Abbey Tripel

Tripels are often characterized by a complex, spicy, phenolic flavor. Yeast-generated fruity banana esters are also common, but not necessary. These pale/light-colored ales may finish sweet, though any sweet finish can be light on the palate. The beer is characteristically medium to full bodied with a neutral hop/malt balance. Brewing sugar may be used to lighten the perception of body. Its sweetness will come from very pale malts. There should not be character from any roasted or dark malts. Low hop flavor is okay. Alcohol strength and flavor should be perceived as evident. Head retention is dense and mousse like. Chill haze is acceptable at low serving temperatures. Tripels are paler, stronger and drier than the Dubbels.

Ingredients:

• 4 ounces Belgian aromatic malt

• 9 pounds extra-light DME

• 1 ounce Brewers Gold hops

• 1-1/2 ounces Styrian Goldings hops

• 1/4 ounce German Hallertau Hersbrucker hops

• 1/4 ounce Tettnang hops

• 1/2 ounce Saaz hops

• 1-1/2 pounds Belgian clear candi sugar

• 1 teaspoon Irish moss

• Wyeast 1214 Belgian Abbey ale yeast

• 1/2 cup corn sugar

• 1/3 cup white rock candi

Instructions:

1. Place the crushed specialty grains in a nylon hop bag and steep them in 1 gallon of preheated 150º water for 30 minutes.

2. Drain and discard the spent grains.

3. Bring at least 3 gallons of liquor to a boil, remove the brew kettle from the heat source then stir in the extract, the candi sugar and the Styrian Goldings hops.

4. Boil for 45 minutes, then add the Hallertau and Tettnang hops and the Irish moss.

5. Boil for an additional 10 minutes, then add the Saaz hops.

6. Boil for an additional 5 minutes, then remove the brew kettle from the heat source, cover it and drop the temperature of the wort as quickly as possible to 77º F.

7. Once the wort has cooled to below 77º F, take an original gravity reading, pour the wort into a primary fermenter through a funnel with a strainer and add enough cool water to create 5 gallons.

8. Once the wort has been transferred to the primary fermenter, pitch the yeast, stir the wort vigorously and seal the fermenter with an airlock and ferment at 70º-73º F for 7 days or until fermentation slows.

9. Rack the beer to a secondary fermenter and allow the beer to finish fermentation.

10. Once fermentation is complete, rack the beer to a bottling bucket, prime with the corn sugar and DME and bottle as usual.