alcoholic harshness in trippel

[Soviet]

Fellow brewers:

My tripel had a pleasant bubble gum/banana ester aroma as expected, but when you drink it, it tastes like someone poured three shots of charcoal filtered vodka in with the beer (NOT the higher alcohol solventy off flavor). Very difficult to drink. Has anyone had this happen?

My original recipe was as follows:

14lbs 2 row us
.25 lbs special b malt
1 lb beet sugar

Something went wrong with my mash as I only got like 50% efficiency. My guess was the mash was too thin (1.5 qt/lb). I mashed at 144 F. I had to add 2 lbs more sugar to hit my og target. This was done at the end of primary fermentation. My guess is that this accounted for some of it. My FG was 1.006. Your thoughts?

 

[LexusChris]

Just to clarify, was the off flavor a 'hot' or 'harsh' alcohol flavor?

Which yeast did you use, and what was your fermentation temp and how do you control ferm temp?

What was your OG?
--LexusChris

 

[beergolf]

When did you brew and how long has it been in bottles?

Tripels take some time.

 

[Soviet]

I brewed this tripel about 6 weeks ago. I don't bottle, I force carbonate in a keg. For this trippel, I pitched at about 66 F and and had it ferment for 24 hours downstairs (where it stays about 66-67. I brought it up to the upper level (72+F) after the first day of fermentation and let it go to that temperature.

I have tasted and know what hot/solventy alcohol tastes like. This is NOT one of those cases. There is no acetone quality to it. The best I can describe it is if you took a very dry beer and added vodka to it. The beer tastes ok on the front end, but you taste a (liquor like) harshness in the finish after the beer flavor has disappeared.

 

[Rushis]

Time. Let it condition for a month or six and then judge it, 6 weeks is no were near long enough for a big beer (assuming it's a 5 gal batch based on your grain bill).

 

[afr0byte]

I brewed this tripel about 6 weeks ago. I don't bottle, I force carbonate in a keg. For this trippel, I pitched at about 66 F and and had it ferment for 24 hours downstairs (where it stays about 66-67. I brought it up to the upper level (72+F) after the first day of fermentation and let it go to that temperature.

I have tasted and know what hot/solventy alcohol tastes like. This is NOT one of those cases. There is no acetone quality to it. The best I can describe it is if you took a very dry beer and added vodka to it. The beer tastes ok on the front end, but you taste a (liquor like) harshness in the finish after the beer flavor has disappeared.

Six weeks is still young for a tripel. Also, your FG is a tad low for the style (lower end of 1.008 for the FG in the bjcp guide). I'd say, you're probably tasting ethanol (the primary flavor of vodka), especially with the lower FG. It'll most likely smooth out more as it ages, however.

 

[DannPM]

I don't see an abv % in the thread but anything over 9% is gong to take a few months to mellow the flavor of the alcohol itself and marry with the rest of the beer.

 

[amingo]

I experienced the same thing with a trippel I brewed. It was much better after 4 months and probably would have been great after 6 months, if I wouldn't have drunk it all.

 

[beergolf]

I experienced the same thing with a trippel I brewed. It was much better after 4 months and probably would have been great after 6 months, if I wouldn't have drunk it all.

Yes, all Belgians seem to just get much better with age. I did. BDSA that I drank most of it fairly young ( 2months). I put a few away and pulled one out at 6 months and was pissed that I drank most of it up too young.

I now don't even taste them until they have at least 4 months on them, and set about half of the batch aside to drink later.

 

[Soviet]

Hmm.. I thought I read somewhere that lighter beers do not improve by ageing. Had anyone else heard this?

 

[McGarnigle]

Hmm.. I thought I read somewhere that lighter beers do not improve by ageing. Had anyone else heard this?

Lighter in terms of gravity, not color. A light wheat won't age well, a tripel will.

 

[Soviet]

I remember hearing this on brew strong or something... An imperial ipa is not to be aged for example. Not only because it will lose its bitterness, but also light malts give in to oxidation, for instance. Whereas darker beers can often benefit from a little oxidation, e.g. scotch ale.

