30 replies to this topic

[MyaCullen]

so? sanitize an aeration stone and bubble an inert gas gently through the stalled wort?

[shaggaroo]

so? sanitize an aeration stone and bubble an inert gas gently through the stalled wort?

I'm thinking it wouldn't hurt... there's certainly an experiment lurking in here somewhere

[denny]

Wow, a lot of complicated alternatives to open fermentation!

[Poptop]

I've used just about every saison yeast offered with no issues. Then again, down here in northern Cuba, I ferment at 99.5 F

[MtnBrewer]

I'm going to be trying this out this weekend. I'll ferment with 3724 in my 14 gallon conical and I'll use foil instead of the usual blow-off tube. I'll hold it at 63°F for 3-4 days and then let it rise naturally. That should get it into the 70's easily and if I have to, I'll force it up into the 80's.

[macbrak]

Wow, a lot of complicated alternatives to open fermentation!

 

The Complicator's Gloves

[SchwanzBrewer]

My idea isn't that complicated, you just need a dimpled piece of stainless to suspend into solution. AB uses beach wood to increase the surface area for contact with the beer by the yeast. This is the same idea but with a different use - removing CO2.

 

I suspect that this is a solved problem among pro brewers with conicals though.

[ZYMFUL]

I think temperature is the biggest issue. Why is everyone starting the Dupont strain so low? I think there in lies the problem. I pitch around 68, sometimes 70. Let it rise slowly if you can, but don't hold it low the first few days - those are the most crucial days. If yeast is out of it's comfort zone the first few days, it will never perform as it should through the rest of fermentation. It would be ok to hold 68-70 a couple days, but then it needs to rise. Also, yeast health and count are crucial. Gotta make a starter with homebrew packs - that yeast is never perfectly healthy with all the shipping it experiences. It should be at 80 by day 10. I let it get to 85 if I can and it wants to. I just did a few that sat around 70 (ambient) for one week and 75 ambient for another (I currently have a lack of temp control, so it's saisons, wits, and brett beers!). 1.006 after 2 weeks, then i kegged it because I was thirsty. Dupont is a funny strain that likes to be warm. Blasting it with heat off the bat is not good as stated in the podcast. Also I think starting it too low is why it is stalling, along with not being able to rise to a warm temp quickly enough. I think Dupont lets it free rise to 95 degrees (I wouldn't recommend it, I think that was like day 4 or something ridiculous). If I recall correctly, I think they use a square fermentor (weird). Something about the conicals and the pressure on the yeast - I don't recall all the details. In 15bbl conicals, I pitched around 68, then the next morning raised the jackets 1 degree, and another before I left, and another degree the next morning, etc. It worked out nicely. The other brewer pitched a bit low one time and kept low too long and it did not perform as well, along with that yeast i collected and pitched into another saison I brewed. Was at 84 after a couple weeks and still not done, raised it to 87 or so and then it finished finally at a nice low FG after 3 weeks. Still tasted delicious though. Just my thoughts and experiences on the strain. It's a funny bitch, but delicious. I mostly use it, only occasionally French, but I much prefer Dupont.

[denny]

Most people I know who pitch low do it becasue they prefer the flavor they get like that.  I know that's why Drew does it and I'm not gonna argue saison with him!

[MtnBrewer]

Yeah, I ended up not going quite that low on the one I made this weekend. I started at 68 and let it rise from there.

[ZYMFUL]

Most people I know who pitch low do it becasue they prefer the flavor they get like that.  I know that's why Drew does it and I'm not gonna argue saison with him!

Ah. Yea I am the total opposite. I don't care for the profile I get from a low temp saison. I tend to get more peppery spice notes the way I stated, which is what I like. If it gets too hot too quick it spits out all kinds of esters and phenols in quantities I don't care for. It's all about what you like as a brewer though. My favorite Saisons all have Brett . To me, those will always be the best saisons if done right. Just a nice little funk and spice, very dry, fairly high carb - perfection. I keep not pitching brett and just drinking all 10 gallons of all these beers. Speaking of Saison, one of those Saisons was a high rye (40%) with caraway (1 oz/10gal 5 min) and a dash of sorachi ace late hop - it was indeed a good idea, I'm loving it. I wasn't too sure about it but wanted to try it.