Easy French Blonde

[mashani]

Simple little recipe to try out the Lallamand Abbaye yeast and see if I like it. And to use up some of the Aramis hops I have, because they are a perfect hop for this.

For 2.5 gallons:

3# MoreBeer pilsner extract (Pilsner + a bit of carapils)
8oz 5L (Golden) Candi Syrup.
1/3oz French Aramis (7.6 AA) @30
1/3oz French Aramis (7.6AA) @20
1/3oz French Aramis (7.6AA) @10

Cool, pitch full pack of Abbaye @64 degrees.

Will let it free rise up to 72 degrees or so if it wants to. I'm not going to push it up really high until I see what it does.

OG was 1.049
IBUs around 22
SRM around 5

Syrup will add a slight dried raisin flavor. That flavor is incredibly nice in a blonde/patersbier when using 3787, it compliments the apple, pear, and plum esters that yeast throws. We will see how it works here with the Abbaye.

[mashani]

Well I can say for sure that this yeast is not derived from 3787. And it's not repackaged T-58. It's actively fermenting at about 67 degrees right now, with only about 1/8th of an inch of krausen. Krausen has not risen and fallen already, as there is no ring. It is what it is. T-58 would have at least an inch and it would have spiked my temperatures higher vs. ambient, 3787 would have anywhere from 2-4 inches and/or blowing foam out my lid.

My lid is on very loose, so there is no pressure being held by my fermenter (I'm trying to coax out as much of the esters it will make as I can). I kicked my heating pad up a notch, to try to get this up to 68-70.

We will see what happens later.

EDIT: Next day... well, so now I finally managed to get it up to 69 by actively heating it, and it has between 1 and 1 1/2" of very rocky krausen now and stuff is whipping around nicely.

[monsteroyd]

Where did you find the lallemand version? I just did a batch with the Safale Abbaye yeast this weekend. I like it. But haven't had a chance to try the Lallemand one yet.

Monty

[mashani]

morebeer.com sells it - same place I get my pilsner extracts because they are always fresh and ferment out really well. They do not have the Safeale version, just the Lallemand. I don't know if they are the same yeast or different yeast with the same name (both scenarios seem weird to me but who knows).

Northern Brewer sells the Safeale version, but I buy less stuff from them then morebeer, because of free shipping options at morebeer. Unless I get a free shipping special, or steep enough discount on something I want at Northern. Next time I order from Northern, I will grab a pack or two of that one.

FWIW, I had to turn off my heating pad now finally, because it's suddenly decided to raise temps on its own. Holding steady at 70 now without any heat being applied. At the edges I still have about 1" of krausen, but there is a bigger 2" mound in the middle. I'm being extra pervey for this batch because I've never used this yeast before, and want to understand how it behaves. If it doesn't rise anymore on it's own I might fire back up the heating pad tomorrow and try to push it to 72.

[RickBeer]

The title of this post intrigued me, until I realized the subject wasn't what I thought. I have to go, SWMBO didn't think my observation was funny...

[mashani]

Bottled this from under somewhere between 1/4" and 1/8" of lingering krausen depending on where you looked. Finished at 1.006. Tasted of all sorts of fruit, pears, melons, banana, tropical like stuff, and some citrus. Except for the citrus, all of that would have come from the yeast. So this yeast is most definitely Belgian in nature, and may very well work as a dry yeast sub for 3787 for me. I think this will be good stuff.

[monsteroyd]

Awesome. I have to get some.

[mashani]

Awesome. I have to get some.

The flavors may be amped up by my low OG/light bodied grain bill. Same as a patersbier with 3787, the yeast esters get cranked up to 11 for some reason in such a beer, where in a bigger beer the are more suppressed. Also note that I pretty much fermented this without any pressure build up, lid was barely on, no airlock - so it was like an open fermentation, which also cranks up the esters.

To be clear, I don't know that I'm going to consider this a replacement for my 3787/WLP530 batches, I doubt it. But it seems so far like it will make good beer if I can't score any.

[monsteroyd]

Cool cause I like dry.

[mashani]

I've been drinking my trub bottle of this. You know how I always say the best Belgians are simple beers. Well this is a perfect example.

I can say this yeast is a true, authentic Belgian strain. I like T-58 but I always have said it's more like a saison/wit yeast then a true Belgian ale yeast.

This yeast is very different. It tastes like some hybrid of Abbey (Chimay like) and Ardennes (Golden Ale like) strains. Lots of flavors, but nothing is overpowering another. I am getting some banana, some bubblegum, some pear, some melon, some clove and spicy phenols, some earthiness, some tartness.

It's got some golden raisin flavor from the candi syrup. It's got some floral aroma, spice and citrus from the Aramis hops. I'm really liking the Aramis hops. If you like streisselspalt or hersbrucker, you would like them a lot, they are just like that with just a hint of citrus.

It's very effervescent, lots of tiny bubbles. "Champaign Like" is what SWMBO said as she sucked down half my glass in no time.

The short boil didn't hurt this at all, these hops were perfect for it, and I have no regrets there.

I know that lots of folks would look at the simple recipe and think "booring" but this has a ton of flavor.

I would certainly use this yeast again. It is for sure the best dry Belgian strain I've used, and I've made many beers with liquid Belgian strains that I've not liked as much.

This doesn't come across as a small beer, even though it is. Not at all.

I'm so pleased with this that I'll make it again soon. I've got lots of the Aramis hops to use up.

I put another bottle in the fridge, I will try to take a pic of it tomorrow.