Belgian Blonde Yeast Suggestion

I'm looking to make a lower gravity(1.050-1.060) Belgian blonde soon and need to decide on a yeast. I have access to Wyeast, and am considering 3522, 1388, and 3711. I'm looking for something a little fruity and slightly tart and refreshing, and lower on Belgian funk. If anyone from St. Louis can help, I'm trying to create something similar to Perennial's Southside Blonde. I'll take any suggestions. Thanks.

 

Don't use 3711, it will be very tart and fruity as its a Saison Yeast.

I am actually going to use some 1762 in my next Blonde and rack onto Strawberrys. But I have 1762 that I harvested from a prior batch.

 

I hadn't considered 1762. Isn't that the Rochefort strain? I used that in a Rochefort 8 clone, but didn't think about it as a good blonde yeast. It is lighter on the phenolics, but does it have some spiciness to it?

 

Have you tried 3463? If you keep the temps moderate, it is a mild fruit with a tart finish. It's got a belgian funk smell while fermenting, but it doesn't make it into the finished beer. It plays well with the citrus in wits, but I haven't tried it with a blonde.

 

Did a little more research on the yeasts and it seems that 3522 makes a pretty good blonde ale. And I've always wanted to try 3463 in a Belgian wit. So, I went down to the lhbs and got some yeast. Didn't have 3463, but I did get 3522. And I've got some 1762 frozen from a previous batch, so I'll do a split batch and compare the two yeasts.
Anyone with experience with 3522, what fermentation temperature schedule did you use?

 

1762 is usually for Darker higher gravity belgians....Wyeast says it can be used for Belgian Blondes...I was thinking of doing the same thing as you. Split a batch and use two types of yeast. I actually made an swesome strawberry blonde with a crazy ferment, I will look up the type.

 

I let 3522 run at room temps and was very happy with the results. I guess it was low 70s in the room and high 70s in the fermenter.

 

Last time I made a blonde, turns out I used 1762 and had a vigourous and crazy ferment.

 

When you used 1762 what temps did you ferment at?

 

1762 does seem to be very popular for blondes, if you decide to go with it just watch out for fusels:

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/wyeast-1762-fusel-alcohol-323599/

If you don't have a way to keep the temp down for the first 48 hours you might want to go with something else.

 

I've got temp control, so that's not an issue. I was thinking pitch at 65F and then let is raise to 68F after a couple of days. Maybe finish out at 70-71F.

 

Sounds like you should be good to go then!

 

My brewing room is about 66 - 68...so the beer is typically about 72 while fermenting. I do have a fermentation chamber, but i typically only use it if I am lagering or if I need a high temp for like a saison

 

I disagree and would recommend 3711. Although it is a saison, French, fermented at 70 is low on the funkiness and an excellent attenuators while still leaving good body.

 

I agree with 73/drvr. I like the slight funk if 3711. I used some washed 3711 (from a Saisson) in a Sorachi BPA. Kegged yesterday and really liked the going in taste.

 

I know this is an old thread, but how did this turn out? I just bottled a blonde with 3522 fermented around this temp, and it had quite a bit of banana esters, which I didn't expect and was disappointed with.

 

This is an old thread; I think I made that beer two years ago. It was fantastic, no banana but plenty of flavor. Sorry yours didn't turn out the same way. I've got a WY1762 stout that's a little too banana-flavored for me. Drinkable, but less than ideal.

 

That's interesting. I've been brewing for about a year, but I'd definitely say I'm still a newbie about some stuff. Any ideas what might lead to banana esters in one beer and not in another fermented at similar temps with the same yeast?

 

Yeast pitching rate/overall yeast health, and oxygen supplied at pitching. Underpitching and lower oxygen levels could possibly lead to more banana esters. Belgian yeasts are much like German wheat yeasts. So, if you've ever used those think about how more/less banana flavor can be achieved.

 

I pitch from a starter and try to hit the pitch rate based on yeastcalc.com. I oxygenate in the carboy with a hand drill attachment. Do I need to get an O2 tank for oxygenating to prevent the banana esters? Would yeast nutrient help?

I could also over pitch, but I DO want fruit esters, just not banana.

 

An O2 tank would be better, but it is hardly necessary. Wort composition and starting gravity can also affect ester expression. Higher OG will most likely lead to more esters, and possibly banana. As far as wort composition goes, I can't say specifically what would lead to more banana, but it could be a factor. Some things are difficult to explain. Each fermentation can be different, as yeast are living organisms not machines. What you've seen could be an anomaly. I'd stick with 3522 if you want to limit banana flavors.

 

That makes sense. I don't have the specs in front of me, but my OG was in the 1.070's and it attenuated really strongly. So, my ABV turned out in the 8% range. I also added some candi sugar, and I know that simple sugars can increase esters. Malt was about 95% Belgian Pilsner.