I want to make a Tripel...but I don't wanna make a starter. What to do? How about a light Belgian wheat ale to propagate the yeast? Sounds perfect to me.
Belgian Wheat Ale - brewed 6/13/2013 (3.25 gallons post boil)
- 2 lbs 8 oz Canadian Pale malt - 2 lbs 8 Weyermann Light Wheat malt - 8 oz Best Light Munich malt - Hallertau (since I have it) @ 60 minutes for about 14-15 IBU - Wyeast 3787 "Trappist High Gravity"
shooting for an OG of 1.046, and this yeast strain should work it down to around 1.010 without issue for about 4.8% ABV, and leave me a nice (quick too!) and refreshing late summer quaffer with the added bonus of making up a big and healthy yeast cake!
had an issue with my drill today, so I had a bad crush...not a great start. then I didn't get my normal boil off rate, so I had to extend said boil to get the OG up and the volume down. it eventually worked itself out, but I boiled a bit too much and the output was just a tad under the anticipated. Anyway, at 69% efficiency and 3 gallons post boil: OG 1.047 - IBU 16 - 4.8% abv
bottled on 7/27/2013 - FG was 1.010 = 4.8% ABV (just as expected). smelled very nice and Belgian-fruity with some bubble gum(?) at bottling time, and the sample I drank tasted similar. However, I may have a cold or lawn care related allergies clouding my perception. looking forward to naturally carbonated BWA in a few weeks!
8/25/13 - sorry for the bad pic...I'll work on that! as to the beer, it looks like any typical hazy wheat beer, but the head isn't really sticking around very much. from pour (not too aggressive though) to pic it was maybe a minute or 90 seconds. so, yeah, it faded fast, and left basically nothing in the lacing department. the aroma had the distinct "Belgian" characters of sweet fruits and a touch of spice. on the palate, the slightly prickly carbonation gives way to a smooth wheat-y, banana?, apricot?, plum? combo of flavors that I'm going to have to have a few more bottles to discern a little more accurately. but the first few pints have all been enjoyable, definitely "Belgian", and easy to drink.