Belgian Tripel: My first all grain

[Woz]

Here are details for my first all grain brew. This was my second brew, the first being a partial extract English IPA that came out well.

Type: All Grain Date: 2/23/2012
Batch Size (fermenter): 6.00 gal
Boil Size: 8.77 gal
Boil Time: 60 min
End of Boil Volume 7.02 gal
Brewhouse Efficiency: 72.00 %
Final Bottling Volume: 5.55 gal

Ingredients
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
10 lbs Pilsner (2 Row) Bel (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 52.6 %
5 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 2 26.3 %
1 lbs Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 3 5.3 %
3 lbs Candi Sugar, Amber (75.0 SRM) Sugar 4 15.8 %
1.00 oz Saaz [4.00 %] - Boil 1.0 min Hop 6 0.4 IBUs
3.00 oz Hallertauer [4.80 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 5 34.6 IBUs

Est Original Gravity: 1.087 SG
Measured Original Gravity: 1.091 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.013 SG
Measured Final Gravity: ...
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 9.9 %
Bitterness: 35.0 IBUs
Est Color: 18.1 SRM

I pitched about 50 oz of Belgian yeast slurry from my favorite local brewpub. Fermentation seemed slow, but I stuck a huge blow off tube in my fermenter. Two days later, it was bubbling a lot. It slowed the next day, then stopped by the day after completely. I was worrying about attenuation. I pulled a sample to test today, 10 days since brew day, and found I'm at 1.016 down from my OG of 1.091. The taste is alcohol strong at this point and the fruit esters I'm hoping for are very mild. I'm hoping the esters will develop more. The color is way off from my expectation; it is golden and cloudy-opaque.

What should I expect for flavor development? When will it clear?

 

[TBKSquire]

The yeast will eventually settle out more, but with Belgians and Hefe's it tends to take forever. So once your positive that it's finished fermenting you can add gelatin finings to clear it up. If your going to bottle condition your beer I wouldn't worry about clarifying it. Personally I think the cloudiness adds flavor and nutrition so I don't worry about clear beer. As for the esters I'm not sure how much more development there will be after fermentation. The character will change over time but I'm pretty sure that's with only the remaining esters. TO be honest I don't know, just a guess. Happy brewing!!

 

[duboman]

Do you know what the rate of flocculation is on the yeast you got and at what temperature did you ferment. It's possible you may be able to get a few more points out of it. Also, a lot of Belgian yeasts are rated as high floc and if you fermented a little low the yeast may have dropped prior to finishing that last few points, sometimes they take a while. The lower temps may have contributed to the lower esters you are getting. In all I think you should give it some more time and a longer chance to clear, that's pretty opaque and most Belgians are pretty clear. seems to me there is a lot of yeast still trying to do its job in there.

 

[DPBISME]

My Second was a Belgian Triple...

My only real problem is I had not (and still have problems with) Sparging... I ended up with to much wort.

I then boiled it to long (2 hrs) and it darkened...

...and amybe a touch to sweet...

BUT drinkable... Gee... i love this hobby!