Lallemand Belgian Ale vs Mangrove Jack's m47

[giuzep89]

Hello friends,
Just wanted to report some preliminary results of a tryout of the dry yeasts mentioned above. Made two identical batches of a Belgian ale:

- 98% Weyermann Bohemian Pils
- 2% Weyermann Abbey Malt (50°L)
- OG 1.050
- Single infusion 67° for 60 mins
- Ariana hop (+-25 IBU)

Both yeasts have been dissolved in rt water for 20 mins.

After a week an a half the Lallemand finished, very very clear, at 1.014. The Mangrove at 1.012. Although the Lallemand left the beer extremely clear and was done fermenting after about 4 days, whereas the Mangrove took a few days longer, tasting the young beer paints a very different picture. The Mangrove tastes richer, fuller, fruitier and spicier than the Lallemand. It's superior under all aspects.

What i personally want from a Belgian ale yeast is that it tastes "Belgian" immediately. And that is accomplished every time by the yeasts by Mangrove Jack's (not the first one I use). The Lallemand performed excellently but the flavor didn't deliver in the slightest. Honestly it didn't even taste Belgian to me at all. Any of you had similar experiences?
Cheers

 

[Franktalk]

Do you mean Lalbrew Abbaye?

 

[giuzep89]

Do you mean Lalbrew Abbaye?

Yes, that one!

 

[CascadesBrewer]

Interesting. I have been brewing a lot of Belgians lately and I want to play around with more dry yeast options. I have a list to try out over the next few months.

What temperature did you ferment these at? Most of my Trappist styles have used WLP530 (3787 Trappist High Gravity/Westmalle). I find that I want to get this up to around 73F during active fermentation to get the character that I want. I hold it at 78F to finish up.

From the sheet that sheet that Dave Taylor put together (YEAST MASTER by David M Taylor Perma-Living), the following are the same strain:

• SafAle WB-06 / M47 Abbey Ale / WLP570 Belgian Golden Ale / 1388 Belgian Strong Ale
• Lallemand Abbaye Ale / M29 French Saison / WLP500 Trappist Ale / 1214 Belgian Ale

I have not used any of the yeasts in the first row. I have used WLP500 (Chimay) once. I found that I got too much cherry flavors for my preferences (though that one had a 2 day lag time, likely due to an underpitch). If Lallemand Abbaye Ale us the same strain, I would expect it to be able to make a very nice beer with plenty of Belgian character.

After brewing several different Trappist style beers over the past few years, fermentation temperature and pitch rate (and maybe oxygen levels?) have a strong impact on the overall results. One batch of a Dubbel fermented around 65F with an active starter of WLP500 came out very "clean" with minimal Belgian character. Feedback from my buddies was that I made a very good Irish Red type beer.

 

[giuzep89]

It was somewhere between 20 and 22°C. I have very basic means at the moment but that said, both the m47 and the m31 by Mangrove Jack's have delivered always a rich, complex, phenoly and fruity character no matter the circumstances. It is possible that the Lallemand could perform better with higher temperatures but honestly I'm not sure I wanna put that much control into it. Maybe not for now. Interesting to see how incredibly different the beers were, identical in all aspects except for the yeast and then so different in the end!