Bottling with Different Strains...

Posted this in General a few weeks back, but no one responded:

Any issues in terms of flavor when bottling with a different strain of yeast than what was used for primary fermentation?

Brewed a a big Quad a few months back and fermented with whatever strain was in a St. Bernardus Pater 6 bottle. I was thinking of bottling with Wyeast 3787 (Westmalle). I don't think I'd have to worry too much about attenuation--my final gravity was 1.006. I'm curious if it would impart any flavor into the already existing beer.

In the past, I've always used the same strain when bottling but having harvested from the Pater 6, it would take some time to re-harvest. Obviously not as convenient as picking up a smack pack.

While the flavor question is immediate to this batch here, I figure it'd be good to know in general. I've come across recipes that use multiple strains for primary and are very specific about which strain you should bottle with. Wasn't sure if that was more flavor or an attenuation factor.

There isn't that much difference between the two strains, but they do have a common denominator: Westvleteren. Prior to 1990, St. Bernardus was contracted to make the Westvleteren beers because the Abbots only wanted to make enough in house for their own needs. St. Bernardus had the recipes and yeast strain from Westvleteren. Eventually, Westvleteren expanded and brought the beers back to the Abbey because the Authentic Trappist Product trademark rules required so.

It's not clear when Westvleteren started using Westmalle yeast, but it happened sometime before they expanded. It is well documented that they continue to get yeast from Westmalle. It's also clear that the Abbots at Westvleteren feel that the change in yeast hasn't changed their product.

St. Bernardus says they continue to use the same Westvleteren recipes, yeast and methods for Abt 12, Prior 8, Pater 6 and Extra 4.

Bonus trivia: The St. Bernardus Wit was designed by Pierre Celis, which he said was as close to his original recipe as he could get since InBev bought his brewery (now AB-InBev). Celis is quite a colorful story, himself.

Oh, and to answer your question.... No, I haven't the foggiest idea if there will be any major flavor change. 

brewfun said:

Oh, and to answer your question.... No, I haven't the foggiest idea if there will be any major flavor change. 

Click to expand...

Fantastic!

Double Bonus Trivia: St. Bernardus supposedly bottles with a different strain of yeast than used in primary. So who knows what I harvested!