Black is Back

ABV: 8.40%

IBU: 27

SRM: 30+

OG: 1.082

FG: 1.018

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Black Tripel

The following beer recipe is featured in the May/June 2013 issue of Zymurgy magazine. Access this issue along with the archives with Zymurgy Online!

In his column "World of Worts" for the May/June 2013 issue of Zymurgy magazine, Charlie Papazian hypothesized about what the next great frontier for adventurous brewers might be. After re-capping the current setting of the brewing world, he concluded that experiments with color might be the next great trend.

He offers up this recipe for a black hued Tripel as just such an experiment, saying "Would I call it a Black Belgian-style Tripel? Never, there is neither such a style nor a tradition, but the very idea of this confluence is pure and delightful speculation, worthy of your thoughts and thirst."

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The following beer recipe is featured in the May/June 2013 issue of Zymurgy magazine. Access this issue along with the archives with Zymurgy Online!

In his column "World of Worts" for the May/June 2013 issue of Zymurgy magazine, Charlie Papazian hypothesized about what the next great frontier for adventurous brewers might be. After re-capping the current setting of the brewing world, he concluded that experiments with color might be the next great trend.

He offers up this recipe for a black hued Tripel as just such an experiment, saying "Would I call it a Black Belgian-style Tripel? Never, there is neither such a style nor a tradition, but the very idea of this confluence is pure and delightful speculation, worthy of your thoughts and thirst."

Ingredients:

  • 12.0 lb (5.4 kg) pale malt
  • 1.0 lb (454 g) debittered black malt or black wheat malt
  • 1.5 lb (680 g) cane sugar (sucrose; Belgian candy sugar)
  • 1.5 oz (42 g) Styrian Goldings, Fuggles, or Willamette hops, 5% a.a. (60 min)
  • 1.0 oz (28 g) American Mt. Hood,  Santiam, or German Saphir hops (1min)
  • 0.25 tsp (1.25 g) powdered Irish moss.
  • Strong Belgian-style ale yeast
  • 0.75 cup (175 ml) corn sugar or 1.25 cup (300 ml) dried malt extract (for bottling)

Specifications:

Yield: 5 gallons (19 L)

Original Gravity: 1.082

Final Gravity: 1.018

ABV: 8.40%

IBU: 27

SRM: 30+

Boil Time: 60 minutes

Directions:

A step infusion mash is employed to mash the grains. Add 13 quarts (12.3 liters) of 140°F (60°C) water to the crushed grain, stir, stabilize and hold the temperature at 132°F (56°C) for 30 minutes. Add 6.5 quarts (6.2 liters) of boiling water and add heat to bring temperature to 155°F (68°C) and hold for about 30 minutes. Raise temperature to 167°F (75°C), lauter and sparge with 3.5 gallons (13.3 liters) of 170°F (77°C) water. Collect about 5.5 gallons (21 liters of runoff). Add sugar and 60-minute hops and bring to a full and vigorous boil. The total boil time will be 60 minutes. When 10 minutes remain, add the Irish moss. When one minute remains, add the one-minute hops. After a total wort boil of 60 minutes, turn off the heat and place the pot (with cover on) in a running cold water bath for 30 minutes. Continue to chill in the immersion or use other methods to chill your wort. Strain and sparge the wort into a sanitized fermenter. Bring the total volume to 5 gallons (19 L) with additional cold water if necessary. Aerate the wort very well. Add the yeast when cool and ferment to completion. Bottle when fermentation is complete. Although this brew will be ready for your enjoyable indulgence three weeks after bottling, it ages well. With two to 12 months aging in a quiet, dark and cool environment, you will find that you like this beer with age, better get to brewing a second batch right away-don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Extract Version

Ingredients

  • 9.0 lb (4.08 kg) | dark malt extract syrup or 7.45 lb (3.4 kg) dried dark malt extract
  • 8.0 oz (227 g) | debittered black malt or black wheat malt
  • 1.5 lb (680 g) | cane sugar (sucrose; Belgian candy sugar)
  • 2.0 oz (42 g) | Styrian Goldings, Fuggles, or Willamette hops, 5% a.a. (60 min)
  • 1.0 oz (28 g) | American Mt. Hood, Santiam, or German Saphir hops (1 min)
  • 0.25 tsp (1.25 g) | powdered Irish moss.
  • Strong Belgian-style ale yeast
  • 0.75 cup (175 ml) corn sugar or 1.25 cup (300 ml) dried malt extract (for bottling)

Directions

Place crushed grains in 2 gallons (7.6 L) of 150°F (66°C) water and let steep for 30 minutes.

Strain out (and rinse with 3 quarts [2.8 L] hot water) and discard the crushed grains, reserving the approximately 2.5 gallons (9.5 L) of liquid to which you will now add malt extract, sugar, and 60 minute hops. Bring to a boil.

The total boil time will be 60 minutes. When 10 minutes remain, add the Irish moss. When one minute remains, add the one-minute hops.

After a total wort boil of 60 minutes, turn off the heat. Immerse the covered pot of wort in a cold water bath and let sit for 15-30 minutes or the time it takes to have a couple of homebrews.

Strain and sparge the hops and direct into a sanitized fermenter to which 1.5 gallons (5.7 L) of cold water has been added. If necessary, add cold water to achieve a 5 gallon (19 L) batch size.  Aerate the wort very well.

Add the yeast when cool and ferment to completion.

Bottle when fermentation is complete.

Although this brew will be ready for your enjoyable indulgence three weeks after bottling, it ages well. With two to 12 months aging in a quiet, dark and cool environment, you will find that you like this beer with age, better get to brewing a second batch right away-don't say I didn't warn you.


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