't turn into a banana bomb by accident. And other options like Ardennes are too spicy for this hop mix IMHO, I'd use different more floral hops when using such yeasts.
Hope that all made sense and was helpful. I'm just trying to dump all my Belgian beer brewing experience into this so you get ideas and make the best beer you can.
If you pitch enough yeast and especially if you feed it the sugar, then this beer can be good to drink sooner then you would imagine, especially if you "laager" it for 4 weeks after it's fully carbed. But it will last for 18 months, 2 years even in the bottle.
Oh, and I should mention that 3787 or WLP 530 are going to need 1/3rd of your fermenter as headspace. Or a ginormous blowoff tube and a gallon jug. The abbaye dry yeast you can push the headspace more. The strong golden ale yeast BigPapa mentioned also is "safer" in this regards.
Oh and I should also mention that even at 3 weeks in the fermenter the 3787 or WLP530 may very well still have a big krasen cap that has not fallen sitting on top of the beer. If the gravity is not changing over a 3 day period, then its done, ignore the krausen and bottle from under it. There is no need to try to crash it or worry about it.
You can secondary the beer if you want, but it should not be needed if you pitched enough yeast and/or especially if you fed it the sugar.
For 5 gallons:
12.0# Pilsner (use Belgian or other European Pilsner if you can get it)
0.5# CaraPils. Or use 0.5# of Torrified Wheat if you want a little bit of wheaty sweetness in the mix. I like it both ways.
2.0# 1L/clear or a mix of 1# 1L and 1# 5L Candi Syrup (adding some 5L will give you a bit more complex fruitiness and a touch more sweetness, but only a touch) **
2.0oz Czech Saaz (3.5% AA) @60
1.5oz Styrian Goldings (4.5% AA) @20
Use WLP 530 or Wyeast 3787 yeast. (or see *** below for dry alternative). If putting in the sugar up front, then make a good sized starter (trust Mr. Malty on this one), or if you don't want to bother with a starter then pitch 2 smack packs or 2 vials, and then *feed it* the sugar **. If putting the sugar in up front is what you want to do, then don't do it without a starter. Just don't. No. Do not attempt.
Mash at 147. Assuming you want to do a single infusion mash, then it might be best to mash it for 90 minutes if using less modified Belgian or Euro Pilsner at temps that low. If using highly modified American stuff you can probably do 60. You could bump up the pils and get rid of the carapils, but the carapils or wheat will give you slightly more body (it will still seem very light bodied) and a little extra hint of sweetness and better head retention.
90 minute boil.
Adjust amount of Saaz depending on your actual AA. Your going for around 33-34 IBUs here. Don't add more Styrians, just adjust the bittering hop addition. If you like it and want to play around with variations in the future, Hallertauer or Spalter varieties work nicely too. East Kent Goldings also work nicely, especially as a single hop through the entire beer (IE if you want to SMaSH it). But my favorite combo is the Saaz and Styrians with the yeast I'm suggesting.
Start your fermentation around 64 degrees. Let it free rise and keep it anywhere between 74-78 degrees over the first week of fermentation and/or during the feedings. Then let it finish in the mid to upper 60s. Stable temperature control *is not your friend* in this case. Westmalle yeast makes the most wonderful flavors it can only if you ramp up the temps.
** You can put the candi sugar in the boil with about 10 minutes left, or feed it, it's your choice. I like to feed it as it helps dry it out, and you end up with a smoother more drinkable beer at younger ages too as it makes the yeasts job a lot easier (give the yeast time to adapt to wort conditions over time - less stress). Also with Westmalle yeast, it knocks yeast that's stuck in the huge rocky krausen back into the fermenting beer. But if you want it to finish slightly sweeter then up front is ok. If feeding it, feed 1# when high krausen just starts to fall (about 3-5 days in) and then feed the second 1# about 3 days after that, once the krausen from that starts to fall. Another option is to throw 1# of just plain sugar into the boil at the very beginning. It will slightly caramelize along with the wort and give you a similar vibe to having used 1# of 5L. And then feed or add the 1L stuff @10.
