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Am I crazy to try a belgian triple as my first home brew.
4/5/2012 9:57:55 PM
So, I went and ordered the all the things for doing a home brew.
I like belgian triples a lot so, went ahead and bought a ingredients kit for one. Just wondering if thats an inherently bad choice. It seems a little complicated, and requires significant time to brew for something that stands a far chance of getting mucked up. Should I go ahead and try it, or try something else first.
I like belgian triples a lot so, went ahead and bought a ingredients kit for one. Just wondering if thats an inherently bad choice. It seems a little complicated, and requires significant time to brew for something that stands a far chance of getting mucked up. Should I go ahead and try it, or try something else first.
4/5/2012 11:41:19 PM
Originally Posted By Doug86:
So, I went and ordered the all the things for doing a home brew.
I like belgian triples a lot so, went ahead and bought a ingredients kit for one. Just wondering if thats an inherently bad choice. It seems a little complicated, and requires significant time to brew for something that stands a far chance of getting mucked up. Should I go ahead and try it, or try something else first.
So, I went and ordered the all the things for doing a home brew.
I like belgian triples a lot so, went ahead and bought a ingredients kit for one. Just wondering if thats an inherently bad choice. It seems a little complicated, and requires significant time to brew for something that stands a far chance of getting mucked up. Should I go ahead and try it, or try something else first.
You should be fine, I'm assuming this is a extract kit right? These kits are very easy, just watch your boil times and assuming you're using Belgian candi sugar, don't scorch it during boil. Did you order liquid yeast? Dry or liquid do make a starter, Belgian's require a lot of healthy yeast cells and I always make starters for 'larger' beers.
The main tips I can give you is ensure you're sterilization is solid and to keep you're fermentation vessel somewhere cool, once sugar to alcohol conversion starts the temps will rise as much as 7 degrees inside the vessel. The downside to tripels is that it takes at least 3 mos for them to setup and be ready for kegging/bottling; you can do so sooner but the beer will be young and favors won't have time to gel. If you're using orange peel, coriander, paradise seeds or other additives the favors will be more pronounced in 'young' beers.
Enjoy and welcome to the world of Homebrew.
4/6/2012 12:50:22 PM
Tell us more about the 'kit.'
4/6/2012 3:48:12 PM
Originally Posted By Sniper_Wolfe:
Tell us more about the 'kit.'
Tell us more about the 'kit.'
If it's similar to this one I can attest to the simplicity. It's been a very long time since I've done an extract brew or a kit for that matter but my remembrance of this kit was very positive. If I recall this use candi syrup as opposed to rock candi sugar so it was easier to use without the concern of scorching.
NB Tripel
4/6/2012 5:59:27 PM
I went with this one
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006QX52PS/ref=sc_pgp__m_A3T54SCCTW8P2G_1?ie=UTF8&m=A3T54SCCTW8P2G&n=&s=&v=glance
My basement is in the low 60 degrees this time of year. Is that going to be cold enough.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006QX52PS/ref=sc_pgp__m_A3T54SCCTW8P2G_1?ie=UTF8&m=A3T54SCCTW8P2G&n=&s=&v=glance
My basement is in the low 60 degrees this time of year. Is that going to be cold enough.
4/6/2012 8:49:50 PM
Midwest has some good kits, just follow the directions, and you will be fine.
4/7/2012 10:05:49 AM
The kit looks easy enough.
Which yeast did you go with? I suggest making a starter if you went with liquid yeast. If dry, you might want to pitch two packets.
Which yeast did you go with? I suggest making a starter if you went with liquid yeast. If dry, you might want to pitch two packets.
4/7/2012 4:08:22 PM
Originally Posted By Sniper_Wolfe:
The kit looks easy enough.
Which yeast did you go with? I suggest making a starter if you went with liquid yeast. If dry, you might want to pitch two packets.
The kit looks easy enough.
Which yeast did you go with? I suggest making a starter if you went with liquid yeast. If dry, you might want to pitch two packets.
I got it with the T-58 yeast.
As an update the I pitched the yeast at about 11 last night, and by 2 in the morning it started to show activity at the airlock. The temp was up to 77 degrees by morning so I had to move it to the basement. Hopefully everything comes out right.
