First Belgian Tripel next week, tips?

[pricelessbrewing]

I'm planning on doing 5G of a Tripel, either Final absolution all grain clone or Delirium Tremens. Not sure which yet. I don't have any O2 system, so I'll have to oxygenate via splashing with air.

I have two vials belgian liquid yeasts on hand.

WLP 540 Platinum series Abbey IV Ale yeast which best if used by is 11/7
I'll definitely have to do a big starter with nutrients on this one

WLP 570 which the lhbs just got, should be good for 4 months. Regular starter should be good.

I'll probably use the 570 for the tripel, and brew up a dark strong with the 540 and let it age awhile. Any other suggestions?

General tips for brewing my first belgians?

 

[Foosier]

If you don't have an oxygen system, plan on aerating very well. I did mine using a very large restaurant whisk. Whipped the wort to a froth and then transferred to the fermenter. With a huge starter it was done in 9 days from 1.090 to 1.005. I used WY3787.

 

[beergolf]

A couple of tips.

O2 will help. If you do not have an O2 tank then aerate like crazy.

Make a big enough starter.

Pitch in the mid 60's and hold it there for a few days. Then ramp the temp up to the mid 70's to finish out. Give it plenty of time to finish. Belgian yeasts are famous for taking off fast but taking a long time to get the last few points of attenuation.

From Brew Like a Monk...

"Let the ferntation finish, perhaps at a higher temperature. It may take as long to get the last few points of attenuation as it did for the first 80%."

Give it some time. Bottle and enjoy. Save some to see the difference as it ages.



r

 

[pricelessbrewing]

A couple of tips.

O2 will help. If you do not have an O2 tank then aerate like crazy.

Make a big enough starter.

Pitch in the mid 60's and hold it there for a few days. Then ramp the temp up to the mid 70's to finish out. Give it plenty of time to finish. Belgian yeasts are famous for taking off fast but taking a long time to get the last few points of attenuation.

From Brew Like a Monk...

"Let the ferntation finish, perhaps at a higher temperature. It may take as long to get the last few points of attenuation as it did for the first 80%."

Give it some time. Bottle and enjoy. Save some to see the difference as it ages.



r

I'll be using a swamp cooler to try and hold temps, so we'll see how well I can ramp it up. Thanks for the tips, I just hope I don't get a stuck 1.020.

 

[beergolf]

I'll be using a swamp cooler to try and hold temps, so we'll see how well I can ramp it up. Thanks for the tips, I just hope I don't get a stuck 1.020.

If you want good temp control a swamp cooler works pretty well. If you want to ramp up the temps an aquarium heater will heat the water and raise the temps. I use this all the time to get the temps for my Belgians and Saisons up. The thermal mass of the watter holds temps great.

I have a saison now fermenting at 80 degrees in my cool basement using the aquarium heater trick.

The heater I use holds temps to +/- 1 degree and goes all the way to 88 degrees for when I want to use 3724, even in cool weather.

 

[pricelessbrewing]

If you want good temp control a swamp cooler works pretty well. If you want to ramp up the temps an aquarium heater will heat the water and raise the temps. I use this all the time to get the temps for my Belgians and Saisons up. The thermal mass of the watter holds temps great.

I have a saison now fermenting at 80 degrees in my cool basement using the aquarium heater trick.

The heater I use holds temps to +/- 1 degree and goes all the way to 88 degrees for when I want to use 3724, even in cool weather.

Nice, now where can I get an aquarium cooler with 1 degree swings?

 

[te-wa]

i made a tripel and let the yeast eat all the grain sugars for 5 days. THEN i added a pound of table sugar, to the primary. it kicked back up and finished after 6 weeks at 1.011, with an abv of 10.3

started (iirc) around 65 then slowly raised to 75 over a week. pitched a 2L starter. one of the cleanest beers i've made to date.