Leffe Yeast Strain

[Chris79]

I've had a few of the Leffe Blonde and Brown of late. Really enjoy these style of beers and the yeast character.

A few questions: is there a comparable White Labs yeast strain that I can use for both styles? Looks like the Blond matches an a style example for a Belgium Blond Ale in BJCP. What about the Brown - is that a malt bill like a Dubbel? Or something else?

Cheers
Chris

 

[technobabble66]

Candi syrup Inc. has a variety of recipes that they've trialled to ensure they're reasonably close.
They've got a great list of different beers, mainly Belgian. They obviously use Candi syrup in the recipes. So if you didn't have the syrup you'd need to compensate for that. However given many/most Belgian beers seem to use a substantial amount of Candi syrup/sugar, you're going to struggle to do any of the Leffe beers without real Candi syrup.

They use WLP-570 for their leffe blond clone.

http://www.candisyrup.com/uploads/6/0/3/5/6035776/leffe_blonde_-_040.pdf

 

[Chris79]

Ok, great thanks for the recipe link also. So the Candi syrup is key in terms of flavour? Or some other reason?

 

[akx]

I made a Duvel clone that called for Candi Syrup. We used good old cane sugar instead. I think we increased the speciality grains a little.

 

[manticle]

If you are using any of the darker syrups, you will not get the same flavour any other way (eg dubbel, dark strong). For pale beers like golden or tripel, dex will get you there.

 

[technobabble66]

^^ agree.

Though Simplicity syrup apparently has a slight colour and hence a slight flavour addition. If it was a tripel or Golden strong I'd be considering using the right syrups, or at least some of the overall sugars. For a Trappist, saison, blond, etc, I'd probably just go sugar.

What I've done for one that called for a clear or light syrup was to use cane sugar, but just make it up as a syrup, invert with a little Cream of Tartar, then darken slightly to a light Amber colour. In theory it might've added a slight caramel depth. Who knows if it made a difference, but it made me feel better [emoji1].

 

[TheWiggman]

A yeast for both styles? Probably not. I understand Leffe Radiuse (probably my favourite beer) uses the Westmalle strain - or at the very least a similar strain - which is Wyeast 3787 / WLP530.
I've brewed a Belgian standard Abbey Beer using Whitelabs 3942 Belgian Wheat which turned out to be a very decent beer indeed. Oozed Belgian esters without tasting strictly like a wheat beer. Would brew again.

If you were going to go a single strain for both beers I would go WLP570 or if you're happy paying postage, Wyeast 3942. Otherwise WLP530 for the brown. I say use both because you can never get too much experience trying different yeasts.

 

[manticle]

^^ agree.

Though Simplicity syrup apparently has a slight colour and hence a slight flavour addition. If it was a tripel or Golden strong I'd be considering using the right syrups, or at least some of the overall sugars. For a Trappist, saison, blond, etc, I'd probably just go sugar.

What I've done for one that called for a clear or light syrup was to use cane sugar, but just make it up as a syrup, invert with a little Cream of Tartar, then darken slightly to a light Amber colour. In theory it might've added a slight caramel depth. Who knows if it made a difference, but it made me feel better [emoji1].

Being a bit anal here but what do you mean by 'a trappist' or overall sugar? Many tripels are trappist branded, many more are not.

Everything I've read (and personal experience suppports) suggests duvel (original 'golden strong) is dex, not candy sugar. So why candy for tripel and Golden but not trappist(?) or blond.

For me saison doesn't enter into the equation. Pils, wheat, saison yeast+ low mash gets as dry as an old lady's broom cupboard in Broome during the dry season.

 

[technobabble66]

@manticanal: [emoji1]
As explanation, I meant Trappist Single, rather than the general category of Trappist (which includes the categories of Dubbel, tripel and dark strong). Reason twofold, because those stronger styles need more ingredients, so there's more cost at risk, and also that the quality of the ingredients in the stronger beers seems to make a bigger difference. Depends on the beer, of course - if Duvel uses straight cane sugar, then go for it!

"Overall sugar" is just to cover variations in the recipe; such that if a Golden Strong or Dubbel called for 1kg sugars, 50% of which was clear syrup & 50% was Amber, then I'd say you could follow the recipe as is, or go 50% cane sugar + 50% Amber syrup.
Basically the darker the syrup the less you can substitute it with sugar or homemade stuff.

 

[MHB]

I have heard whispers that the S-33 is Leffe Blond yeast, I do know it works very well in a clone of that beer, the Brun isn't really my cup of tea so I haven't tried making it.
Mark

 

[Chris79]

cheers manticle - when I brew this one (in a few months) I'll just add dex for the Blonde Ale.

thanks Wiggman - I'll make a note of those yeast options, good to have few options depending on on home shops supply

cheers Mark, good to have that back up yeast option too

 

[Chris79]

and what's your preferred fermentation temp for a beer like the Blonde ale?

Whitelab site for wlp570 20-24 degrees.

Cheers