Beer Forum

So far I've only used Wyeast 3787 (Westmalle) and Wyeast 1214 (Chimay) but both batches are still aging. I haven't had a chance to taste them. I'm also about to use Wyeast 3522 (Achouffe) on a Belgian Pale Ale. But I've read some negative reviews of the 3522. So which ones have you guys had good luck with and would recommend to others? For the record I love how 3787 goes absolutely nuts during primary. Krausen churning like crazy.

Personally, based upon taste characteristics, ease of handling, and versatility, the Westmalle (Trappist High Gravity) yeast is by far my favorite.

However...if you like sour I think I may like the Roeselare Blend more

I like Wyeast 1214, and 3787, and White Labs WLP530 and 540.

530 is my favorite.

the Westmalle is easy to work with. Good results and can be somewhat predictable.
The times I used the Achouffe yeast my process wasnt as refined and my problems shined more than the beer. Results for me were not good but I love their beer so for me its a goal to get it right,

I've made many Belgian Strong Darks.....what makes them the best is using D2 candi syrup and WLP550.....i also like to use munich malt as the base grain.

I'll see if I can throw some different strains into the mix on this thread:

WY3864 VSS Canadian/Belgian- My favorite Belgian style yeast so far. Nice Belgian-style phenolics that I've had trouble getting with other strains. I pitched at 63F and it rose to 70F. Gets increasingly phenolic with higher temps, yet seems fairly resistant to creating fusels. A word of caution: Do not sanitize with bleach when using this yeast. You'll produce chlorophenols that will ruin your beer. Probably true with a lot of the Belgian yeast strains, but I personally had a bad experience with this one.
WY3726 VSS Farmhouse ale- Nice. I really liked this one. I started the fermentation coolish, pitched at 64 and it freely rose to 70F. Nicely balanced, not too estery, and retained Belgian phenolics well.
WY3522 Belgian Ardennes- First time I used it, turned out wonderful with flavors just like La Chouffe. Pitched on the yeast cake for a second round, and all the good flavors were lost. Third time I tried to use this yeast, lacked the spicy and phenolic notes of the first time and had too much esters, probably from too much yeast growth. Didn't keep track of fermentation temps at the time, so I can't report anything about that contribution. Conclusion: Can be a terrific yeast, but a bit finicky. Never was able to reproduce results from first batch.
WY3787 Westmalle- Tried it once. Pretty bland, and I overcarbonated the beer so carbonic acidity overpowered any "Belgian flavors".

Flavor-wise, WLP530 (Westmalle) is my fave. I love it in the primary and really like the "rustic" character it takes on when used for bottle conditioning. I have noticed that it doesn't floc out too well, so it can take a while for me to get a good repitch from my conicals. I've also noticed that it can take a little coaxing for the super-high gravity Belgian-style beers, such as quads. That said, it really motors through lower gravity beers in no time. Any beers below an OG of 1.060 are done in less than a week, but I still allow time on the yeast for it to clean things up. The fermentation schedule I prefer to use produces slight sulfur, which disappears after a few days on the lees. WLP500 (Chimay) is also nice for some of the higher gravity Belgian styles, but it's pretty fruity.

WPL530 (used across variety of styles - strong ferment, good attn - will spackle your ceiling now matter the OG)
WLP570 - (strong ferment, good attn, lousy floc)
WY3522