Extract tripel recipe advice

20% is on the high side, but like you said, it is done. Try it and see if you like it.

I assume your batch size is 5 gal? What are your OG/FG and IBU targets?

Depends on how big your beer is, but I would guess adding it to the boil is the way to go in this case.

 

I'm not that familiar with Brewer's Friend. With that much sugar you'll definitely go lower than 1.021. Like you, I'd guess more like 1.010-1.012.

Re-run the recipe without the sugar, but leave the hops as is to see if you get any more IBU's. If so, I'd add the sugar all during the last 15min, that way you'll get higher hop utilization. Personally I target the IBU's a little higher, I usually go to about a 80:40 GU:IBU ratio.

All in all it looks like a good recipe and plan.

 

I just racked a tripel to my secondary, here's what I did:

Pitch on 3522 yeast cake at 65 and let rise to mid-70's over the course of the fermentation.

I started at 71 and let rise to 75, but that's using a probe taped to the primary and insulated with bubble wrap. My idea was to push the upper limit of ferm temp.


Is that too much sugar?

Probably not. My recipe called for 1 lb (6%), but I missed my OG. I added an extra pound to correct this and stayed within tripel guidelines for sugar (5-15%).


should I add late in the boil or add at high krausen?

On advice, I added my sugar after high krausen. I pitched the 3522 and after about 18 hours added a blow off tube. After 48 hours the blow off ended and I extracted about a cup of brew, mixed with sugar, and added back to primary. I was rewarded with a second cresting of the krausen. It was so thick I had to get a bigger blow off tube. The krausen was compressed in the headspace and literally seeped out like a thick paste (tasted terrible). It was an impressive show. Next time I will wait at least 72 hours or maybe 96 to add the sugar. If you are pitching on a yeast cake I would expect you to have more spectacular results.


I struggled trying to figure out what to include.

Maybe it's just me, but I like spices. My recipe included coriander, orange zest and licorice root (Karmeliet clone). I transferred to secondary after 16 days and the taste was very pleasant. True to style, the spices did not jump out at you. Oh yeah, my grav reading after 16 days was 1.003 . . . and that was with 2 lbs. of sugar. This hit my target of 8.4% ABV.

Good luck and please post some results.

 

I usually add the sugar during the last 15 min, forgot one time and added to the primary. Didn't come out as good.