4/7/2012 10:51:25 PM
Originally Posted By Doug86:
I got it with the T-58 yeast.
As an update the I pitched the yeast at about 11 last night, and by 2 in the morning it started to show activity at the airlock. The temp was up to 77 degrees by morning so I had to move it to the basement. Hopefully everything comes out right.
Originally Posted By Sniper_Wolfe:
The kit looks easy enough.
Which yeast did you go with? I suggest making a starter if you went with liquid yeast. If dry, you might want to pitch two packets.
The kit looks easy enough.
Which yeast did you go with? I suggest making a starter if you went with liquid yeast. If dry, you might want to pitch two packets.
I got it with the T-58 yeast.
As an update the I pitched the yeast at about 11 last night, and by 2 in the morning it started to show activity at the airlock. The temp was up to 77 degrees by morning so I had to move it to the basement. Hopefully everything comes out right.
Good move on moving it, I've not used that yeast before but a general rule of thumb for any Belgian is to make a starter. Did you check the gravity before pitching? If so, what was it? If I were you, when you rack into your secondary I'd pull of some trub and make a starter and pitch it a few days prior to bottling/kegging.
4/9/2012 1:42:26 PM
Originally Posted By ATLDiver:
Good move on moving it, I've not used that yeast before but a general rule of thumb for any Belgian is to make a starter. Did you check the gravity before pitching? If so, what was it? If I were you, when you rack into your secondary I'd pull of some trub and make a starter and pitch it a few days prior to bottling/kegging.
Originally Posted By Doug86:
I got it with the T-58 yeast.
As an update the I pitched the yeast at about 11 last night, and by 2 in the morning it started to show activity at the airlock. The temp was up to 77 degrees by morning so I had to move it to the basement. Hopefully everything comes out right.
Originally Posted By Sniper_Wolfe:
The kit looks easy enough.
Which yeast did you go with? I suggest making a starter if you went with liquid yeast. If dry, you might want to pitch two packets.
The kit looks easy enough.
Which yeast did you go with? I suggest making a starter if you went with liquid yeast. If dry, you might want to pitch two packets.
I got it with the T-58 yeast.
As an update the I pitched the yeast at about 11 last night, and by 2 in the morning it started to show activity at the airlock. The temp was up to 77 degrees by morning so I had to move it to the basement. Hopefully everything comes out right.
Good move on moving it, I've not used that yeast before but a general rule of thumb for any Belgian is to make a starter. Did you check the gravity before pitching? If so, what was it? If I were you, when you rack into your secondary I'd pull of some trub and make a starter and pitch it a few days prior to bottling/kegging.
He is using dry yeast so it'll be a lot better than if he was using liquid yeast with no starter. Two packs would probably have done it, one will probably be OK as you're going to want yeasty flavors from the Belgian so they might not be so objectionable, even if they were unintended. Good call on lowering the temp, 77F is way too high. I bet it'll come out a little hot, but that'll likely go away after several months.
OP, in the future go to Mr. Malty to figure out how much yeast you need.
4/9/2012 5:44:35 PM
Originally Posted By Sniper_Wolfe:
He is using dry yeast so it'll be a lot better than if he was using liquid yeast with no starter. Two packs would probably have done it, one will probably be OK as you're going to want yeasty flavors from the Belgian so they might not be so objectionable, even if they were unintended. Good call on lowering the temp, 77F is way too high. I bet it'll come out a little hot, but that'll likely go away after several months.
OP, in the future go to Mr. Malty to figure out how much yeast you need.
Originally Posted By ATLDiver:
Good move on moving it, I've not used that yeast before but a general rule of thumb for any Belgian is to make a starter. Did you check the gravity before pitching? If so, what was it? If I were you, when you rack into your secondary I'd pull of some trub and make a starter and pitch it a few days prior to bottling/kegging.
Originally Posted By Doug86:
I got it with the T-58 yeast.
As an update the I pitched the yeast at about 11 last night, and by 2 in the morning it started to show activity at the airlock. The temp was up to 77 degrees by morning so I had to move it to the basement. Hopefully everything comes out right.
