[ynotbrusum]

Got a sachet Saturday and brewing this Saturday.  I may go with a Leffe clone to test the waters on the flavor profile.  My purchase was the first at the LHBS and they want reports.  Now...whether to rehydrate or not!

[HoosierBrew]

Not particularly low, but lower than others like WY1214 and WY3787 is what I meant. Of course, fermentation temps play a large role in ester production as well.

Lower than 1214, definitely.  But I don't know if I could say lower than 3787.  Given I ferment 3787 in the low 60s, though.

Yeah, Belgian strains are (to me) even more tied to fermentation temps than other strains. I've held 1762 @ 64F for 2 or 3 days, then ramped up slowly and gotten a fairly clean dubbel or quad. A degree or two warmer and gotten nice esters, plummy with some spice mostly. I think 1214 is definitely more estery at a given temp.

[ynotbrusum]

Got talked into brewing a golden strong ale per an award winner from a local contest this past winter.  If it's good, I may hold onto some bottles for comps.

[ynotbrusum]

Man does it throw off a nice fruity aroma!  If the flavor follows the initial fermentation aroma, it will be a winner....

[Iliff Ave]

Keep me updated on this one. I have been wanting to do a golden strong ale for a while and prefer dry yeast when appropriate for the style...

[hospter81]

Man does it throw off a nice fruity aroma!  If the flavor follows the initial fermentation aroma, it will be a winner....

what was your temperature profile in the fermentation? can you share it??

[ynotbrusum]

In the low 60's to start (using a bag chiller and frozen 2 liter water bottles) then rose up to high 60's to 70 or so to finish off after about five days.  Still in primary, but expecting to rack soon.

[bigchicken]

Here is the spec sheet, it lists total esters at 20 ppm (at 18 degress Plato at 20 degrees Celcius in EBC tubes):

http://www.williamsbrewing.com/pdfs/y24.pdf

Tthe fact sheet for US-05 lists total esters at 40 ppm:

http://www.fermentis.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/SFA_US05.pdf

If that means that US 05 has twice the amount of esters, then I don't understand why it is called an Abbey style yeast.

I was thinking the same thing.

[ynotbrusum]

Update - Well the first hydrometer sample was taken as I racked to the keg.  It smelled and tasted great to me - the beer started at 1.061 and finished at 1.004.  I am no expert at giving flavor descriptors, but it tasted a bit of pear and maybe some grape or similar fruit.  I realize now looking back on the OG that the beer is not a Belgian strong golden, but rather a stronger Belgian Blonde.  I can't want to taste it carbed up - to get a better representation of the beer.

[erockrph]

Interesting description. Between the flavor and attenuation it almost sounds like a Saison strain.

[ynotbrusum]

I guess I had it in the primary a little over a month - just got around to kegging it; maybe that long in the primary had the effect of keeping the yeast working a bit longer?  I did remove it from the chiller bag after a few days, which might have further roused it at that point.  I have no way of knowing when it finished, because I didn't check the FG until I racked it and it was in a bucket in the basement.

All things considered, it turned out pretty well for not being really cold fermented, but that is just based on a hydrometer sample that I shared with SWAMBO (who thought it was great, but she had been drinking a glass of wine and said it might have influenced her taste). 

[noonancm]

I recently used this yeast with a recipe that won me a gold for a Belgian golden strong. Decided to try this instead of White Lab 500 since I normally use dry yeast except when I doing Belgians.

Anyway fermented at 64 degrees. Was hoping for a pear taste. Didn't get it. It leaned towards pepper but even that was not pronounced. Fermented dry; about 10% abv. All in all, not impressed. More than likely going back to white labs for this style.

[erockrph]

I recently used this yeast with a recipe that won me a gold for a Belgian golden strong. Decided to try this instead of White Lab 500 since I normally use dry yeast except when I doing Belgians.

Anyway fermented at 64 degrees. Was hoping for a pear taste. Didn't get it. It leaned towards pepper but even that was not pronounced. Fermented dry; about 10% abv. All in all, not impressed. More than likely going back to white labs for this style.

Now this is really starting to sound like a Saison strain. Maybe it has potential as a co-pitch with 3724 instead of the usual 3711.

[HoosierBrew]

I recently used this yeast with a recipe that won me a gold for a Belgian golden strong. Decided to try this instead of White Lab 500 since I normally use dry yeast except when I doing Belgians.

Anyway fermented at 64 degrees. Was hoping for a pear taste. Didn't get it. It leaned towards pepper but even that was not pronounced. Fermented dry; about 10% abv. All in all, not impressed. More than likely going back to white labs for this style.

Now this is really starting to sound like a Saison strain. Maybe it has potential as a co-pitch with 3724 instead of the usual 3711.

I agree. So far I'm not buying the 'Abbey' thing based on the descriptions guys are giving of their beers. Sounds more like it has some pseudo-Saison character to me.

[ynotbrusum]

I hate to say it, but as a carbed sample last night, I wasn't really happy with it.  I think it is an abbey style yeast, not a saison...my problem really is with its use for a Belgian Golden.  The Beer had Belgian sugar at high Krausen or just past that point.  The flavor is somewhat Trappist-like, but kinda "flat", without much in the way of esters, other than a subtle pear note.  I am going to let one warm up quite a bit and see if that has any effect.  All things considered, I would say that the flavor profile lacks the complexity that I have come to taste with the liquid yeasts that are Trappist originated.  My recipe was basically Pilsner 8 lbs, Wheat 2 pounds, lightly hopped with  Hallertauer and Hallertauer Mittelfruh, but I don't recall the specifics on that presently.  I may try it in a Dubbel to see if there is any better result.