Wyeast 3724 Belgian Saison

[Canuckdownunder]

Hey Everybody!
I'm thinking about doing a saison over Christmas in order to take advantage of the temps up here on the GC and I decided to use the Wyeast 3724 Belgian Saison. Has anybody ever used the this yeast? I've heard some stories of how it's a bit finicky but I thought since it's so hot in my home I'll have no problem hitting temperatures of 30c plus. Also I figured that since I'm pretty stocked for beer I can leave this for around a month in primary to really let the yeast attenuate.

Any recommendations? It's my first attempt at a saison and I'd love for it to come out in true summer thirst quenching style :chug:

Cheer,
Canuck.

 

[Jez]

I've got a Nelson Sauvin saison finishing off now with this yeast. I've got a temp controlled fridge so pitched at 18 degrees, left it 2 days then raised temp 1 degree per day until I got to 30 degrees and it's sat on that for nearly a week. Had no stalling issues at all. It's my first time with this yeast but keep it hot and you should be ok. It's down to 1.008 now but will see if it drops a few more points by the weekend. My hydrometer samples have tasted great.

 

[bullsneck]

I started at 25c on a simple Saison grain bill. It rocketed through ferment, getting to under 1.020 in a few days. I bumped it up to 34c after that and took it's time finishing off (5 weeks!) but it was worth the wait.

It was the best Belgian I have brewed and some people at the Brew Club said it beat any Aus micro example they'd had.

Good yeast.

Here's a crappy iPhone photo from a brew night in the shed. It was the clearest unfiltered beer I have brewed. The only finings were in the boil.

Enjoy!


edit - added pic

 

[Canuckdownunder]

Whoa! That's one helluva clear beer! I don't think I've ever had a home brew come out that clear that's awesome Booker. So 5 weeks ferment then how long did you age? I'm thinking about just legging carbing and cold crashing for about a week after?

 

[Jez]

What did yours eventually finish at Booker? I was a bit scared to go over 30 degrees but I might bump it up a few more degrees based on your post

 

[bullsneck]

It finished at 1.004.

I didn't age it, just savoured it in the keg.

 

[Canuckdownunder]

Perfect!
Well I just received my grain-bill from Ross @ Craftbrewer today


I'm going for my first partial mash so I'm a bit nervous but I reckon I've used a bunch of steeping crystal grains and such for my Pale Ale recipe so the only difference is mostly temperature control water to grain ratios & sparging right? Here's what I'm planning:


La Belle Saison
1x Can of Coopers Pale Ale
2kg BB Pale Malt
1kg Weyermann Rye Malt
500g dried wheat malt extract
25g Williamette
1x Wyeast 3724

- Bring 9 litres up to 70c
- Steep 3kg grains for 60 minutes
- pull bag and allow to drain
- put grain bag in bucket with 8 litres @ 75c
- leave to steep for further 15 minutes
- pull bag drain and squeeze
- dump into main pot bring boil up to 18 litres
- measure gravity and add necessary extract to bring to 1.040
- 25g williamette @ 30
- whirlfloc @ 10
then add Coopers Can, rest of the extract, and cooled wort to fermenter for 23 litres

 

[professional_drunk]

Tried this yeast last summer. Was a bit wary about all these stalling issues people have been reporting, but had no problems at all. I just sat it at 30c.

 

[philmud]

70C is a pretty hot mash temp for a saison, it may not attenuate as dry as you're hoping. Would you consider dropping it to the low - mid 60s?

 

[manticle]

70 looks like strike temp, not mash temp.

 

[mje1980]

Got some of this in the fridge. If it's anything like belle saison and the French saison yeast you could mash at 75c and it'll still eat everything in sight!!

 

[pk.sax]

I put my fermenter on top of the front loader. It gets a nice rousing everytime we did laundry. Didn't bother checking in between but 3-4 weeks and it was done.

 

[philmud]

70 looks like strike temp, not mash temp.

Yeah I saw that, still sounded high till I realised it's only 8L of water - carry on Canuck.

 

[Rubix]

Love this yeast. As long as you can control your temps or just remain patient enough it will do the job. I start at 23*c and ramp it up in the first week to 30*c and then hold it there until it's done. My last batch went from 1.055 to 1.004 in about 3 weeks from memory.

 

[Kingy]

I've been brewing for many years and never heard of fermenting at them temperatures. I might have to give one of these saison thingys a guy.

 

[pk.sax]

I put a heat belt on back when I did these in cairns. In the middle of summer. Heat the fuggers up.

 

[Samuel Adams]

Is there any bad flavours associated with starting & fermenting at 30*c + ?

 

[nu_brew]

Is there any bad flavours associated with starting & fermenting at 30*c + ?

I'll let you know. I chucked a pils/styrian goldings smash in at 25 ish. Popped on the heat belt and set the stc to 30. Still fermenting but I'll take a hydro on the weekend.

 

[bullsneck]

I brewed a triple batch of Saison using the partigyle method on Sunday. After 8 hrs, I was greeted with this...



Monster yeast. It's half way through the 1.040 Saison and 25% done on the India Saison. It doesn't muck around!