banana city on a tripel, suggestions?

[piteko]

Well,
as the topic suggests, I make a tripel, the fermentation just completed and it smells a lot of banana.

It's like a spicy weiss with the belgian alcohol warmth even if I kept the fermentation profile always under 21°C (71 °F): I read that the yeast I'm using (Trappist High Gravity n°3787) can bring up much banana if you let it go over 23°C (74°F).

Some extra infos: the yeast was in it's Wyeast packet since a year. I made a starter and it made its job. It took a month to go from 1080 to 1010, but everything is ok, since I read that it's a yeast that takes its time.

Any of you had the same thing (even keeping down the temp)?

I don't know if I can alterate the beer too, especially because the beer is strong, a bit spicy (I putted a bit of cardamome and guinea pepper) and has a strong mineral profile too. I woudn't make it any worse and I realize that maybe it's too early to judge... Any suggestion (apart from rdwhahb ) ?

Thanks in advance
Piteko

 

[Oldsock]

I think you're beer will be fine. I love 3787, and it is not a big banana producer (like the 1214) in my experience. Give it some more age and the fruitiness will fade. Have you racked off the primary yeast?

 

[piteko]

I think you're beer will be fine. I love 3787, and it is not a big banana producer (like the 1214) in my experience. Give it some more age and the fruitiness will fade. Have you racked off the primary yeast?

No, the beer is still in the primary. Do you suggest to secondary with 3787?

Two months ago I read a discussion about primary only. I made it for an IPA and I have been very happy with the result. With this tripel I was going to test it again. Maybe bottling around Christmas.

This is a brief version of the scheduling:
1st November 2010 - temp 21°C, 1067 (supposed 1080 with the sugar)
2nd Novembre 2010 - fermentation started
4th November 2010 - 1042, adding first half of the inverted sugar
7th November 2010 - adding second half of the inverted sugar
12th November 2010 - 1022
28th November 2010 - 1011, temp 18°C

Btw, aging is not a problem here, I'm aware that my beers are on their top after 2 months of conditioning and I try to save 3-4 bottles to test every batch after a year. It's really interesting how a beer can age and show where you were good and wrong

Thanks for the feedback!
Piteko

 

[Oldsock]

I think primary only is fine for a beer that you are going to bottle/keg after a month or so, but for a big beer like this 2 months in primary may be too long. The yeast can start to beakdown and give you some off flavors, especially if left warm.

It may just be that you smell the dried krausen and other byproducts from the primary fermentation. Once you move the beer to a clean vessel the aromatics may clean up. I often notice this before I rack a beer.

 

[piteko]

I think primary only is fine for a beer that you are going to bottle/keg after a month or so, but for a big beer like this 2 months in primary may be too long. The yeast can start to beakdown and give you some off flavors, especially if left warm.

Thanks Oldsock for the suggestion, but I think I will probably remain on the primary. It's the first big beer I'm making with primary only and I want to test what said by Palmer here. It's been a hard decision, I wanted to secondary but if I don't give it a try I will never know and, besides, the primary only with the 1065 OG IPA was so good that the point was to raise the pot

Thanks, I will post how the beer gets with time.
Cheers
Piteko

 

[piteko]

I think you're beer will be fine. I love 3787, and it is not a big banana producer (like the 1214) in my experience. Give it some more age and the fruitiness will fade. Have you racked off the primary yeast?

Hi Oldsock,
as planned, the beer remained on the yeast cake for 7 weeks and then it has been bottled. You were right: now 4 months have passed and the banana flavour is normal. The beer is still too young but I'm not worried: since it's 9,1%ABV I think it can be ok.

Thanks!
Piteko

 

[Oldsock]

Glad to hear.