Belgian?

[far9410]

Hi, doing a leffe with wlp500, which apparently is no the correct yeast for this, however I want to make a brew pitched onto some of this yeast. I have pale and wheat malt, about 300 g of aromatic and pilsner malt, roast barley, caramalt , crystal chocolate . Any suggestions ? Thought pelforth brune ish?

[lancsSteve]

wlp500 (chimay) is much nicer than leffe IMHO

I'd avoid the roast barley and chocolate in any recipe, small amount of chocolate for colour would be OK though better to use a coloured sugar (palm sugar from thai/oriental super markets is superb!)

I'd go for 85% pale/pilsener, 5% wheat (head retention), 300g aromatic, a little caramalt and maybe a bit of chocolate if you want it darker...

What hops you got?

[far9410]

Hi, I've got saaz, nelson sauvin, simcoe, Columbus, cascade, chinook, I also got small amounts of fuggles and EKG, so I suppose for this it would have to be the saaz?

[lancsSteve]

You could blend ekg and saaz if you want to go trad.

With that list and your grains I'd be thinking Belgian IPA though! (Think Raging Bitch / Houblon Chouffe / La Rulles Tripel) http://hopville.com/recipe/20880/belgia ... elgian-ipa

[far9410]

Yeah that looks like a plan, I'll put in beer engine and post.

[lancsSteve]

Highly adaptable but as you have a big yeast cake (any polans to wash the yeast?) a tripel is perfect and BIPAs are awesome...

[far9410]

I'm not sure I can successfully rinse the yeast at this stage, I need to think about that and get some equipment together. So for now, can I just scoop out some of the yeast cake and use it as it is?

[lancsSteve]

It's not highly recommended but can be done (straight onto cake) however there's a LOT of trub and dead cells and gunk in that slurry so it's good to wash it which to be honest isn't that bad to do or time consuming (easily doable in an evening the night before brewing) take a look at the images at viewtopic.php?f=12&t=42179

[far9410]

Cheers mate, I'll have a read up, gonna leave the leffe at least another week, so it gives me some time to prepare

[coatesg]

FWIW, WLP500 isn't the Leffe yeast - that strain isn't available to but as far as I am aware. Howeve, 500 does give something like the right flavours, though you might want to ferment on the cooler side as it gets quite fruity on the warmer end of the temp range.

[far9410]

Hi, leffe has been in the fv at 19c for 10 days, going to leave for 4 more then cool for 3 days or so then bottle . Is there a closer yeast to the real thing? I was going to reuse the yeast then in a suitable recipe, I don't need to follow a clone exactly, just want something nice

[coatesg]

Nothing closer I know of - that's the yeast that Jamil Zainasheff recommends in his Belgian Blond which is along the lines of Leffe.

[lancsSteve]

I recon that one or wlp550 (achouffe) which is a bit of a workhorse belgian yeast that changes at dif temperatures and is really rather nice and understated in a belgian blonde ale. Got one on tap at the moment which is quite leff-esque. THough IMHO there are MUCH better Belgian pale ales to go for than Leffe e.g. Achouffe

[coatesg]

IMHO there are MUCH better Belgian pale ales to go for than Leffe e.g. Achouffe

+1 I'd suggest also: De Koninck, Maredsous, Brugse Zot as other examples. WLP510 (the Orval primary strain sans brett) would make a good Belgian pale too.

[softlad]

Shamelessly hijacking this thread

I'm about to brew a belgian style dark beer using pale malt, caramunich, a bit of chocolate and crystal (recipe yet to be finalised). For the yeast I was being tight and thinking about using some S33 or T58 which I have in the fridge.

I'm now thinking that WLP 500 or 550 would be more suitable.

I have no experience with any of these yeasts apart from T58 which gave a slight spicy note to the beer. Should I push the boat out and blow this weeks dinner money on the liquid yeast or will I get a bit of a belgian feel with the dry yeast ?