Looking for a relatively low attenuating yeast with distinct Belgian flavors.

Question

I'm working on a recipe for a Baltic porter but would like to ferment it with a stran that produces distinct belgian flavors. The problem is that most of your belgian strains are too high attenuating. I'm wanting a strain that attenuates in the low 70%s but has great fruity esters and spicy phenols. Again, very Belgian.

And yes I have considered mashing high and just using a Belgian yeast I'm familiar with, but I'd rather find a lower attenuating yeast.

Answer 1

Glancing over the White Labs and WYeast charts, it seems that WLP410 Belgian Wit II and WYeast 3944 - Belgian Witbier have the lowest attenuation with the flavor profile that you're looking for.

I've only used WLP410 Belgian Wit II though, so that would be my recommendation. It sounds like an interesting beer :) Good luck!

Answer 2

Attenuation is far more dependent on the fermentability of the wort than the rating of the yeast. Those yeast ratings are merely a way of comparing one yeast to another using a standardized wort, and don't really reflect the actual attenuation. If you want low attenuation, mash at a high temp or use grains that have a high degree of unfermentability.