*** If you wanted to use DRY yeast then the only yeast I would use in this is Lallemand Abbaye, and ferment that around 70-72 or so. I'm sure that would turn out great. I like the Lallemand Abbaye almost as much as Westmalle strain. It will give you a vibe kind of like Duval if you've ever had that.
If for some crazy reason you wanted to use Chimay yeast (WLP500) then I'd have to give you different fermenting instructions. But this sort of simple beer is so much better with Westmalle yeast (or the Abbaye) IMHO. Chimay yeast is either too much earthy yuck, or too much cloves, or too much bananas depending on your temps. The Westmalle yeast is more complex (hints of apples, pear, plums) yet also more delicate and won't turn into a banana bomb by accident. And other options like Ardennes are too spicy for this hop mix IMHO, I'd use different more floral hops when using such yeasts.
Hope that all made sense and was helpful. I'm just trying to dump all my Belgian beer brewing experience into this so you get ideas and make the best beer you can.
If you pitch enough yeast and especially if you feed it the sugar, then this beer can be good to drink sooner then you would imagine, especially if you "laager" it for 4 weeks after it's fully carbed. But it will last for 18 months, 2 years even in the bottle.
Oh, and I should mention that 3787 or WLP 530 are going to need 1/3rd of your fermenter as headspace. Or a ginormous blowoff tube and a gallon jug. The abbaye dry yeast you can push the headspace more. The strong golden ale yeast BigPapa mentioned also is "safer" in this regards.
Oh and I should also mention that even at 3 weeks in the fermenter the 3787 or WLP530 may very well still have a big krasen cap that has not fallen sitting on top of the beer. If the gravity is not changing over a 3 day period, then its done, ignore the krausen and bottle from under it. There is no need to try to crash it or worry about it.
You can secondary the beer if you want, but it should not be needed if you pitched enough yeast and/or especially if you fed it the sugar.
Last edited by mashani on Tue Mar 22, 2016 12:29 am, edited 7 times in total.
Re: Looking for a Belgian trippel recipe
Could also use the Duval yeast for more of a pear/green apple vibe...
WLP570 or Wyeast 1388...
It does like to stall for a bit though and then continue later but I love the flavor in a Pils based brew...
Not technically a 'Triple' yeast, but a 'Golden Strong Ale'...
Just a thought.
WLP570 or Wyeast 1388...
It does like to stall for a bit though and then continue later but I love the flavor in a Pils based brew...
Not technically a 'Triple' yeast, but a 'Golden Strong Ale'...
Just a thought.
Re: Looking for a Belgian trippel recipe
I agree that that would be a good choice with the saaz and styrians. It's a lot more similar to the Abbaye (at least the Lallamand version, I still have not used the SafeAle version) or Westmalle yeasts then then it is to the Chimay or Ardennes.BigPapaG wrote:Could also use the Duval yeast for more of a pear/green apple vibe...
WLP570 or Wyeast 1388...
It does like to stall for a bit though and then continue later but I love the flavor in a Pils based brew...
Not technically a 'Triple' yeast, but a 'Golden Strong Ale'...
Just a thought.
The difference between this recipe and a strong golden can be as simple as using more pils and get rid of the carapils and/or wheat. You could bump up the amount of sugar to 2.5# if you wanted, but strong golden vs. tripel of this nature is very minor.
Re: Looking for a Belgian trippel recipe
I'm just going to throw this out there too. If she likes Tripels like that, then she would also like my some of my simple Patersbier type recipes. Try this over the summer for a lawnmower beer with a lot of the same Belgian flavors. Except the yeast character gets even more pronounced, so with the yeast of choice here the apples/pears/plums, etc. are stronger. So stick with a yeast that makes flavors you like. IE I personally (flavor preference thing) think that this with Chimay yeast is not so good unless you are using a dark candi syrup. But light colored with Westmalle yeast or Abbaye or that Strong Golden yeast is YUM.
