Northern Brewer, Belgian Tripel extract kit is off to a good start! Wyeast 3787 smack pack with a 1 liter Fast Pitch starter. I achieved a full fermentation in 4 hours after pitching. I suspected I’d need, and am glad I used… a blow off tube! This is only my second brew session.
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Very nice healthy fermentation going. Are you tracking the fermentation temperature and keeping the carboy out of the light, except for a picture?
Crap… no. I always end up forgetting something… I have it covered now… Only been in “light” for a few hours… It’s just household light. It’s just going at room temperature… Currently 66 degrees. Should I change anything?
It appears this yeast is fairly tolerant of warmer temperatures, but opinions on the boards vary. A beer at ambient 66* with a vigorous fermentation could be 6-10* warmer internally. Personally I’d get it a little cooler, say 62* beer temp for 48-72* if you can, but if not I don’t think it will be a big deal with this strain. No reports of fusel bombs that I could see…
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Yes, looks very nice! Cover it, or put some place dark is optimal for any/all primary fermentations. Cool and controlled will also let you benefit from a better tasting brew, too! If this is your second brew, you are well on you way! Congrats! Sneezles61
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I brewed a few times years ago, but I’m giving it a more serious attempt this time around! Thanks!
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The only other place I have at the moment is a closet with an open crack along the wall to the basement… I have a thermometer in there right now, but it’s reading 56*… Too cold?
Put your fermentor in a tub, or tote, or tray of 66°F water. The water will temper the temperature of the fermentation. With this yeast the beer may be only 4° higher than the water bath. High temp fermentation with this yeast will produce more fruity esters. I prefer as low as the yeast will tolerate.
Search swamp cooler for more information on this basic fermentation tool.
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What @flars said.^^
Yes 56* would be too cold, potentially leading to the opposite situation, dormancy.
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Also, if you have the opportunity (tools, confidence in your sanitation techniques, …), consider measuring temperature of the wort inside the fermenter during fermentation.
While I can’t speak against (or for 
) the possible 6-10* difference between the outside and inside for five gallon batches, I have recently taken wort temperature measurements on smaller batch sizes (1 gal, 3 gal) during fermentation. I’m seeing a difference, just not the 6-10* difference that is often suggested.
That being said, a swamp cooler is a good idea for maintaining a more consistent fermentation temperature.
Just personal experience re those temps; try brewing Caribou Slobber as your first attempt in east central Florida during unprecedented heat wave, without any concept of temperature control 
Went off like a Roman candle!! 10 degrees might have been conservative! Initially tasted like gasoline soaked bandaids…
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An update to this brew… The Tripel has been in the secondary since 3/5/17… approx 70 days. I just had a peek at it because I was thinking of kegging this weekend and It’s still fermenting… I have not taken a gravity reading yet because it’s still going… Should I bother with a reading? Just let it go? Keg it anyway? LOL sorry for my Knewb questions and ignorance
Wow, I have a tripel in a secondary as well and I never noticed it doing anything over the past couple of months. Going to bottle it this weekend.
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It’s not vigorous by any stretch, but there are still bubbles collecting in the neck of the carboy… It’s been fairly cool here in the Northeast this spring… that might have something to do with it… i dunno LOL
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I’d keep it going if you see stuff rising.
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There are definitely bubbles still rising… The brew is so clear at this point, i can shine my phone flashlight through the entire carboy and see the bubble rising from inside…LOL
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