Belgian-American Pale Ale

I'm sorry for crowding this forum (I had a thread about an IPA recipe I am working on), but this one is pretty important because it is for my SWMBO. She loves Belgian beers. She especially loves Ommegang BPA. The combination of cascade hops and Belgian yeast is very nice.

Anyway her birthday is coming up, and we're going away with some friends on Columbus Day weekend to celebrate. She's asked me to brew a Belgian pale ale with cascade hops, similar to Ommegang's beer, for that weekend. It doesn't need to be a clone, but something along those lines.

There's two ways I can approach this. One is to take a Belgian Pale Ale recipe, and replace the hops with cascades. The other is to take an American Pale Ale recipe, and ferment it with Belgian yeast.

Which is the better approach?

If I go with the American APA with Belgian yeast, I was thinking of going with blacklab's Cascades/Orange Pale Ale. I've brewed this with US-05 before, and it is very nice. SWMBO even liked it. The beer looks like it would take to Belgian yeast fairly well.

If I go with this recipe, which yeast should I use? I have two Belgian strains on hand already. A packet of T-58, and a smack pack of Wyeast 3787 Trappist High Gravity. Should I use one of those, or go with something else entirely?

Or should I just go with a Belgian recipe and change the hops?

Please help!

What I would do is make your favorite pale ale recipe and ferment it with a saison yeast. This is by far my favorite combination of hops + Belgian. If you've ever had Stone's Cali-Belgique IPA, it is EXACTLY the same beer (grist and hop schedule) as their standard IPA but fermented with a saison yeast. The combination makes my single favorite Stone beer of all time. American citrusy hops with saison esters are a great team. That's how I'd do it. I'd recommend WY3711 if you don't have a way to heat your carboy.

daksin said:

What I would do is make your favorite pale ale recipe and ferment it with a saison yeast. This is by far my favorite combination of hops + Belgian. If you've ever had Stone's Cali-Belgique IPA, it is EXACTLY the same beer (grist and hop schedule) as their standard IPA but fermented with a saison yeast. The combination makes my single favorite Stone beer of all time. American citrusy hops with saison esters are a great team. That's how I'd do it. I'd recommend WY3711 if you don't have a way to heat your carboy.

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Will do. Thank you!

anyone have a recipe for a belgian pale ale?