This, my second beer using burnt orange, is a cross between a tripel and a winter ale.
I wanted the spicing of a winter ale with the phenol of a tripel to serve as a base for the flavours of burnt orange.
Burnt orange gives beer a nice copper-orange colour so I made a very pale beer to let the colours from the oranges dominate.
Tasting the Tripel
The beer pours with a nice thick head that quickly dissipates. The colour is exactly what I expected, but it is one of the haziest beers I’ve ever made. I think haze might be a necessary sacrifice if you’re going to add burnt orange to the secondary.
The tame aroma is limited to burnt orange. Pleasant, but a little too weak.
The burnt orange flavour is a lot milder than in the previous small batch. It’s doesn’t assert itself as much in this stronger beer, but it is still evident. When I tasted it at bottling, mace really dominated. It seems to have mellowed now to the point where it’s evident but not out of balance.
There’s very little evidence of phenol. Normally, I don’t like phenolic beer so I’m a little surprised that even when I try to get it I can’t. I’m a little disappointed too because I thought it would replace the citrus sourness that is lost when burning the oranges.
While the head has already fallen, the high level of carbonation really brightens the beer making it seem refreshing in spite of the high alcohol.
Burnt Orange Tripel Recipe
Grains
| Weight (lbs) | Weight (kgs) | Grain |
|---|---|---|
| 14.5 lbs | 6.58 kgs | Pilsner Malt |
| 1 lbs | 0.45 kgs | Barley Flakes |
| 0.5 lbs | 0.23 kgs | Biscuit |
Hops and Adjuncts
| Weight (oz) | Weight (g) | Ingredient | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 oz | 28 g | Perle 5.7%, whole | 90 min |
| 0.89 oz | 25 g | Coriander | finish |
| 0.25 oz | 7 g | Mace | finish |
| 8 oranges | Burnt Valencia Oranges | secondary | |
| 2 lemons | Burnt Lemons | secondary |
Yeast
Wyeast 1388: Belgian Strong Ale harvested from lees
Brewing Schedule
Brewed: 01/03/2009
Racked: 01/09/2009
Added 1st Half Fruit: 01/09/2009
Added 2nd Half Fruit: 01/16/2009
Bottled: 01/24/2009
Water
No water adjustments to local Pilsen-like water.
Brewing Stats
| Stage | Time / Temp | |
|---|---|---|
| Mash In Temperature | 153°F | 67°C |
| Mash In Time | 80 mins | |
| Mash-Out Teperature | 172°F | 78°C |
| Mash-Out Time | 20 mins | |
| Sparge Time | 80 mins | |
| Boil Time | 90 mins | |
OG: 1.070
IBU: approx. 20
Ferment Temp: 79°F 26°C
FG: 1.014
ABV: 7.4%
