First Saison, Thoughts Please! (wy3711)

[doon]

Its pretty amazing fermenting something that hot and hearing and seeing it fizzing away

 

[Guysmiley54]

Haha! I'm being too cautious maybe? Will let it go a bit.... can't hurt too much this late in the game anyway!!

Cheers :icon_cheers:

 

[Lecterfan]

IMHO post #20 is a cracker...

 

[Thefatdoghead]

How high would you go with 3711 without getting too funky?

Mate I fermented it at 32 in summer with a heat pad at night and it got to 36. The beer was a 8% saison and it turned out clean as with a nice fruity ester on the nose. Can you please describe this "funk" you speak of? I mean try to compare the taste to something familiar.

 

[Thefatdoghead]

The whole point of saison yeasts for me is that you can abandon caution and just let it run as hot as it likes.

Getting too bogged down in the details is the antithesis of a refreshing farmhouse/peasant ale and all its wonderful gloriousness.

I have never fermented 3711 above 38.2 degrees

I agree it's nice and easy but have you ever tried one where the yeast doesn't swing 10- 12 degrees from high to low? I was going to do it with my next one but all my fridges are full and thats the reason im brewing it BECAUSE ITS IN THE SHED!

 

[Guysmiley54]

Mate I fermented it at 32 in summer with a heat pad at night and it got to 36. The beer was a 8% saison and it turned out clean as with a nice fruity ester on the nose. Can you please describe this "funk" you speak of? I mean try to compare the taste to something familiar.

I suppose I mean I'm trying not to over accentuate any phenolic belgian-esque flavours. Earlier in fermentation there were a lot of these qualities (more than expected) but as it has gone along they have mostly subsided.

I'm totally excited for this batch, it is going to be quite special methinks!

 

[Guysmiley54]

A couple of weeks in the bottle and it is :icon_drunk: It got to 1008 and is still plenty dry, fruity with spicy undertones coming from the yeast.

Will. Brew. Again.

:kooi:

 

[geneabovill]

Manticle is bang on the money with this one. A good experiment (if you have the equipment/inclination) is to brew a double batch, split into two fermenters and ferment one low (25C) and one high (35C) with the same yeast and see which one you like more.

IIRC, low temps will produce phenolic peppery flavours and fermenting high will give you bananas. Adding around 5% dextrose will also push the banana flavour.