[wmsouthworth]

I'm planning my first Belgian Strong golden ale, not sure why it has taken me 20 years to get around to making a Belgian style beer. Anyway, I seriuosly dislike bubble gum and banana esters. I like other fruity esters in moderation and a bit of clove is OK. What yeasts should I avoid? What yeasts should I consider?

[dmtaylor]

Pitch plenty of yeast (make a starter) and ferment cool in the 60s, and you shouldn't really have any problem with any of the major Belgian yeasts available on the market.  My favorite is WLP530 but they're all good, and that one is not overly banana or clove.

Certainly avoid any German hefeweizen strains.

I intend to try the Unibroue yeast at some point, that one is Wyeast 3864, for the express reason that it DOES have more fruity and spicy characteristics than many others, so that might be one that you would want to avoid.  Fortunately for you, and unfortunately for me, I do not believe it is widely available anyway.

[denny]

Why would you use a hefe yeast for a BGSA?

Mr. Bill, you want WY1388.  It's Duvel yeast and Duvel is the classic BGSA.  Little to no fruitiness.  I love and I think you will, too.

[wmsouthworth]

Dave and Denny, thank you for the tips and suggestions. I will split the batch and try both strains. Time to buy another flask.

[brewinhard]

+1 to WY 1388. Great strain that produces great beers.

[Joe Sr.]

I intend to try the Unibroue yeast at some point, that one is Wyeast 3864, for the express reason that it DOES have more fruity and spicy characteristics than many others, so that might be one that you would want to avoid.  Fortunately for you, and unfortunately for me, I do not believe it is widely available anyway.

Unibroue is easily cultured from the bottle.  Get yourself a four-pack, enjoy, and make a starter.

[dmtaylor]

Unibroue is easily cultured from the bottle.  Get yourself a four-pack, enjoy, and make a starter.

This is actually a mega-excellent idea!

[JJeffers09]

1388 all day, mr. Conn needs a like button on this one.  I agree, hefe  yeast would not get you the balance you need for bgsa

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[reverseapachemaster]

I'm planning my first Belgian Strong golden ale, not sure why it has taken me 20 years to get around to making a Belgian style beer.

I think

Anyway, I seriuosly dislike bubble gum and banana esters.

Probably explains a lot of it. 


1388 will be a great option for you due to it's milder Belgian profile. However, many/most Belgian strains can be manipulated through technique (e.g. pitching rate, aeration, temperature) to adjust the ester and phenol profile. 1388 is more forgiving about staying within a milder profile which makes it a good candidate for your needs. It's the opposite of 1214 which is finicky and can be extremely expressive.