 

[windbreaker123]

What was your og and how many pounds of sugar total. What is the abv for this brew?

 

[Soviet]

OG was around 1.076. 3lbs sugar used total. It wound up being about 17% of the total recipe. ABV was 9.5%

 

[windbreaker123]

There is your answer at 9.5 it is going to take time. Emphasis on time I don't care what grains you put into it. A imp ipa still has a bite from alc but it is also offset with the hops. And both will diminsh with time yours was a basic triple loaded with sugar. And I see no hop schedule. Give it time or just drink it if you can't wait.

 

[beergolf]

A 9.5 tripel wil definitley take several months to age out. Put them in your basement for at least 4 months. More likely 6 would be better.

Drink a few young and then remember what they tasted like. When you taste the aged ones remember the young ones tasted like. The difference will be like night and day.

 

[McGarnigle]

I remember hearing this on brew strong or something... An imperial ipa is not to be aged for example. Not only because it will lose its bitterness, but also light malts give in to oxidation, for instance. Whereas darker beers can often benefit from a little oxidation, e.g. scotch ale.

Was it that light grains oxidize more quickly, or that those styles don't benefit from the sherry-ish notes? Some heavy British styles benefit from a bit of oxidation (and I think some breweries deliberately add it). But that's probably more like a couple years than 4-5 months. Unless the brewer messed up, the Tripel shouldn't oxidize that quickly.

 

[solbes]

Don't worry it will get better!! Just move on to another brew and forget about this one till at least New Years. Better waiting till spring.

Yes annoying waiting so long, but you will be happy you did.

 

[Soviet]

Thanks for all the help guys. Now I feel really dumb for dumping most of that beer (which smelled great by the way) before I read most of your posts. I did save a couple of growlers of it just in case. Waiting for beer to become good royally sucks, and I'm the most impatient brewer in the world.

 

[solbes]

Doohhh!! Would have been fine, my first tripel tasted hot too and it mellowed out very nicely. Lesson for you, never let your drain enjoy your hard work.

Only reason I would ever dump a batch is if it got moldy, or horribly infected. Very often batches will become drinkable or even good with more aging.

 

[Soviet]

Next time I brew a strong tripel like that one, how should I age it? In the original primary fermenter at room temperature? Cold condition in a keg for months? Should I carbonate it to the level I want in a keg and then take it off the CO2 and put it in my 65 F basement? Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[944play]

Next time I brew a strong tripel like that one, how should I age it?

I'm very happy with my Tripel that spent two weeks in primary, two weeks warm conditioning in the keg with priming sugar, and eight weeks cold conditioning. It's only a shade over 8%, so anything bigger might need more time.

 

[solbes]

I'd go primary for 4 weeks, purge keg w/ CO2, prime w/ sugar, and condition for another 2-4 months. Then ger 'er cold for a couple of weeks and enjoy.

 

[ReverseApacheMaster]

I had a tripel take about 9 months to mellow out. Granted, it's 10 or 11% but I gave it a month in the fermentator followed by bottling and even after a couple months in the bottle it was like rocket fuel. Now it's delicious and developed a very interesting but pleasant orange flavor.

 

[Rushis]

For my belgian strong (9.5%):
4 week primary
Keg, prime, sit for 4 weeks
Cold crash

same as others have suggested.

 

[Soviet]

Update on this - wow, still kicking myself for dumping it because after trying a bit from the liter bottle I saved, it has REALLY mellowed out. It has a sort of floral intoxicating scent now that's so so good. Note to self: never dump a trippel.

 

[beergolf]

Update on this - wow, still kicking myself for dumping it because after trying a bit from the liter bottle I saved, it has REALLY mellowed out. It has a sort of floral intoxicating scent now that's so so good. Note to self: never dump a trippel.

Belgians are different animals. They change dramatically over time. I brew Belgians a lot and have learned to just give them time and they always improve. The bigger the beer the longer it can age and improve.