Originally Posted By Sniper_Wolfe:
The kit looks easy enough.
Which yeast did you go with? I suggest making a starter if you went with liquid yeast. If dry, you might want to pitch two packets.
The kit looks easy enough.
Which yeast did you go with? I suggest making a starter if you went with liquid yeast. If dry, you might want to pitch two packets.
I got it with the T-58 yeast.
As an update the I pitched the yeast at about 11 last night, and by 2 in the morning it started to show activity at the airlock. The temp was up to 77 degrees by morning so I had to move it to the basement. Hopefully everything comes out right.
Good move on moving it, I've not used that yeast before but a general rule of thumb for any Belgian is to make a starter. Did you check the gravity before pitching? If so, what was it? If I were you, when you rack into your secondary I'd pull of some trub and make a starter and pitch it a few days prior to bottling/kegging.
He is using dry yeast so it'll be a lot better than if he was using liquid yeast with no starter. Two packs would probably have done it, one will probably be OK as you're going to want yeasty flavors from the Belgian so they might not be so objectionable, even if they were unintended. Good call on lowering the temp, 77F is way too high. I bet it'll come out a little hot, but that'll likely go away after several months.
OP, in the future go to Mr. Malty to figure out how much yeast you need.
I had no idea the temp would go up that fast. I checked it at 2am on Saturday and it was at 70 degrees at 9:30 it had gotten to 77. Its sitting in the basement now at 63 degrees. If it gets much colder I will have to move it again.
I thought one pack might not be enough, but was in a hurry to start, and thats what came with the kit so that was that. Next time I will know to pay better attention to the yeast.
4/9/2012 6:57:01 PM
Originally Posted By Doug86:
I had no idea the temp would go up that fast. I checked it at 2am on Saturday and it was at 70 degrees at 9:30 it had gotten to 77. Its sitting in the basement now at 63 degrees. If it gets much colder I will have to move it again.
I thought one pack might not be enough, but was in a hurry to start, and thats what came with the kit so that was that. Next time I will know to pay better attention to the yeast.
I had no idea the temp would go up that fast. I checked it at 2am on Saturday and it was at 70 degrees at 9:30 it had gotten to 77. Its sitting in the basement now at 63 degrees. If it gets much colder I will have to move it again.
I thought one pack might not be enough, but was in a hurry to start, and thats what came with the kit so that was that. Next time I will know to pay better attention to the yeast.
I'm sure it'll come out just fine...
RDWHAHB
(Well, just a commercial beer for you.
)4/9/2012 10:32:16 PM
It should be a pretty good beer!
But, probably won't be too close to a Trippel.
The dry yeast doesn't produce the spicy Phenols & Esters that a Belgian liquid yeast has. Plus many of the Belgian yeasts has interesting ferm temp schedules. Some, going into the 90's (slowly) & then likes a cold crash. I've seen warming rooms for bottle fermentation.
But, probably won't be too close to a Trippel.
The dry yeast doesn't produce the spicy Phenols & Esters that a Belgian liquid yeast has. Plus many of the Belgian yeasts has interesting ferm temp schedules. Some, going into the 90's (slowly) & then likes a cold crash. I've seen warming rooms for bottle fermentation.
4/10/2012 6:29:52 AM
Meh, its the same process. Just a longer wait for the product.
If you would like to save money in the future with the candy sugar. You can make it at home for pennies.
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/20-lb-sugar-jar-yeast-nutrient-114837/
Personally, I couldnt wait to start drinking my own beer. So I stuck with lower gravity recipes until I had a large enough pipeline established. Then I started brewing big. My favorite extract beer that I made was a scotch ale that I aged for a year. It was very smooth, and would bugger you up in a hurry.
If you would like to save money in the future with the candy sugar. You can make it at home for pennies.
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/20-lb-sugar-jar-yeast-nutrient-114837/
Personally, I couldnt wait to start drinking my own beer. So I stuck with lower gravity recipes until I had a large enough pipeline established. Then I started brewing big. My favorite extract beer that I made was a scotch ale that I aged for a year. It was very smooth, and would bugger you up in a hurry.
