First recipe attempt - Belgian Tripel

[Polderty]

I am trying to brew a tripel and have looked at a lot of recipes and I was hoping that I could get some input. I would like to brew a sweet and fruity style Tripel something akin to La Fin Du Monde (who wouldn't?). I have only brewed a couple IPAs and a Honey Lager, all from kits put together by my LHBS. I compiled a lot of recipes and came up with this one, I am unsure if I have made the right ratios.

My current recipe formation is:
8 lbs DME Briess Pilsen
1 lbs Cara Belge
1 lbs Crystal 20
1 lbs Honey (@ 5)
1 lbs Belgian Candi Sugar
1 oz Sweet Orange Peel (@ 10)
.5 oz Coriander (@ 10)
2 oz Hallertau Hops (@ 60, 30, 15, 1)

Whitelabs WLP500 Trappist Ale Yeast (making a wort)


A few questions:

2 oz Hallertau Hops or 1 oz Saaz and 1 oz Hallertau

Also wondering whether to use Honey, Belgian Candi Sugar, and/or table sugar

Other additions: Orange Peels (Bitter vs. Sweet), Apricot Flavoring?

Then there are the choices of Yeast:
Whitelabs WLP500 Trappist Ale Yeast
Wyeast 1214 Belgian Ale Yeast
Wyeast 3787 Trappist High Gravity


Thanks for the input.

 

[GuldTuborg]

WLP500 and WY1214 are the same strain (or have the same origin), so those two are interchangeable, or close to it. They will produce a much lighter and fruitier beer than the 3787, which will give you something heavier and more phenolic. I don't mean heavy as in a higher FG, it just seems that way due to the spicier, earthier flavors. Both make great beer, it just depends what you're after.

The extract you're using already has crystal malts in it, and should be roughly 75% fermentable, so I would consider leaving the crystal malts out entirely. You need to work extra hard to get the level of fermentability and dryness typical to a triple (unless you want it to finish bigger), and the crystal malts aren't going to help here.

Go with honey or sugar depending upon what you have. A pound of honey won't likely make a big flavor impact, unless you get something extra strong, so I'd go with whatever is cheaper/more convenient.

Hops as you like, but my guts tells me Saaz might be more interesting with the 3787, and Hallertau better with the 500/1214. I could be wrong, or just differ from your tastes, but consider it.

I'm also of the mind that extra flavorings won't be necessary with the yeast you're using. They're already flavorful enough. If you decide to go that route, go light on them. Nothing's worse than a beer that's one dimensionally orangey or whatever due to way too much extra stuff added. I had a saison like that recently...I could tell they used their house yeast and added a bunch of orange and spice, and it just tasted awful after a few sips.

In any case, you have a whole lot of options in making this. I always start from the end in recipe formulation. I figure out what I want it to taste like, and then make a recipe to match that. If you're going for LFdM, that's a good starting point. So, how do you want it to differ? Answer that, and you're on your way to getting better (more pertinent) feedback around here.

 

[Polderty]

Thanks Guld.

I'm now leaning towards something like this:

8 lbs DME Briess Pilsen
1 lbs Cara Belge
1 lbs Table Sugar
1 lbs Honey (@ 5)
1 oz Hallertau Hops (@ 60)
1 oz Hallertau or Saaz (@ 15)

Still unsure of the yeast, but I will probably go with the 500 or 530 if using all Hallertau.

 

[Yooper]

Thanks Guld.

I'm now leaning towards something like this:

8 lbs DME Briess Pilsen
1 lbs Cara Belge
1 lbs Table Sugar
1 lbs Honey (@ 5)
1 oz Hallertau Hops (@ 60)
1 oz Hallertau or Saaz (@ 15)

Still unsure of the yeast, but I will probably go with the 500 or 530 if using all Hallertau.

Whats the projected OG for your beer? You want an OG of 1.075-1.085 or so. That would be about what you have I think, so that looks good.

I'd probably skip the cara malt completely, and use either some aromatic malt (for some malty flavor) or else leave it out. If you use some, .25 pound is plenty.

I like czech saaz or styrian goldings for the flavor addition in tripels, but not nearly a whole ounce, more like .5 oz at 10 minutes.

 

[daksin]

I'm with Guld on this one- remember honey is a crystal malt. Since you aren't mashing here, you don't have control over the fermentability of your crystals by breaking down their sugars- you get much more finishing sweetness from steeping grains than the same grains in a mash with base malt.

A Tripel should finish DRY DRY DRY and only seem sweet because of the yeast character. I'd just go pils extract with maybe half a pound of biscuit (for a more drying finish) and maybe half a pound of carabelge (OR honey OR caramunich) if you NEED to have something else in there (I don't). Then your honey and sugar, but remember, honey isn't as fermentable as table sugar so you're adding more sweetness.

 

[Yooper]

I'm with Guld on this one- remember honey is a crystal malt. Since you aren't mashing here, you don't have control over the fermentability of your crystals by breaking down their sugars- you get much more finishing sweetness from steeping grains than the same grains in a mash with base malt.

A Tripel should finish DRY DRY DRY and only seem sweet because of the yeast character. I'd just go pils extract with maybe half a pound of biscuit (for a more drying finish) and maybe half a pound of carabelge (OR honey OR caramunich) if you NEED to have something else in there (I don't). Then your honey and sugar, but remember, honey isn't as fermentable as table sugar so you're adding more sweetness.

Honey isn't a crystal malt- it's not a malt or grain at all. It's nearly 100% fermentable, just as table sugar or corn sugar is. It's not less fermentable, and should finish just as dry. It's more expensive than table sugar, so that's one reason to not use it, but otherwise it's fine.

I'd totally skip any cara type malts, though!

 

[GuldTuborg]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure OP is using honey, not honey malt.

Good call on the slight dose of aromatic, Yooper. That's a popular addition and seems to give these beers a little added something, without taking away from its drinkability.

 

[W0rthog]

Fermenting at the higher end of the yeast tolerance range will give you more of the fruity, banana, rose flavor while the lower temps, more clove, alcohol, phenolic, fruity flavors. Based upon your two yeast selections mentioned. I recommend Wyeast. Recently did a Dubbel and it came out like the Chimay Reserve.

 

[jarhody]

I like czech saaz or styrian goldings for the flavor addition in tripels, but not nearly a whole ounce, more like .5 oz at 10 minutes.

I agree on the Styrian & Saaz I brewed a Tripel with this combo and it came out awesome! I did use a little more though 1oz of Styrian & Saaz @ 60 and 1.0 Saaz @ 15. This maybe more than recommended for a Tripel but, it come out great.

 

[beergolf]

I agree on the Styrian & Saaz I brewed a Tripel with this combo and it came out awesome! I did use a little more though 1oz of Styrian & Saaz @ 60 and 1.0 Saaz @ 15. This maybe more than recommended for a Tripel but, it come out great.

Those work well in a tripel. Shoot for a BU:GU ratio of .375 and you will be good.

I am not big on spices, but if you do use them,use sparingly.

 

[jarhody]

beergolf - thx ill probably reduce the amounts in the next batch and see what I get. I'll shoot for the ratio that you suggest.