brewing in maine

So I took a reading on the Tripel tonight, three days into fermentation, just as the yeast was slowing down (a bubble every 10 secs or so). The beer was starting to clear up a bit on the top couple of inches, with a settling yeast cloud below.

I roused the yeast first, then added the cooled syrup I made with 2.5 lbs of boiled table sugar.

Before the sugar was added, the gravity read 1012. That’s incredible for three days even with the large starter, and I think tells me my mash went as poorly as I thought. Although it’s consistent with the lower mash temps yielding a more fermentable wort. Since I forgot to take my original gravity measurement, I can only guess based on the recipe what my starting point was, but according to ProMash it’s 1061.  That’s 80% attenuation – more than Wyeast even specifies for the strain. So I’m naturally suspicious my OG was really in the 1052-1055 range.

Either way this beer seems to be very busy even a scant 15 minutes after the sugar addition – should be cranking tonight.

I shared a Chimay White with some friends today during our Tripel brew session, which went somewhat awry in a few respects but might have resulted in quality wort now beginning fermentation in my living room. And now, the day finally come to its close, I am enjoying an Allagash Tripel. In my opinion, the superior of the two – though mine still holds some vague future promise.

With a head that hangs in spots on the side of the glass, a face full of fruity esters from the yeast with a smooth mouthfeel and full body, this is a spectacular beer.

My own Tripel, however, is at risk. Missed the mash temp – hit 146 instead of 149. Had way too much water in the mash – practically nine gallons in the mash tun grain included, so I only sparged for a short while. Forgot the Irish Moss, leaving all the loose proteins uncoagulated and swirling around. Boiled off too much, only got 4 gal in the fermenter and had to top off. Whirlpooled and siphoned my wort instead of pouring through a strainer and a funnel, thereby gathering nearly all the crap into the fermenter. Went outside to pull the honey supers off the bees while the wort was oxygenating and came back to foam pouring all over the counter. Then, forgot to take an OG reading before pitching the yeast so now I don’t know my OG, nor can I evaluate the efficiency of the mash. Oh well.

Let’s just say this beer had better be good, but if it isn’t I’ll know what to do. At least I made a huge starter of Chimay yeast (Wyeast 1214).

I did rock, paper, scissors with myself and the Tripel won out. It’s off to Maine Brewing Supply (where’s your web site content dude?) later today to pick up ingredients. I’ll be kegging the Oktoberfest tonight so it’s ready to drink by Monday’s brew session.

Recipe for Monday is Jamil’s Tripel, potentially with some changes from the BYO Allagash Tripel clone recipe:

14 lb Pilsener
2.5 lb Cane Sugar (in boil at 15 minutes remaining)
0.25 lb Aromatic malt

Mash at 149 for higher fermentability, 90 minute boil.

2.3oz (65g) Tettnanger @ 60 min. – 4% AA
0.5oz (14g) Saaz @ 15 min. – 3.5% AA

WLP530 Abbey Ale x 2 in a 1L starter for ~275 billion cells

Ferment at 68 and let rise into the 70s as things get rolling…not that I have much control over this.

Brew video to follow.

So I’m thinking about brewing labor day weekend, potentially a Tripel or some kind of strong beer for the holidays. Time to crack open Brew Like A Monk and review some of the classics. I’ll need to get a 2L Erlenmeyer for this baby if I’m going to get the proper pitching rate.

On a side note the Oktoberfest is still in secondary to be kegged any day now, the Helles is not yet gone but going fast. What a great summer beer – I’ll make that again verbatim next year.