What is your yeast of choice for Biere de Garde?

[Tonedef131]

I am getting ready to brew me some Biere de Garde but I would like to hear what some of your favorite strains for the style are. I have a nice big pitch of lager yeast ready to go so I am thinking about going that way. Farmhouse Ales mentions that when using lager yeast it should be fermented at low ale temps, has anyone had experience with this? If you prefer an ale strain which one do you like and at what temps are you fermenting?

I think I am going to shoot Wyeast an email recommending that they get a french strain or something and package it with some native molds. That would rule so hard.

 

[Schlenkerla]

Check out the list here on wyeast. Wyeast Laboratories. Bière de Garde

Out of this list I'm torn between with 1007 German Ale or 1762 Belgium Abbey II.

My selection out of the Farmhouse Ale list,

wyeast; (by preference)

1.) 1338 European Ale
2.) 1010 American Wheat
3.) 1007 German Ale
4.) 1056 American Ale
5.) 2565 Kolsch

I'd choose the one that best fits the temp range that you can control. Out of all suggested. 1338 European Ale seams to be the best choice IMO. Also like it for the malt accent that supposed to give.

Going with any of the Farmhouse Ale recommendations aren't a bad route to go. Like the book says pegging the style doesn't matter here. What do want and how would you like it to taste?

 

[Schlenkerla]

Looky here in the VSS Wyeast Laboratories : VSS Program : VSS Archive : June-August 2006

3725 Biere De Garde

Also here;

http://www.wyeastlab.com/PC3q2008.cfm

 

[Picobrew]

What about 3711? Too spicy?

 

[Tonedef131]

1007 would probably be the best ale strain since that Wyeast VSS isn't availible anymore. I find the euro ale strain to finish far too high for the style, I want this pretty dry. I can ferment at any temp I want, so I am looking for the ideal situation.

 

[Tonedef131]

What about 3711? Too spicy?

Yeah, I'm not going to use anything "Belgian" because I don't want it getting phenolic.

 

[Picobrew]

3711 is french, well, the french part of belgium

 

[Tonedef131]

3711 is french, well, the french part of belgium

Yeah I know, I recently made a Saison with it and it's spicier than what I am looking for. It actually has quite a bit of bubblegum flavor, a nice strain just not what I'm looking for here.

 

[Schlenkerla]

These 3 all finish dry per wyeast

3787 - Trappist High Gravity™
1388 - Belgian Strong Ale™
1762 - Belgian Abbey II™

 

[Schlenkerla]

You can also add 5% sugar, brown or white, to dry this out too.

 

[Pappers_]

I used White Labs' WLP011 European yeast because I was looking for a low attenuating, malty biere de garde

 

[hexmonkey]

If you can't find the yeast from Wyeast or White Labs, why not get some from a bottle of Biere de Garde?

I cultured some yeast from the dregs of a bottle of Cuvee des Jonquilles, (a BdG on the label, the importer's website calls it a saison) from Gussignies in northern France. I used it in an all-grain batch of the BdG recipe in Brewing Classic Styles.

The BCS recipe is for a more brunette beer than the one JZ named it after, La Choulette's Les Sans Culottes. I like it a lot and I'd do it the same a second time, but the recipe as I made it came out more belgian-dubbel-y than if it were a more blonde beer.

 

[DubbelDach]

I had great success with WLP550... It was fairly phenolic, but I don't mind that.

 

[david_42]

The Heart of the Valley club did a brew day at OSU and about 30 of us took 5 gallons home for fermenting. I used Safale-04, because I didn't want it to be too dry. It went from 17.55 Brix to 2.7! Other people used Kolsh, Belgian and Abbey yeasts. Some time this winter, we plan on comparing the results. Mine is bone-dry and tastes like it's about 4%. Deadly.

 

[Saccharomyces]

I don't remember where I read it but somebody claimed that WLP830 worked great at 57*F.

 

[Jamo99]

I used the Wyeast farmhouse ale strain last year, Wy3726. I'm gonna give the 3711 a shot this year and ferment on the low side.

 

[cuinrearview]

Can't comment on WY1762 in a saison but in my dubbel the finish is very crisp despite a higher TG. Phenols are very low, I fermented around 70. Very, very estery. I would think that it would make a very nice, spiced saison and should chew down to whatever gravity you need based on temps. and ingredients. Again, just speculation but this yeast has promise in my brewhouse. Good think I washed four pints!