What's your favorite Belgian yeast strain?

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maida7

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I'm getting ready to brew some Belgians. I have ingredients for a dubble and a triple. In the past I have used the WLP550 Belgian ale and it gave a spicy clove flavor that was very nice. I'm brewing the dubble this weekend and I picked up a vial of the WLP500 Trappist ale to use. What do you think of the WLP500? What's your favorite yeast for Belgians?
 
i've really had a lot of luck with wyeast 1388 belgian strong ale and wyeast 1762 and love their flavors and they attenuate awesome (my lhbs doesn't carry white labs for some reason). i really got into brewing belgians a while ago and picked up a copy of the book "brew like a monk". its a great read and has a break down of all the white labs and wyeast belgian yeast strains and what flavors they will produce at what temperatures. if belgians are something you are going to keep doing, pick up a copy of the book. it will help you a lot.
 
Chimay yeast. I stole some out of a bottle of Chimay and have been using it for everything! Made a tripel type for Spring, and a stout which has taken on a fine, full, dried fruit flavour. Brown ale fermenting as we speak and a witbier and a pale ale planned. It's nice to use a yeast that really produces fruitiness as I've been frustrated by dried yeasts like Safale 04 not imparting the great smell it has when fermenting into the beer.
 
Chimay yeast. I stole some out of a bottle of Chimay and have been using it for everything! Made a tripel type for Spring, and a stout which has taken on a fine, full, dried fruit flavour. Brown ale fermenting as we speak and a witbier and a pale ale planned. It's nice to use a yeast that really produces fruitiness as I've been frustrated by dried yeasts like Safale 04 not imparting the great smell it has when fermenting into the beer.

The wlp500 that I have is supposedly the same as the stuff they use at Chimay. Here is a chart of all the yeast strains.


What temp did you ferment at? Did you get a big banana aroma/flavor?
 
The wlp500 that I have is supposedly the same as the stuff they use at Chimay. Here is a chart of all the yeast strains.


What temp did you ferment at? Did you get a big banana aroma/flavor?

Edinburgh autumn into winter temps, so quite cool. Say 15c ambient in my brew corner. A touch of Wrigley's Juicy Fruit while fermenting, but the stout is much more fruity. Far more raisiny, pruny in the aftertaste than banana. Bit of maturing and (if I may put my wine ponce hat on) it has behind the stout roasted taste an almost port-like element to the flavour. Me likey.
 
15c = 59F that's kinda cold.

I'd really like some rasin / prune in my dubbel. Sounds great! I'm getting excited. I'm making a starter tonight. Brewing on Sunday.
 
15c = 59F that's kinda cold.

I'd really like some rasin / prune in my dubbel. Sounds great! I'm getting excited. I'm making a starter tonight. Brewing on Sunday.

Is 15c/59f ambient just now and my brown ale is trying to climb out the top of the bucket...

Must be a few degrees higher inside, but is working fine. If it is slower than some ferments so be it, am prepared to wait a few weeks for it to finish. Smells good so far.
 
I have made several dubbels with WLP530 Abbey Ale and really like it. Latest was a Westmalle clone that tasted great, that fermented in the mid 60's. Have also made several batches with yeast cultured from Duvel, also fantastic. Be prepared for an extremely active fermentation with any of the belgians, make sure you use a blowoff tube.
 
wlp500 absolutely is my favorite yeast. It is the Chimay yeast indeed. It's fruity and earthy and wonderful.
 
I am a huge fan of the WYeast 1762. I get this big prune/date aroma off it when I ferment warmer, and it attenuates very well. It brought my Belgian Strong Dark from 1.094 to 1.014!
 
I built up Ommegang's yeast from a bottle of their Abbey Ale and brewed a few batches from it. It made some really nice fruity flavors and gave a lot of depth. I'll probably do it again soon since I'm getting a lab slowly pieced together.
 
3787 is my favorite

Hands down that yeast is bad a**. I made a patersbier with it and was blown away at the character it gives to the beer. Also you can ferment it cool at 64 or so or ferment it at 78 and see how the ester profile changes. Awesome yeast.
 
I really like the Wyeast Belgian Ardennes. Have used it w/ several beers. My fav was a Rare Vos clone.
 
I used WLP 500 in a dubbel before and loved it! So much that I have 10 more gallons of dubbel fermenting right now that i brewed yesterday....used WLP 500 again
 
I still brew a fair amount of Belgians. I have a Rochefort 10 clone in secondary conditioning. I mainly have White Labs yeast around here, and usually use WLP500 (Chimay) WLP540 (Rochefort) also used WLP550 before with good results. The key to getting the desired profile with Belgian strains is temperature.

beerloaf
 
Wlp550! Really good for light/pale Belgian beers, not so sure on darker stuff.

Also harvested delirium tremens yeast and at two weeks in the bottle for a clone I can already tell it's going to be awesome. It's a little warm (8.9% you'd expect that), but not 'hot' if you get what I mean.
 
We just received some WLP510 Bastogne Belgian Ale Yeast which we haven't used yet, but have heard great things about it. Other than that, I really like the WLP570 Belgium Golden.
 
Thanks I forgot about WLP570 (Duvel) That's an awesome strain as well.

beerloaf
 
I really like 540, people say it is a poor attenuator, but it just needs time. I like the ardennes strain also
 
Good to hear people dig Ardennes. I've got some going in a BPA right now. I started about 63 and held it there for about 36 hours until I took the fermenter upstairs and let it warm. It's sitting at 75 right now. I have high hopes. :D
 
Man i love belgian beer! 2/3 of what i brew is belgian.

The regulars for me are Wyeast 1214, 3522 and 3787. Do love 3944 for wheaty ones.

My new favourite is Wyeast 3726. Had two insanely good batches with it, then forgot to harvest some. Part of their "private collection" nonsense, so i have to wait for it become available again. bugger.
 
Man i love belgian beer! 2/3 of what i brew is belgian.

The regulars for me are Wyeast 1214, 3522 and 3787. Do love 3944 for wheaty ones.

I forgot about Forbidden Fruit. 3463. Make a good wheat beer.

I love Belgians too and always have at least one one in a fermenter.
 
WLP500 for Trappist and yes it is the Chimay strain or WLP530 for less sweetness and more balance
 

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