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Most awesome yeast for big beer

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Nottingham is my go to for bigger beers where I don't have a specific yeast in mind. It chews through sugar, drops clear, and is pretty versatile depending on the temp.
 
Depends on how big you wanna go. For most beers I use Chico or the Rochefort strain. For anything above 15 or 16% TYB Dry Belgian is hands down the best I've ever used.
 
I have been using WLP 545 a lot more the past few years. Not very fussy about temps, starter size, or OG and gets down to dry FG better than Westmalle or Chimay.

What flavors have you got from 545 at what temps?
Would it be good in a Tripel?

There‘s still not much info around on it and it’s origin- so any real life experience is greatly appreciated!
So far I’ve read it’s either the Fantome, Val Dieu or Hughye strain.
 
What flavors have you got from 545 at what temps?
Would it be good in a Tripel?
I only did a batch or two with WLP545 and was not all that impressed, though I can't give you specific flavors I didn't like. Then I learned that WLP545 is diastatic, and I DO NOT want diastatic yeast in my brewhouse. So I thoroughly cleaned every piece of equipment it touched and haven't used it in over a year.

I'd recommend other yeasts for a tripel. I used WLP550 in a tripel-ish Belgian golden strong ale, and it was one of my best. I have also used it, as well as WLP500, in dubbels and quads and have been pleased with the results. But my latest favorite Belgian Trappist-type yeast is WLP530. I recently used it to make a Westvleteren 8 clone which came out delicious.
 
thanks for the feedback hamachi,
i´m thinking of a split batch to compare WY3522 and the WLP545 in a tripel/strong blonde.
and agreed WLP530 is great!
 
BE-256 has worked well for me at OG of up to 1.09 or a bit more. I have no fermentation temp control, just ambient room temp around 72F. FInished taste is from the yeast is typically, very neutral and I can't taste anything with my unsophisticated palate that I wouldn't expect from the mash bill. The dry Voss is great for sprinkle pitching into big beers. Takes off quickly for me and if we get a hurricane and lose electricity, it doesn't mind the heat. Same with HotHead but I like working with the dry Voss and I honestly am kinda skeered to use HotHead on a really big beer. It takes off really fast and hard. You would definitely want a blowoff tube standing by. FWIW, those last two get finished in just a very few days and a week after pitching it is definitely ready for the keg.

My current yeast is harvested, several generations old now. Started it out pitching a batch with HotHead but I looked at the pack and it was recommended for a lower gravity than I was pitching to, or a lower volume, or something, I don't remember. So I thought maybe I would do a braces and belt pitch, throw in a pack of whatever yeast I had in the fridge, and it was BE-256 which I had used before and liked. I had pitched the HotHead already... so I sprinkled the BE-256 (Formerly called Abbaye) right on the wort and it was magic. I harvested from that batch and started making starters using the harvested yeast from each succeeding generation. The last batch, something wasn't quite right, it seemed a bit slow after 24 hours. Throwing more yeast at the beer worked before for me, so I threw in a pack of BE-134 and boom, awesome activity two hours later. Yup, I will harvest again. I already ground my grain for the next batch, just waiting to move the current batch so I can get to that yummy yeast cake. Tomorrow or the next day. I may try freezing a few samples in case of mutation in the new house strain. Yesterday the batch was only a point above the predicted FG, and it had only dropped half a point from the day before, and I was only getting a bubble every minute and a half in the airlock so it is nearly nearly done, 6 days in the fermenter, even with the slow start. I will be making a trip to the brewhouse (soon to be our residence, but right now it is just for brewing and barbecuing) this evening to do my daily check.

This batch was supposed to be around 1.091 OG but came out only 1.077. I expect the next batch to be at 1.09 or a bit more, and I will use a starter made from the mongrel house strain. With the two Belgian Ale yeasts in there I expect it to do well. The house yeast like I said has never seen a beer under 1.07.

I have only been brewing a bit over two years now, and started out using US-05 but my FG's were coming in a few points high. Not a bad thing, that, just a thing. But I started looking around and found the Belgian type strains and the Kviek strains seemed to meet my needs. I always brew at least an OG of 1.07 and usually a good bit higher, and I am looking to gradually go up to around 1.100. So I will be keeping an eye on this thread.
 
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