Belgian Tripel
intro
A bright, golden strong ale with fruity banana-clove notes, subtle hop spice, and soft carbonation, brewed in classic Trappist Tripel tradition.
Ingredients
Steps
Heat Water and Mash Malt
Heat 3.8 liters (16 cups) of filtered water in a 6-liter stainless steel brew pot over medium heat until it reaches a steady 71°C (160°F). Stir in all crushed Pilsner malt, breaking up any dry clumps, then cover the pot and maintain a temperature of 67–69°C (153–156°F) for 60 minutes to convert grain starches into fermentable sugars.
Drain and Collect Wort
After the 60-minute mash is complete, slowly drain the sweet, amber wort from the grain through a fine-mesh sanitized strainer into a second pot. Gently pour the remaining 700ml (3 cups) of 77°C (170°F) filtered water over the spent grain bed to rinse trapped residual sugars, collecting all runoff until you have 3.8 liters (1 gallon) of clear, golden wort.
Boil Wort and Add Hops
Transfer the collected wort back to the brew pot and bring it to a gentle rolling boil over medium-high heat, then set a timer for 60 minutes. Add all Hallertau hops immediately at the start of the boil. With 10 minutes remaining on the timer, stir in the clear Belgian candi sugar until fully dissolved. Add all Saaz hops when 5 minutes remain on the timer to add delicate, floral aroma.
Cool Wort in Ice Bath
When the 60-minute boil finishes, remove the pot from heat immediately and set it in an ice water bath in a clean kitchen sink, stirring occasionally to cool the wort to 21°C (70°F) within 20 minutes. Pour the cooled wort into a sanitized 4-liter (1-gallon) glass fermenter, seal the lid, and shake vigorously for 30 seconds to aerate the liquid. Sprinkle the Belgian Tripel yeast over the wort surface, then fit the lid with a sanitized airlock half-filled with water.
Ferment Wort for 14 Days
Move the sealed fermenter to a dark, temperature-stable closet or cabinet kept at a consistent 20–22°C (68–72°F), and leave it undisturbed for 14 days to complete primary fermentation. Active bubbling in the airlock will be visible for the first 5–7 days as yeast produces alcohol and carbon dioxide, and a thin layer of foamy krausen will form on the beer surface.
Prepare Bottling Equipment and Sugar
After 14 days of primary fermentation, sanitize all bottling tools, swing-top glass bottles, and siphon tubing. Boil the 28 grams (2 tablespoons) of corn sugar in 60ml (1/4 cup) of water for 5 minutes, then stir this priming solution into the flat beer to trigger natural carbonation. Siphon the beer into sanitized bottles, seal caps tightly, and store bottles at 21°C (70°F) for an additional 14 days to carbonate and mellow before chilling to 4°C (40°F) to serve.
Tips
2.Avoid letting fermentation temperatures rise above 24°C (75°F); too much heat will create harsh, solvent-like alcohol notes instead of the bright banana and clove fruity esters that define a great Tripel.
3.Resist the urge to open bottles early; the full 14 days of bottle conditioning allows carbonation to fully develop and softens sharp alcohol heat, resulting in a smooth, well-balanced final beer.
OMG this recipe is an absolute game changer! I’ve dabbled in homebrewing for a couple years but always messed up Belgian styles because they’d come out too bitter or too flat. Followed this exactly, waited the full 4 weeks, and cracked the first bottle at our Labor Day cookout—all my friends were begging for refills! The fruity, spicy notes are perfectly balanced, no weird off flavors at all. 10/10 will be making this again for our fall tailgates.
Overall this turned out SO good, but I will say the difficulty level felt a little higher than medium for a total newbie! My husband and I tried this as our first ever homebrew project, we had to run to the homebrew supply shop twice mid-brew because we missed a couple ingredients on the list. Once we got it all set though, the end result after 4 weeks was insanely good—we brought a growler to our neighborhood potluck and everyone thought we bought it from a fancy local brewery! Just wish there was a quick beginner supply checklist at the top.
Game. Changer. I’ve been chasing that bright, golden, slightly sweet tripel profile for literal years and this is the first recipe that nailed it without requiring a ton of super fancy equipment. I didn’t even have a fancy wort chiller, just used an ice bath in my kitchen sink like the recipe suggested, and it came out perfect. Served it at my fantasy football draft last weekend and half the league asked for the recipe before the first round was even over.
My husband and I have made this three times now! It’s become our go-to to bring to family dinners and beach bonfires, even my sister who swears she hates beer loved it and asked for a six pack to take home. The only tweak we made was adding a tiny extra pinch of orange peel during the last 10 minutes of the boil, it gives it such a nice bright citrus kick that’s perfect for Florida weather.
I was skeptical a homebrew recipe could get that classic tripel effervescence right, but holy cow this delivered. I bottled half and kegged half, both came out crisp, bubbly, with that perfect warm alcohol finish that doesn’t taste harsh at all. The 2 hour active brew time was totally manageable even on a weeknight, I didn’t feel like I was stuck in the kitchen all evening.
Taste was great when it was done, but my first batch had way too much sediment at the bottom of every bottle. I followed the racking steps exactly, so I’m not sure what I did wrong? It didn’t ruin the beer, but pouring a glass without getting a mouthful of gunk at the end was tricky.
SO good! I made this for my boyfriend’s birthday party last weekend and he said it was better than the imported Belgian tripel we paid $18 a bottle for on our last trip to Brussels. The whole group was shocked when I told them I brewed it in our garage. 10/10, already have the ingredients for a second batch sitting on my counter.
Super solid recipe! My only note is that if you live in a warmer apartment like I do (no AC in my LA place, oops), you might want to wait to brew until the temp drops a little, or pick up a cheap fermentation temperature wrap. My first batch fermented a little too warm and had a tiny bit of that fruity banana off-flavor, it was still drinkable but not as clean as I wanted. Second batch I kept it at 68 degrees the whole time and it was perfect.
Wait a second, I’ve been paying $12 a six pack for commercial tripel for years and this homemade version is cheaper, tastier, and so fun to make? Why didn’t I try homebrewing sooner?! I brought a few bottles to my buddy’s poker night and we killed the whole batch in 2 hours. Already planning to make a double batch for our annual camping trip next month.
This recipe is so straightforward! I’ve been intimidated to try Belgian styles for ages because I heard they’re super finicky, but the step by step instructions made it impossible to mess up. The spicy clove and light banana notes are exactly what I look for in a tripel, no weird harsh alcohol bite at all. Served it at our weekly board game night and everyone was raving.
Just cracked my first bottle after the full 4 week wait and OMG it’s perfect. Crisp, golden, perfectly carbonated, with that subtle sweet honey note I love in a good tripel. My roommate already asked if we can make a batch together next month to have for our Halloween party. Can’t recommend this enough if you’re on the fence about trying it!
Really good recipe! I messed up the original gravity reading a little because I forgot to cool the wort before testing, so my ABV came out a little lower than the recipe says, but it still tasted great. Next time I’ll be more patient and wait for the temp to drop before I take my readings, can’t wait to see how that batch turns out.
Total game changer for game days! I brewed this a month ago and have been bringing cold bottles to every Broncos watch party this season, and it’s always the first thing to go. Even my friend who only drinks light domestic beer loved it, said it was smooth enough to drink all afternoon without feeling heavy. 10/10.
I was worried the 4 week wait would be torture, but it was so worth it! This tastes exactly like the tripel I had at that famous Belgian beer bar in Brooklyn when I visited last year. I’m already compiling a list of people I’m gifting six packs to for the holidays, this is going to be such a fun homemade gift.