For 5 gallons:
8# Pilsner
1.25oz or 1.5 Saaz (3.5% aa) @60 - more if you want it more crisp, less if you want it slightly sweet. *
0.75oz to 1oz of Styrian Goldings @20 - more if you like the styrian goldings vibe. *
Westmalle or Abbaye or Strong Golden Ale yeast as above. Same temp schedule.
Mash that at 147 too.
I can drink that stuff all summer and be happy.
* I personally like more in both cases, but it's good either way, it's a user preference thing. Anywhere from 22 - 27 IBUs is good here depending on what you like and especially if you mashed low and used sugar too and want a bit of sweetness then the lower end of that IBU range can be good.
You can reduce the pilsner to 7.5# or 7# and add 1/2 or 1# of candi sugar if you like. I like 5L in this better then 1L. If you do this, especially if you go with 1# you can use say a 152 mash temp to give you a bit more body if you like.
You can even go with 45L or 90L or 180L and end up with a very different but still yummy beer.
And if you are willing to use extract then you can do something like this and make 5 gallons of great beer in under an hour.
6# of the freshest Pilsner LME you can get your hands on. Fresh is important.
0.5# to 1# of candi syrup if you like, or not, it's all good. Use less pils or not, it's all good. Belgians are like that. Style buckets are for weenies.
1.5 to 2oz of some high AA (10%ish) Belgian flavor friendly hop (French Armais is a great one) @20. Or @15 even if they are higher in AA. It's all good.
Same yeast/schedule as above.
I make variations on these all the time every summer. Abbaye works great in that if you want dry yeast simplicity to go with extract simplicity.
Assuming you like Belgians, that extract beer is so much better then any canned HME beer that it's not funny, and it doesn't take much longer to make. And it's better then any macro swill lawnmower beer by like 1000%.
It is important IMHO to prime/carb these at somewhat high levels because of the light body. That helps make up for it. And it makes all the flavors and aromas really pop. Honestly lots of the priming rate calculators on the internet are dumb when it comes to Belgian CO2 volumes found in many real life commercial beers.
Oh and I should also say you can swap the styrians and saaz around as bittering/late additions and end up with great (but different) beer either way. It's all good.
For 5 gallons:
8# Pilsner
1.25oz or 1.5 Saaz (3.5% aa) @60 - more if you want it more crisp, less if you want it slightly sweet. *
0.75oz to 1oz of Styrian Goldings @20 - more if you like the styrian goldings vibe. *
Westmalle or Abbaye or Strong Golden Ale yeast as above. Same temp schedule.
Mash that at 147 too.
I can drink that stuff all summer and be happy.
* I personally like more in both cases, but it's good either way, it's a user preference thing. Anywhere from 22 - 27 IBUs is good here depending on what you like and especially if you mashed low and used sugar too and want a bit of sweetness then the lower end of that IBU range can be good.
You can reduce the pilsner to 7.5# or 7# and add 1/2 or 1# of candi sugar if you like. I like 5L in this better then 1L. If you do this, especially if you go with 1# you can use say a 152 mash temp to give you a bit more body if you like.
You can even go with 45L or 90L or 180L and end up with a very different but still yummy beer.
And if you are willing to use extract then you can do something like this and make 5 gallons of great beer in under an hour.
6# of the freshest Pilsner LME you can get your hands on. Fresh is important.
0.5# to 1# of candi syrup if you like, or not, it's all good. Use less pils or not, it's all good. Belgians are like that. Style buckets are for weenies.
1.5 to 2oz of some high AA (10%ish) Belgian flavor friendly hop (French Armais is a great one) @20. Or @15 even if they are higher in AA. It's all good.
Same yeast/schedule as above.
I make variations on these all the time every summer. Abbaye works great in that if you want dry yeast simplicity to go with extract simplicity.