4/12/2012 2:42:29 AM
My triple has been aging in the keg for the past four plus weeks. It has mellowed very well. It was a bit rough at 2 weeks, its very drinkable right now. I cannot wait for it to age completely.
I pulled a slight buzz off of one imperial pint. This keg is going to last me a long while.
I pulled a slight buzz off of one imperial pint. This keg is going to last me a long while.
6/8/2012 8:56:07 PM
Just remembered this and figured I would post an update. After primary fermentation for a week, I did a three week secondary fermentation then bottled into 22 oz glass bottles using 5 oz of corn sugar for priming. After a week I tried one. It sucked big time. At two weeks I tried again and it was almost a little better. By week three it tasted pretty good, and now at a month in the bottle its suddenly awesome.
It tastes just like the belgian triple style beers I've tried. Carbonation, and head retention are very good also. The one let down is the color. Mine came out a few shades darker then I've seen any tripel. Its a light copper color, about the same shade as a light colored Bourbon.
Thank you guys for the help and encouragement.
It tastes just like the belgian triple style beers I've tried. Carbonation, and head retention are very good also. The one let down is the color. Mine came out a few shades darker then I've seen any tripel. Its a light copper color, about the same shade as a light colored Bourbon.
Thank you guys for the help and encouragement.
6/8/2012 11:42:38 PM
Originally Posted By Doug86:
Just remembered this and figured I would post an update. After primary fermentation for a week, I did a three week secondary fermentation then bottled into 22 oz glass bottles using 5 oz of corn sugar for priming. After a week I tried one. It sucked big time. At two weeks I tried again and it was almost a little better. By week three it tasted pretty good, and now at a month in the bottle its suddenly awesome.
It tastes just like the belgian triple style beers I've tried. Carbonation, and head retention are very good also. The one let down is the color. Mine came out a few shades darker then I've seen any tripel. Its a light copper color, about the same shade as a light colored Bourbon.
Thank you guys for the help and encouragement.
Just remembered this and figured I would post an update. After primary fermentation for a week, I did a three week secondary fermentation then bottled into 22 oz glass bottles using 5 oz of corn sugar for priming. After a week I tried one. It sucked big time. At two weeks I tried again and it was almost a little better. By week three it tasted pretty good, and now at a month in the bottle its suddenly awesome.
It tastes just like the belgian triple style beers I've tried. Carbonation, and head retention are very good also. The one let down is the color. Mine came out a few shades darker then I've seen any tripel. Its a light copper color, about the same shade as a light colored Bourbon.
Thank you guys for the help and encouragement.
You used a kit, right? A mini mash or full mash will dial in the color that you're looking for. Also, pro tip use light DME for bottling as I find it's easier to work with for priming and doesn't impact a subtle flavor like corn sugar does; this is of course don't start kegging and force carbing.
Lastly, you're supposed to be brewing more so you have a ready supply...
congrats on the brew...6/9/2012 8:44:59 AM
Originally Posted By Doug86:
Just remembered this and figured I would post an update. After primary fermentation for a week, I did a three week secondary fermentation then bottled into 22 oz glass bottles using 5 oz of corn sugar for priming. After a week I tried one. It sucked big time. At two weeks I tried again and it was almost a little better. By week three it tasted pretty good, and now at a month in the bottle its suddenly awesome.
It tastes just like the belgian triple style beers I've tried. Carbonation, and head retention are very good also. The one let down is the color. Mine came out a few shades darker then I've seen any tripel. Its a light copper color, about the same shade as a light colored Bourbon.
Thank you guys for the help and encouragement.
Just remembered this and figured I would post an update. After primary fermentation for a week, I did a three week secondary fermentation then bottled into 22 oz glass bottles using 5 oz of corn sugar for priming. After a week I tried one. It sucked big time. At two weeks I tried again and it was almost a little better. By week three it tasted pretty good, and now at a month in the bottle its suddenly awesome.
It tastes just like the belgian triple style beers I've tried. Carbonation, and head retention are very good also. The one let down is the color. Mine came out a few shades darker then I've seen any tripel. Its a light copper color, about the same shade as a light colored Bourbon.
Thank you guys for the help and encouragement.
If you like the taste, then you did great! Color is always darker on extract brews, nothing you can do about that...
