Wyeast Saison Been Bubbling for a month

[djar007]

Hi all. I am just a little worried about my attempt at a a saison. My first use of a wyeast smack pack and it has been going for a month with consistent bubbling. I started at a 1055 sg ad it is only down to 1020 and still bubbling. I am wondering if I should do something about that or ust leave it to do its thing. Seems like a long time to have been working and at 1020 I am worried it isnt droing to drop. By consistent I mean a bubble every minute. .

 

[jyo]

Is it 3724 (Belgian) or 3711 (French)? The Belgian strain has been known to hang around at your said gravity for a week or so and seem to stall, then finish up. Personally, the Belgian strain is usually done and dusted for me in under a month. The French strain finishes relatively quickly for me (1.5 weeks) and goes well at 25'

1. How old was the pack? I'm guessing if it's your first pack then you didn't make a starter? With an OG of 1055 and using an older pack, a starter would have been needed.
2. Have you raised the temp up to 30+ (if you're indeed using the Belgian strain) as this will help (sometimes required for) the Belgian strain to finish up.
3. Don't look at the airlock as a sign of continued fermentation.


Cheers.

 

[hoppy2B]

A bubble every minute is pretty slow. Some wine we made last year took ages too. Went at a steady pace and gradually slowed down and eventually stopped. Took like 2 months!
My old man reckons some people say if it takes the wine a long time to ferment its really good. Did turn out pretty good actually. The only way you'll know is just to wait and see how it turns out. Sounds like its still going. Give it time.

 

[djar007]

ok. Thanks mate. I will wait and see where it goes. I will keep testing it and see if it drops anymore..

 

[jyo]

But he hasn't used a wine yeast, and he is making beer.

 

[doon]

What are you measuring gravity with.

 

[beerdrinkingbob]

remember too, 3724 likes it hot!!! treat it like your mistress not your wife....

 

[Midnight Brew]

Like doon asked, if you're measuring your gravity with a refractometer it will be incorrect as they display gravity readings before fermentation starts. Once there is alcohol in the solution they cant give an accurate reading.

 

[doon]

They can just need to use beersmith or another program to correct reading

 

[djar007]

It was indeed the Belgian one. I will raise the temperature up to 30 degrees today. I did not make a starter but i did let it sit for five hours after I smacked it.
I have been using a refractometer. I just got it actually. I will check the sg again using hydrometer today. The pack was from grain and grape so I think it was not very old. I appreciate the advice and suggestions. I think probably from what you guys are saying, I should have made a starter and kept it hotter. It has been at about 22-24 degrees the whole time. Which would explain why it is going so slowly perhaps? I will need to do more research on yeasts I think as it is all new ground for me. It seems like as soon as I think I am doing ok at making beer , I reach a new level of incompetence.

 

[neonmeate]

don't beat yourself up about it, that's just the mystery of 3724. it just moves slowly but very thoroughly. even after you've reached your FG, saisons will take a good 2-3 months in the bottle to taste good. it's a slow process but worth the wait. if you want a fast yeast try 3711 or 3787.

 

[Nick JD]

I have been using a refractometer. I just got it actually. I will check the sg again using hydrometer today.

And you've been using software to adjust your refractometer's reading to account for the alcohol's different refractive index?

Belgian Saison yeast stalls at 1.030, not at 1.020.

 

[doon]

i think you will find if you correct your reading in brewmate or beersmith you are going to be well and truly finished

 

[pk.sax]

Hot hot hot. Go hot with that yeast. Put a brewing belt on the fermenter if you have to. Do not yield that yeast an inch, give it heat and leave it to work.

 

[djar007]

I have it heating and it seems to be going better now. I retested with the hydrometer and it is now down to 1015 so I am prety sure it is going to finish off well. Thanks for all the help and advice. I just got a stc 1000 and a free fridge from gumtree so I will be better able to manage the fermentation more precisely. And for my next challenge I am going to try and make a starter for the very first time. By the way, the wife says I can treat her like I treat my belgian saison yeast anytime I want. Thats why I married her.

 

[Amber Fluid]

:icon_offtopic: OT sorry but I don't understand, if you measure with a Hydrometer or Refractometer and if it gives the same reading next time you use the same tool, then why is using the other any different?

To me if it gives the same reading then using the other tool, even though it may give a different reading, the outcome will be the same.

 

[manticle]

Who is your question to Amber Fluid?

 

[Amber Fluid]

I guess whoever can answer it.... some responses in this thread are asking whether the samples were tested with a Hydrometer or Refractometer.... I guess I am pointing out that whether they were with one or the other, I really don't see that it matters if they read the same. So I just want to know why others think it does.

 

[beerdrinkingbob]

Of course your right, but what the other posters were trying to work out is whether he had used a tool to adjust it for fermented beer, well that was my take on it anyway.

 

[manticle]

The presence of alcohol skews refractometer readings and makes them read much higher than they should. Therefore once fermentation has begun, the readings need to be corrected/adjusted.

The readings of a refrac in the presence of alcohol will be much higher than that of a hydrometer.

Therefore a beer may be finished and read (example only, numbers arbritrary) 1008 with a hydrometer but read 1022 with a refrac.

If not corrected, a brewer may believe their beer is at 1022. Should you bottle or keg at 1022? Obviously it depends entirely on the beer and yeast and some other factors but with most average gravity beers, it's not likely to be the figure you are chasing.

Considering some yeasts, including the yeast specified here, can slow or stall under certain conditions, you would not be bottling going by the "3 days the same and it's done' adage, so 3 days with a reading 1022 should make you question if the yeast has stalled. Personally I think the adage is useless without some caveat or understanding of fermentation. Of course if using a refrac and you correct the reading, you will realise that 1022 is not in fact 1022 but something much lower.

Hope that makes sense.