WLP568 Saison Ale Yeast Blend

A yeast starter must be made when using White Labs yeast

Reviews provided by White Labs:

"As advertised"
By: doug
Date: Sept. 30, 2010
Beer Brewed: Saison
Comments:This yeast was pretty much as advertised. I kept fermentation to about a 76F average and the end product was surprisingly clean with strong yeast flavors kept to a minimum. In retrospect I probably should have pushed it up hotter in the beginning to catch more phenols and byproducts. It really let the malt come through which was also surprising. I was kind of expecting a bomb of yeasty flavor but it proved docile in the end. I also did a longer than usual secondary (50 days) so maybe that is the source of some of the mellowness. After my first batch I am going with a bit more caramel grain and gonna let the temp run closer to 80F if I can manage it. All in all it produced an exceptional beer. Subtle yeast flavors on top of a surprisingly clear brew. I highly recommend you give it a try.

"Will use again"
By: Mark at Hidden Well Brewery (makewebs.com)
Date: April 25, 2010
Beer Brewed: Saison, Dubbel
Comments:I basically used JZ's recipes. Added .5 lb cane sugar late in primary and got 78% ADF with Saison. Added 1 lb to boil with Dubbel and pitched on top of slurry from first brew; got 77% ADF. I loved the taste in the Saison especially. Will use again.

"I ramped up the temperature ... "
By: Ron H
Date: Dec. 20, 2009
Beer Brewed: Dark Saison
Comments:This yeast blend appears to have similar challenges to the Dupont strain (WLP565) that must be the main part of this blend. I ramped up the temperature during fermentation, starting at 68F and ending at 80F for 3 weeks. Fermentation sort of "quit" at 1.018 from 1.071, which is typical of the Dupont strain. The taste is too sweet but otherwise great, so I will have to finish up with another strain. Making a starter with a blend may have led to the issues as I could have emphasized the saison strain too much. Also, the Dupont strain prefers temperatures much over 80F, but since the other components of this blend are unknown it's risky to take it that high.

" ... a second batch has already been brewed"
By: Todd, San Diego
Date: Oct. 12, 2009
Beer Brewed: Belgian Chocolate Saison
Comments:I brewed an experimental beer with the WPL568 Saison Blend and it performed like a champ! I used the Saison recipe from Brewing Classic Styles as a base and added a bit of chocolate malt and some dark candi syrup. The yeast finished the beer at 1.009 with an ABV of 7.5%. Amazing spicey flavors and aromas and just a hint of chocolate flavor...Perfect! A friend liked the beer so much it was requested to be brewed as a Birthday batch, so a second batch has already been brewed...Cheers White Labs!

"I'll use it again ... "
By: Jason in Corvallis
Date: Oct. 7, 2009
Beer Brewed: Belgian pale ale
Comments: I pitched a starter of this into 1.056 wort at sixty-six degrees Fahrenheit and held it for three days, then moved it up to eighty degrees over a course of days. It performed admirably from the start and wrapped up promptly as well, finishing at a low 1.008. The finished beer has a mellow "Belgian" character with an emphasis on the malts. Very clean, with no hints of fusels and a very mild fruitiness. Clove flavors are present, but mild and seem to dissipate with aging. Hop flavor and aroma are present, but muted in general. It was a good performer and I think it would work well for almost anything you want a pleasant Belgian character in. I'll use it again I'm sure.