I'm thinking about brewing a Belgian Tripel for the winter, as I have been greatly enjoying my annual fall Dubbel. This is what I have so far for 5.5. gals: 14.5 lbs Belgian Pilsner 0.25 lbs Aromatic 2.5 lbs table sugar Mash at 150; OG 1.081 FG 1.008 ABV 9.5% Ferment with 1214 at 0.75M/ml/P (no experience with this yeast) around 72 I have lots of Amarillo on hand and I was thinking about using it late in the boil for something different. Any thoughts are appreciated!
I would pull the aromatic and save it for my next Dubbel, you aren't looking for a malty aroma in a Tripel. Also not a fan of Amarillo in a Tripel. I know La Chouffe uses it and Duval Tripel-Hopped uses Citra, but you're talking full blown IPA in those cases. I'd stick with Pilsner and some wheat. Add a touch of something noble'esque (Saaz, St Golding, EKG come to mind). Would plan on pitching lots of healthy yeast and let the Chimay yeasties do most of the talking. Will let others comment on optimum temp.
If you're looking to switch it up, I keep thinking about doing a honey tripel. Essentially that recipe, but switch out the aromatic with honey malt, and the sugar with 3# honey at high krausen
Last year for my 400th batch I decided to brew a traditional Tripel. The fermentables were just Dingemans Pilsner Malt and table sugar (1.5 lbs.). The OG was 1.083 and FG was 1.009. I used Sterling hops for bittering and 0.5 ounce Saaz for the last 10 minutes of the boil. I chose to use Wyeast 3787 and I fermented warm (70 degrees F). I am very happy with how this beer turned out and hopefully I will be drinking this batch over the next 2-3 years. Cheers!
Sounds really good. I myself just made a tripel. I like a portion of wheat in mine. But yours should be fine without, too. I would ferment a little bit cooler, upper 60s. Amarillo sounds great. Good luck and enjoy.
That looks just fine. The aromatic, which is essentially Munich, isn't going to show up very much in that amount, but might provide for a little nuance. I wouldn't count on that, though. What are you using to bitter? I'd use a more classic hop and save the Amarillo for whirlpool and/or dh. Or, for that fact, another beer altogether.
My best Tripels are made with pilsner only or pilsner and sugar. Hopped with sass lightly and let the yeast do the heavy lifting. T-58 can even make a nice tripel although I prefer 3787.
I'd drink it. Never brewed a tripel myself, unless you count my golden strong homage to Duvel (golden strong = tripel without a nod to God). That was all pils and a light homemade candi syrup from beet sugar, sterling for bittering, and WLP570. I think it has been a long time since I used aromatic malt. I have used other kilned malts like Munich, biscuit, and honey malt in Belgian pale ales, some that have pushed into Belgian blond territory. No reason they wouldn't be good in a beer with gravity bumped up to tripel levels. However, you are proposing such a small amount of aromatic that you probably wouldn't notice. This is the approximate quantity of one of the malts that folks use to mimic decoction, which means subtly low impact, by my thinking.
