one set of ingredients, two yeasts, need recommendation

I am getting back into brewing after a long period off. I am going all grain, but with 1/2 sized equipment (5 gallon MLT, 3 gallon carboy). I want to buy a 5 gallon amount of ingredients, split in half, brew a batch one day with one yeast, then brew the second half later on, pitching a second yeast.

I want to try Ed's Haus Pale Ale, using the recommended yeast for the first 1/2 batch.

I would like a recommendation for the second batch yeast. I would really like to try a saison (3711 maybe?). Would 3711 do okay with a pale ale recipe? I get my inspiration from Houston brewery Saint Arnold's 'movable yeast' series.

I would appreciate some recommendations for a second yeast to make things interesting.

Thanks.

I love 3711, it's my house yeast. So, I would say go for it. The biggest 'complaint' I hear is that 3711 isn't funky enough; not much farmhouse/saison flavor.
-Mike

Thank you Mike. I have heard a lot of good things about 3711.

I love splitting yeasts. A pale ale fermented with a saison doesn't sound great to me but I guess it could work since saisons tend to have a bit of hop flavor. It's more the bitterness that worries me. I'm a big fan of American hoppy beers fermented with Trappist strains... I've done several IPAs with my house strain and the Rochefort strain. Going for a flavor in the vein of Lagunitas Little Sumpin Wild...

Blending your yeast strains can be fun as well.

aiptasia said:

Blending your yeast strains can be fun as well.

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never thought of that. Sounds interesting.

I like the Belgian idea, WLP550 is very nice. A lot of US breweries use English-derived yeasts in their APA/IPAs, so you might pick one that sounds like it would go well. If you go with a saison, you might dial back the hops a little, or switch out some of them for more typical continental varieties. 3711 is probably the most user-friendly saison strain, but as mentioned above, it's a little restrained flavorwise.