Assuming you like Belgians, that extract beer is so much better then any canned HME beer that it's not funny, and it doesn't take much longer to make. And it's better then any macro swill lawnmower beer by like 1000%.
It is important IMHO to prime/carb these at somewhat high levels because of the light body. That helps make up for it. And it makes all the flavors and aromas really pop. Honestly lots of the priming rate calculators on the internet are dumb when it comes to Belgian CO2 volumes found in many real life commercial beers.
Oh and I should also say you can swap the styrians and saaz around as bittering/late additions and end up with great (but different) beer either way. It's all good.
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Rayyankee
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Re: Looking for a Belgian trippel recipe
Thank you both very much. will be going to my LHBS this weekend and will make this brew this weekend most likely.
Will keep you updated on exactly what i do.
Cheers Ray
Will keep you updated on exactly what i do.
Cheers Ray
Re: Looking for a Belgian trippel recipe
...Two notes of the chord, that's our full scopemashani wrote:But light colored with Westmalle yeast or Abbaye or that Golden yeast is YUM.
But to reach the chord is our life's hope
And to name the chord is important to some
'So they give it a word and the word is Yum.'
Last edited by BigPapaG on Wed Mar 23, 2016 11:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Looking for a Belgian trippel recipe
Ray you might want to also look at the La Fin thread that was started up. I threw out an alternative grain bill there and it's also one I think would work for what you are looking for. It will work well with any of the yeasts mentioned here.
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Rayyankee
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Re: Looking for a Belgian trippel recipe
So this is what i went with.
12 pounds of Pilsner malt
1/2 pound of crystal 10
2 oz of Saaz 60 min
1.50 oz of Styrian Goldings 20 min
mashed at 147 for 90 minutes
added whirlflock for the last 10min.
my OG. 1.060
Will be adding the candi syrup in 3 days and then again in 3 more
went with the dry Abbey yeast as that is the one my LHBS had.
will keep you posted.
Cheers Ray
12 pounds of Pilsner malt
1/2 pound of crystal 10
2 oz of Saaz 60 min
1.50 oz of Styrian Goldings 20 min
mashed at 147 for 90 minutes
added whirlflock for the last 10min.
my OG. 1.060
Will be adding the candi syrup in 3 days and then again in 3 more
went with the dry Abbey yeast as that is the one my LHBS had.
will keep you posted.
Cheers Ray
Re: Looking for a Belgian trippel recipe
FYI: The C10 will add a bit more candy like sweetness then the wheat or the carapils would have.
But this could be ok depending on how you want it to finish. It just isn't normally used in this kind of beer. The good thing is that light crystal has more of a candy/sugary sweetness then a caramel sweetness. Caramel doesn't really belong here traditionally, but hints of candy sweetness is ok. So you are probably good.
If after you try it you think next time you want it a touch drier then wheat or carapils instead will do that.
But this could be ok depending on how you want it to finish. It just isn't normally used in this kind of beer. The good thing is that light crystal has more of a candy/sugary sweetness then a caramel sweetness. Caramel doesn't really belong here traditionally, but hints of candy sweetness is ok. So you are probably good.
If after you try it you think next time you want it a touch drier then wheat or carapils instead will do that.
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Rayyankee
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Re: Looking for a Belgian trippel recipe
I went with the Crystal because SWMBO the reason i am making this likes it sweeter.
We will see how this goes. Worst case i will have beer.
Cheers Ray
We will see how this goes. Worst case i will have beer.
Cheers Ray
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Rayyankee
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Re: Looking for a Belgian trippel recipe
I bottled this today . after three weeks fermenting my FG. was 1.010.
the hydrometer sample tasted pretty good not to sweet. will probably give one a try in about another three weeks.
Will keep this thread updated then.
Cheers Ray
the hydrometer sample tasted pretty good not to sweet. will probably give one a try in about another three weeks.
Will keep this thread updated then.
Cheers Ray