I’m still early in my homebrew education, and am trying a couple new Northern Brewer kits. I recently bought a kit for a Dubbel that suggested the Omega Belgian A yeast, but I accidentally purchased the C strain.
I’m sure the beer will turn out just fine, but I don’t know enough about yeast strains to know what is affected by swapping these out.
Given my newbie status, would it be better to make the trek to exchange the yeast, or should I plot ahead with my now-unique brew?
the biggest difference is, the Flocculation and ester/phenol profiles of the two strains. I have used the Belgian ale yeast from omega, and it give a nice spicy and fruity notes when fermented at higher temps. I have not used the abbey ale yet.
Abbey Ale C -- Flocculation:Medium-Low
This Abbey ale strain’s trappist origin is best coupled with a little monastic patience: a notably low flocculator, it is highly attenuative with a fruity profile and lightly perceptible spiciness, as well as often significant banana.
Belgian Ale A -- Flocculation:High
As one of the few highly flocculent Belgian ale strains, the thought-to-be Ardennes strain makes a great Belgian house. It is brewery friendly, crops easily and has a well rounded flavor profile that balances fruitiness and phenolics. Esters increase with upward temperatures.
if you are not a fan of the banana flavor then exchange it, but otherwise i would keep the current selection and see how it turns out, it will still give you a Belgian taste either way you go.
