BB Turbo Yeast for Belgian Dubbels

If the constant stream of brown ales and stouts gracing tap lists this time of year has you wanting something lighter, consider a Belgian dubbel as an alternative style option. Although not as massive as tripels or strong golden ales, it offers complex malt flavors balanced out with an interesting blend of esters and phenolics for an interesting flavor experience.

Belgian beer requires careful yeast selection as yeasts produce various flavor compounds which may not be detectable by taste alone. Esters (fruity aromas and flavors) and phenolics (medicinal plastic-like or spicy components) can significantly alter its character depending on which yeast strains are chosen; both may increase or diminish it as desired.

There are various yeast strains suitable for creating Belgian dubbel beers. Wyeast 1214, White Labs WLP500 and Crossmyloof MONK have all earned rave reviews from brewers for producing outstanding tasting beers despite starting relatively slowly; once fermentation begins they all tend to attenuate effectively while producing relatively intense levels of esters and phenolics.

Safbrew S-33 is another strain with mixed reviews but varied flavor scores, seemingly depending on temperature ranges. It seems to have an unpredictable personality that goes between English or Belgian styles depending on how warm or cool its environment is, close genetic ties to Windsor, and being related to Lalbrew Abbaye as a cousin strain. Safbrew S-33 delivers fruity esters and subtle spice while having higher attenuation than many of the other strains available – and also promotes hop biotransformation!