Advice On Yeast Selection

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scmgre

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I have come up with a recipe for a Belgian strong ale but I have 2 yeasts I think I could use T-58 and S-33 I am not sure which to use any advise?

my recipe for a 22 litre batch 60% efficiency:

6.5 kg Pale Malt, Traditional Ale (Joe White) (5.9 EBC)
0.5 Kg Munich, Light (Joe White) (17.7 EBC)
0.1 Kg Caramalt (Joe White) (49.3 EBC)
0.1 Special B Malt (354.6 EBC)
0.5 kg Sugar, Raw (Sucrose) (2.0 EBC)
15g Nelson Sauvin [12.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min
20g Saaz [4.00 %] - Boil 15.0 min
SafBrew Specialty Ale (DCL/Fermentis #T-58) or S-33

I plan to do a double decoction mash as it seems to improve my efficiency and its fun :)
 
Many people will jump in and tell you that a liquid is the only way, and you definitely would get great results using one, but I've tasted a number of very very good belgian beers made with t58, so that would be my choice of those two.
 
I've used T58 with a Belgian Pale. I made it around with pils malt as the base and 4.5%, to be a party quaffer.

It was very good young, but it aged poorly I think.

I reckon with a decent malt backbone and abv% behind it though, it'd shine far better, because the marriage of phenols and that little bit of sourness would be far better balanced at 6-8% with a reasonable amount of maltiness.

And it was my first attempt - so I can't really complain.
 
Used T-58 in a golden strong a few years back. It was very ordinary young but once it hit 6months it really improved.
I'd use it over the S-33.

But yeah, Liquid yeast all the way! You could try harvesting a yeast out of a bottle, and keep the dried for a backup if it doesn't work.
 
Just curious, why pale malt instead of Pilsner? Why NZ hops? Why not a handful or so of of wheat?
And sugar - you've only got a tad over 8% in there. It' a Belgian man, ramp it up to 15% I say.
Sorry, I'm really on a Belgian jag at the moment.

As for yeast, I'd suggest S-33 would be more neutral and less spicy so it all depends on what what you're expecting from the end product.
 
I wouldn't use s-33. Never had experience with t-58 but I'd suggest it would be a better choice. Liquid is probably preferable but why not give the dry a go. Some probably disagree but I'd suggest that WB-06 would work quite well in a belgian strong though it may be a bit light on in terms of the fruitiness but that's something you won't really be able to get with dry yeast anyway.
 
Thanks for the info T58 looks best then.
My reason for the dry is that I have it in my fridge and cost 6 dollars rather than the 20 dollars I have to pay for the white labs yeasts.
I might buy a couple of leffe blonds and see if I can ranch the yeast. (it's bottle conditioned yes?)

I was using the NZ hops because I have them and they are for bittering the saaz are for aroma. With the sugar it's actually probably more than 8% because my efficiency is crap (60%) but i will up it a bit to maybe 750g and add 100 grams of wheat.
I think you can use Pilsner or pale malt and I have both but was hoping to save the pills for a lager.
 
It'll be best to make a starter with your pack of yeast, or even use both 58 and 33 in together as strong belgians with a fair amount of sugar are notorious for going to sleep sickly sweet unless you throw buckets of yeast at them.

Why not use both yeasts?
 
It'll be best to make a starter with your pack of yeast, or even use both 58 and 33 in together as strong belgians with a fair amount of sugar are notorious for going to sleep sickly sweet unless you throw buckets of yeast at them.

Why not use both yeasts?

Thanks for the advice.
I will make a good sized starter and hopefully it will all work out :) i have a few days before i plan to brew so will start tomorrow on the starter.
 
I Ranched the bottoms of 4 Chimay but it was not very active after 2 days so i made a starter of the T58 and pitched it with the Chimay starter as well. my OG was 1.066 and the fermentation is extremely vigorous with crowsen coming out of the air lock(even though it's a bit chilly in the garage) so no worries about the yeast at them moment although it's only been 3 days.
 
It'll be best to make a starter with your pack of yeast, or even use both 58 and 33 in together as strong belgians with a fair amount of sugar are notorious for going to sleep sickly sweet unless you throw buckets of yeast at them.

Why not use both yeasts?

Agree, use both. Keep the temp high, keep the o2 down to encourage the alcohol+acid reactions to generate esters and away you go.

Yeast do not beat up on each other, they happily grow with each other and let each do their thing.

Scotty
 
It came out well with the mixture of t58 and chimay ranched from the bottle. 6.7% abv
I just had a sneaky bottle of it (even though it's very green :) V-nice, will improve in a few months, lots of esters were produced so flavoursome.
so I think i am going to brew it again tomorrow using pilsner instead of pale malt and adding some Calcium sulphate and calcium chloride to improve my efficiency and help the yeast.
 
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