Turkey Tripel

Belgian Strong Ale

This is a 2004 BJCP style 18c beer.

Recipe: Belgian Tripel Volume: 5 gallons
Dates:

Brew date: Dec 1, 2007
Transfer to secondary: Dec 15, 2007
Bottling: Dec 29, 2007

Ingredients:

Water source: basement utility sink filtered dispenser
Yeast: WLP500 Belgian Trappist

Grain bill

	Potential sg pppg	Points per gal
13.5 lbs Pilsener Malt 1 lb Aromatic Malt 1.5 lbs Corn Sugar	1.037 1.034 1.046	499.5 34.0 69.0
	Ideal: Pre-boil: Target:	602.5 602.5 602.5	/ 5 gal = 120.5 >>> 1.121 * 70%/ 6 gal = 70.3 >>> 1.070 * 70%/ 5 gal = 84.4 >>> 1.084
1 lb Corn Sugar when fermentation subsides

Hops (pellet with filter into carboy)

1 oz German Hallertaur Hersbrucker - 7.0% avg alpha Utilization: 60 minutes @ 1.070 = 19.3%	*IBU = 1 7.0 * 19.3 * 0.75 / 5 = 20.3**
0.5 oz German Hallertaur Mittlefrueh - 5.2% avg alpha Utilization: 30 minutes @ 1.070 = 14.8%	*IBU = 0.5 5.2 * 14.8 * 0.75 / 5 = 5.8**
0.3 oz German Hallertau Tradition - 6.2% avg alpha Utilization: 15 minutes @ 1.070 = 9.6%	*IBU = 0.3 6.2 * 9.6 * 0.75 / 5 = 2.7**
	Total IBU = 29

Other

1/4 tsp Bitter Orange - 15 min
1 tsp Irish Moss (rehydrated) - 15 min 1/4 tsp zest from orange - 15 min
1/4 tsp crushed coriander - 15 min

Activity Log

Yeast Starter:

About 24 hours before the brew, boiled 6 ounces of DME in 6 cups of water in a 2 liter flask and let cool. Took specific gravity reading of 1.044. Shook to aerate, pitched yeast, fitted aluminum foil over top of flask and placed at 70 f.

Mash/Lauter/Sparge:

Heated 5 gallons of water to 168 f in 7 gallon mash tun with Bazooka T-screen. Mixed in grain and let stand at 150 f for 60 minutes. Added boiling water and heat to mash out at 168 f for 10 minutes. Opened spigot 45 degrees and recycled until relatively clear. Captured 7 gallons into 10 gallon Polarware kettle, sparging with 168 f water. Specific gravity remaining at end of sparge was 1.032, taken with new refractometer..

Boil:

Brought to a boil and added corn sugar. Boiled for 60 minutes then added first hops. Boiled for 30 more minutes then added second hops. Boiled for 2 more minutes then added third hops, bitter orange, orange zest, crushed coriander and rehydrated Irish moss. Boiled for 15 more minutes then cooled by running through counterflow chiller into funnel filter then into 6.5 gallon carboy. Took specfic gravity reading of 1.090. Added yeast and water which brought specific gravity to 1.081. Aerated by rocking on folded towel. Fitted stopper and airlock and placed at 70 f.

Fermentation (target final gravity = 1.020):

Observations of primary stage
(14 days w/temp increasing to 70 f))

1 day: 67 f, 2 inches of foam, 63 bubbles per minute
2 days: 69 f, 1 inches of foam, 59 bubbles per minute
6 days: 70 f, 5/8 inches of foam, 45 bubbles per minute
7 days: 70 f half foam half film, 25 bubbles per minute
Took specific gravity reading of 1.030
Boiled 1 lb of corn sugar in 6 cups of water, cooled and added to carboy making effective original specific gravity 1.084
8 days: 70 f, half foam half film, 34 bubbles per minute
10 days: 70 f, thin film, 3 bubbles per minute
14 days: 70 f, no foam, no bubbles in a minute

Siphoned to 5 gallon carboy taking specific gravity reading of 1.044.

Observations of secondary stage
(14 days @ 72 f))

Bottling:

Discovered that refractometer was not giving the same reading as the hydrometer. Siphoned to bottling bucket taking specific gravity reading of 1.022. This puts ABV at about 8.1%. Filled a 2 liter bottle two thirds full, pressurized to 30 lbs/sq in CO2 and placed in fridge to force carbonate. This left a little more than 4 gallons in the bottling bucket. Boiled 5 oz of corn sugar in 2 cups of water, cooled and stirred into bottling bucket. Filled and capped 41 bottles and placed at 72 f to condition.

See Turkey Tripel labels here.

Results:

This beer wond 3rd place in the Belgian Trappist Ale category at the 2008 Drunk Monk Challenge
This beer wond 3rd place in the Menace of the Monestary at the 2009 Drunk Monk Challenge