"Belgian" Farmhouse Blonde Ale with Kviek yeast

I can be told that I am an idiot, but if you are going to make a Belgian Blonde, wouldn't you want to use a Belgian yeast? Maybe WLP500 or something in that ballpark? Otherwise, you have just a Blonde.
Nothing wrong with that, but a Belgian beer normally has a bunch of yeast characteristic. The grain bills for those are normally simple unless you do a Dubble or a Quad, but the yeast is important.
 
Sandy Feet said:
I can be told that I am an idiot, but if you are going to make a Belgian Blonde, wouldn't you want to use a Belgian yeast? Maybe WLP500 or something in that ballpark? Otherwise, you have just a Blonde.
Nothing wrong with that, but a Belgian beer normally has a bunch of yeast characteristic. The grain bills for those are normally simple unless you do a Dubble or a Quad, but the yeast is important.
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I normally would but this is an experimental brew. Perhaps i should change the name to a farmhouse blonde or something like that? :)
 
Simonpyman said:
I normally would but this is an experimental brew. Perhaps i should change the name to a farmhouse blonde or something like that? :)
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Would be fun to do that recipe with a Belgian or Saison yeast:)
 
Not a fan of kviek...... less a fan of it in a belgian , lol
 
After some thought i am considering switching to these yeasts instead:

BELGIAN SAISON I

JOVARU LITHUANIAN FARMHOUSE
 
Decided to nix the Kviek for two different saison yeasts. Like the higher temperature tolerance as we will be fermenting at room temp.

Belgian-Style Saison Ale Yeast | White Labs WLP568 Yeast
Belgian Saison I Ale Yeast | White Labs WLP565 Yeast
 
If it is a Belgian Saison, start it around 68. Low krausen ish ( a couple if days) raise your temps little by little until you get in the low 80s. Lots of stuff online about the gradual temperature change. Do NOT go hot to cold. Go cold to hot. Lots of chatter online about Belgian Saisons stalling with a big beer going from hot to cold. My Belgian I did with blueberries. Got that bitch up around 82 after the 8th day and left it there until around day 14 when I kegged it. I did get some character from it, but I would have liked even more.
Having said that, Homestate up the road did something very close to mine. They make damn good beer, and I was in the ballpark with theirs.
Also, be patient with those like a lager. They get quite tasty after they have been in the keg for a couple or three weeks.
 
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I' m interested in seeing how it works out.
Saisons are much dryer than blondes though.
I have found that a Voss kveik blonde comes pretty close to a Belgian, a bit less expressive (if thats a word) but the fruity notes are there
 
The Belgian Saison doesn't dry out as much as the French yeast though. I attenuated all the way down to 1.000 with the French yeast.
 
Sandy Feet said:
If it is a Belgian Saison, start it around 68. Low krausen ish ( a couple if days) raise your temps little by little until you get in the low 80s. Lots of stuff online about the gradual temperature change. Do NOT go hot to cold. Go cold to hot. Lots of chatter online about Belgian Saisons stalling with a big beer going from hot to cold. My Belgian I did with blueberries. Got that bitch up around 82 after the 8th day and left it there until around day 14 when I kegged it. I did get some character from it, but I would have liked even more.
Having said that, Homestate up the road did something very close to mine. They make damn good beer, and I was in the ballpark with theirs.
Also, be patient with those like a lager. They get quite tasty after they have been in the keg for a couple or three weeks.
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I have an 8.2% Blackberry/lemon Tripel crashed and carbed waiting on more blackberry to arrive. I think its gonna be a damn good beer!

Blackberry is one of those fruits that requires alot more volume of fruit compared to things like mango or apricot! Mine fermented out at 72F for 7 days before hitting terminal @82% attenuation. been cold and carbed since Wednesday of last week. My fruit wont be here till the end of the week so it will have been cold and carbed for a few weeks and then will sit in kegs for atleast another week before it gets on draft!

Since im pitching so much fruit post ferm, it will be one of my beers that people get the "Dont let this crowler get warm for long periods of time" speeches.
 
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Zambi said:
I' m interested in seeing how it works out.
Saisons are much dryer than blondes though.
I have found that a Voss kveik blonde comes pretty close to a Belgian, a bit less expressive (if thats a word) but the fruity notes are there
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i have made alot of ales with voss. i would not really compare it to a belgian yeast though. If you let voss get really hot(104f) or cold it can produce some fruity esters, but not in the same way that a belgian yeast does.

When my glycol was down for a few weeks, i had some batches that got over 104 and I could taste it. That being said, it was still good beer and sold very well for me, i just knew that it wasnt as good as it should have been.

Honestly im more impressed with Apex Munich Lager yeast. during the same timeframe i had some batches get over 80 when the glycol screwed me over and they were fine flavorwise. Some fruity off notes that only i would know since i make and drink that specific beer all the time as its one of 2 that stay on draft.
 
I actually fermented the blueberries. I made a puree and added them in the whirlpool close to 170ish.
 
Sandy Feet said:
I actually fermented the blueberries. I made a puree and added them in the whirlpool close to 170ish.
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thats cool! i bet it was nice and bright flavor! I dont really have the time or mental bandwidth to acquire and process that much fruit. Especially when i can get aseptic purees for less then the total cost of the fruit at retail.

If i could though, i might... still seems like alot of effort lol.
 
Bigbre04 said:
I have an 8.2% Blackberry/lemon Tripel crashed and carbed waiting on more blackberry to arrive. I think its gonna be a damn good beer!

Blackberry is one of those fruits that requires alot more volume of fruit compared to things like mango or apricot! Mine fermented out at 72F for 7 days before hitting terminal @82% attenuation. been cold and carbed since Wednesday of last week. My fruit wont be here till the end of the week so it will have been cold and carbed for a few weeks and then will sit in kegs for atleast another week before it gets on draft!

Since im pitching so much fruit post ferm, it will be one of my beers that people get the "Dont let this crowler get warm for long periods of time" speeches.
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Are you worried about starting a second fermentation? Knew a place that did that with a Blueberry Saison, and she foamed like a bitch. Sorry, didn't see the puree comment.
 
Sandy Feet said:
Are you worried about starting a second fermentation? Knew a place that did that with a Blueberry Saison, and she foamed like a bitch. Sorry, didn't see the puree comment.
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ya i added it after the fact to the comment.

Yep, if I were packaging(canning/bottling) i would not be able to do the fruit in my beers the way that i do. It would take a whole lot more fruit fermented out to get the same flavor. and/or i would have to pasteurize or add sulfites to kill the fermentation.

Exploding cans/gushing bottles are pretty expensive when you have to buy them back from the distributor at their cost. Not to mention the loss of customers/face.
 
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