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Author Topic: Strawberry tripel?  (Read 1238 times)

Offline AzBruin

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Strawberry tripel?
« on: July 14, 2019, 01:22:26 pm »
So, I had this extract tripel kit that I received as a birthday gift last month. Figured I'd cook it up just to get it off the shelf. Kit target numbers were 1.091 OG, 1.019 FG, 9.5% ABV, 7 SRM, and 26 IBU's. I was thinking that's pretty pale, in the lager range.
One of the best tripels I ever tasted was in a little brewpub in Superior, Wisconsin. About 10% ABV, gold with a touch of pink. My wife got smashed on 2 5 oz taster glasses. OK, she is a lightweight. Still, very nice beer.
So, got everything sanitized and ready. Wifey called me in for brekkus. I'm still thinking about that slightly pink tripel, when she breaks out some toast with strawberry jam, and the light bulb feebly flickered above my head.
So, I brewed up the kit, and my OG is about 11 points too high, but I put it in the fermenter and pitched the yeast.
I haven't added any strawberries yet, but I'm thinking about buying some frozen strawberries, macerating them in one of them kitchen whirly thingies, and adding them to the primary. What I'm looking for is a tinge of pink, and a wee bit of tartness.
Has anybody tried anything along these lines, and maybe any suggestions for an amount of puree?

Offline AzBruin

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Re: Strawberry tripel?
« Reply #1 on: July 14, 2019, 03:40:59 pm »
Or would some tart cherries be a better choice?

Offline denny

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Re: Strawberry tripel?
« Reply #2 on: July 14, 2019, 04:04:58 pm »
I would be much easier to get flavor from the cherries
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Offline AzBruin

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Re: Strawberry tripel?
« Reply #3 on: July 14, 2019, 04:25:49 pm »
Ok, thanks Denny. Been browsing the internet for cherry beer recipes, and I think I'm going to go with that.

Not really looking for cherry flavor, per se, but just a touch of tartness. Maybe I'm turning into one of those lacto weirdos!

EDIT: Most of the cherry recipes I've found add way too much color. One even mentioned the head was purple. NOT what I'm looking for!
« Last Edit: July 14, 2019, 10:38:58 pm by AzBruin »

Offline AzBruin

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Re: Strawberry tripel?
« Reply #4 on: July 14, 2019, 10:35:38 pm »
Ok, still researching fruit. I'm thinking filtered pink grapefruit juice for tartness, and maybe filtered blood orange juice for color, fresh squeezed, of course.
Can anybody chime in with quantities for a 20L batch?

Offline Curtis Tutak

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Re: Strawberry tripel?
« Reply #5 on: July 15, 2019, 10:36:01 am »
check out Voo Doo Love child.

Basically a triple brewed with Passion Fruit, Cherries and I think Raspberries.   I have never used strawberries but I have read they are very delicate to brew with and very little flavor.

Offline AzBruin

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Re: Strawberry tripel?
« Reply #6 on: July 16, 2019, 08:25:00 am »
Well, I may have (unintentionally) fixed about half of what I'm looking for. When selecting a yeast, I went to the fridge and pulled out my yeast box. I picked out a pack of Lallemand's Abbaye, and a pack of Belle Saison. Hey, they're both Belgian, right?
So, I went to Lallemand's website yesterday looking for a high alcohol tolerant strain. Looked at the data sheets for what I had already pitched, and discovered the Belle Saison is a diastaticus blend!
That should satisfy the bit of tartness I'm looking for!

So, the other half of the problem was I wanted a slight pink blush in a golden ale. Reading thru the fruit section in "Experimental Homebrewing", I think I've settled on pureed frozen cranberries, but far less than what would give me a cranberry flavor. I'm thinking a 12 oz bag in a 5 gal batch for a start, more later if needed.
Thoughts?

Offline Steve Ruch

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Re: Strawberry tripel?
« Reply #7 on: July 16, 2019, 10:48:12 am »
check out Voo Doo Love child.

Basically a triple brewed with Passion Fruit, Cherries and I think Raspberries.   I have never used strawberries but I have read they are very delicate to brew with and very little flavor.
I have some five year old strawberry mead that has plenty of strawberry flavor.
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Offline AzBruin

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Re: Strawberry tripel?
« Reply #8 on: July 17, 2019, 10:53:38 am »
DAY 3: primary ferment slowing, roused yeast and increased ferm temp to 72 max. Taste test is a wee bit bitter. Started thawing cranberries to puree.

Offline AzBruin

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Re: Strawberry tripel?
« Reply #9 on: July 20, 2019, 08:54:49 am »
Well, primary is finally winding down, gravity is at 1.012, ABV approximately 12% . I guess it's not really a Tripel anymore, but a Saison. Will let you know how this went after it ages for a while.

Offline Jarhead

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Re: Strawberry tripel?
« Reply #10 on: July 23, 2019, 01:02:11 pm »
Sounds like a delicious and dangerous brew. I have a tripel recipe that I have tweaked over the years. I put some orange peel previously with nice results. Cranberry sounds awesome. Interested in how it turns out.


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Offline AzBruin

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Re: Strawberry tripel?
« Reply #11 on: July 24, 2019, 08:11:03 am »
Actually, I sampled it the other day while I was bottling it, and it tasted pretty good. I'll let it carbonate and give it another shot in a week or 2. Did not get the pink blush I was looking for. Thought I ruined it with the Saison yeast, but I did get very high attenuation, at a little over 12% ABV.

Offline AzBruin

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Re: Strawberry tripel?
« Reply #12 on: July 24, 2019, 08:14:07 am »
mmm....did I mention it's a little on the dry side? :o