Hello everyone! Looking for an opinion or some advice as to whether or not vanilla would be a good flavor addition to a Belgian Tripel. I was really excited to see that NB now offers the Tripel extract kit in a small batch 1 gal recipe, so i quickly scooped up a kit along with a Zombie Dirt kit (because, duh!). I just recently bottled a one gallon Tripel kit from Brewer’s Best, bc it was available at my LHBS, and the sample i had was delicious. I can only imagine the NB kit to be of better quality, and I have have some leftover vanilla beans I could put to use.
I’m not looking to add a huge punch of vanilla, but I’m just a huge fan of the flavor (especially in beer), and am really a fan of Tripels, especially in the summer, so I’m trying to create some home brewed inventory. I’ve never seen a commercial vanilla Tripel (that i’m aware of), and my worried its because the flavor profiles somehow don’t mesh.
In my mind, I just think the sugary sweetness of the Tripel, with some slightly enhanced notes of vanilla, would be really tasty!
I’d give it a try. It might be a little sweet for my taste, but I occasionally brew to share with others who like things a little sweeter. So my approach would be to split the batch (in secondary): half with no vanilla, half with vanilla. When secondary is complete, if the vanilla half comes out way too sweet, I’d try blending the two half batches before bottling.
As in any experimentation with beer flavorings, start small and build it up. I would recommend getting a 1 gallon jug and put some of your beer in there with 1 vanilla bean and try it after a week. Then you can adjust or abort.
I took a class where the instructor recommended taking a 5 gallon batch and splitting it into 5 1 gallon jugs. Then you can flavor and test with combos. That way you don’t ruin an entire 5 gallon batch just to try something new.
But a tripel can be a strong sweet flavor already, the vanilla can give it too much on top of that. But give it a whirl and let us know!
@smallbatchbrewer This being only a gallon batch, I’m hesitant to split it to 1/2 gallon secondary vessels. I could use some growlers for that method, but i’m worried that with all the racking and transferring of liquids, I may lose some of the already small volume.
@sneezles61 If i’m interpreting your reply correctly, you’re suggesting that the addition of vanilla would not add a significant level of sweetness?
@Eric Thanks for the response! I can’t wait until the day where I can increase my production to 5 gallon batches… Since I’m already accumulating all of this one gallon equipment, I will definitely put it to use with experimenting with small batch adjuncts in the future!
For my normal gallon batches, I will typically get 10 bottles.
When I’m experimenting with flavors (gallon batch split into two 64 oz growlers in secondary), I typically get 4 bottles per growler plus a “blended bottle”. One batch, three flavor options, one lost bottle (vs a normal gallon batch).
In my experience vanilla fades rather quickly. Given the the typical conditioning times needed for a triple you might want to add vanilla at bottling making an extract or using extract. Regardless if you don’t like the flavor combo you can wait it out until it fades through conditioning.
Just my opinion but Belgian ale is all about the yeast. I wouldn’t use the beans it would muddle the flavor. I would use the beans in a beer to highlight the beans. That said I might brew that kit with the beans and substitute the yeast for an English ale yeast. But then it wouldn’t be a Belgian.
Thanks for all the input here in regards to my question! I may forego the vanilla for this batch, I like the flavors of a pure Tripel too much so I don’t want to mess that up. The Bourbon Barrel Porter kit is on deck and I know that flavor profile would appreciate a little kick of vanilla.
I have brewed a AG Tripple and it is all about the yeast and the flavor profiles from the yeast. WOW it was very good and I can not see myself wishing that it had vanilla in it. I love a vanilla porter and have brewed two but for my taste I think you have the right idea with adding to the BBP. I have one in secondary right now and I may pull a gallon off and try your idea of adding the bean.
@jgram The BBPorter one gal kit was actually my second brew ever (This Tripel in discussion will be my seventh) and I decided to go big and I did add just a half of a vanilla bean; split, scraped, chopped and added to the oak cubes and bourbon concoction. I thought I may have screwed my batch by using too much and too strong of bourbon, because after well over a month in the bottle, I had zero carb. So I ordered another kit determined to try again.
HOWEVER!! I just tried a bottle last night (3/14/16), day 50 post bottling, and it had some fizz!! Not a lot and basically no head but the beer was really good. Kinda boozy from the bourbon, so I’m gonna sit on my 4 remaining bottles and treat myself in a couple more months. The vanilla addition, for my second brew, not gonna lie, or be modest; it was awesome. Really shined through the roasted Porter flavors and enhanced the vanilla oak and bourbon notes present. If you like a vanilla porter, you’ll be glad you added a bean to part of your batch! I’m definitely doing it again for my next batch…
Thank you for the feedback on the bean. I think it will be a must do. With 5 gallons of the BBP I have room to play a bit. Keg some, Bottle some. The carb issue can be that some yeast has a happy ABV level and they can get unhappy or even die if the ABV gets too high. That is why I used 3787 for my triple because it can take the high alcohol. One could do a repitch before bottling and that could help as well even if it is the same type of yeast. I will have to see what is suggested for the BBP yeast I used before the next two weeks when I have to do something to it.
