AG#09 - Saison de Joshua

[lancsSteve]

I'd stick at 30 - plenty high enough for now (like eyeball wateringly warm for fermentation compared with normal) and keep any further increases e.g. up to 35 in reserve for if it slows or stutters. That was Barley wine's suggestion I think - who's now doing Oud Bruins!!!

[Gricey]

Yeah, sounds good. Smells so different from normal, esp. the 18C weiss I did previous to it!

[196osh]

I would not drop it. Just because belgian yeast can drop out pretty badly if you drop it, and you want it to be very dry.

[Gricey]

It's still going vigorously, and that 108 hours after pitching! God help us.

Thats been at 30 on the nose the whole time, if fermentation stops in a few days I will raise to 35, but I'm not even taking a sample yet as it seems to be doing its thing so devotedly right now...

[Gricey]

Stopped fermenting today. Got in and its dead.

Can you believe it, it's finished at 1.010. Going to raise to 35 until tomorrow unless anyone thinks that is a stupid idea, pics of the beauty coming now.

[Gricey]

1.010 by The Grice is Right, on Flickr

Standard Background by The Grice is Right, on Flickr

So there it is. I'm pretty pleased with it thus far - it's bang on what BJCP says it should be at least... except for the carbonation, that comes later

Spicy and fruity aromas (peach?), peppery, mildly tart taste. Can't wait til this is chilled and fizzy.

Going to be bottled tomorrow. Lager next, any suggestions?!

[Gricey]

Another point worth noting, I must have nailed the dreaded yeast stall, because I didn't get it. Fermented voraciously (like a purring cat) right up to yesterday evening, but completely silent today. I pitched it around 22/23 I think, and cupboard was set to go to 30 but started at 26 with the beer to be. After that, pegged at 30 until yesterday (so 6-7 days primary ferment).

It does have a definite farmhouse feel to it, ace. My mate will be chuffed.

edit @ 2346: fermentation going again. I will hit 1.008 I know it! Muahahaha.

[lancsSteve]

I'd leave it a good long while in either primary or racking to secondary as per notes earlier in thread:

"Other times it can suddenly and inexplicably shut down as if hitting a wall, slowing to a frustrating snail's pace of fermentation. At this point (in spite of higher temperatures and with plenty of yeast visibly in suspension) it can work excruciatingly slowly, sometimes taking weeks to finish fermentation if you let it (I think it's worth the wait)."

It could/should get down to more like 1.002 so patience is probably a virtue rather than treating it like a typical beer (as if 30 degree fermentation hadn't schooled that idea out of you!) I'd personally wait another week or two and let it drop all the way.

[Gricey]

35 degrees it is then! Forgot to check this morning before work but it was bubbling away again last night and had reached 32.

1.002 will leave it a formidable 7.4% rather than 6.3%... eek

[lancsSteve]

I'd just wait and see what it gets to after a while - the last few degrees could be in bottles but you DON'T want to prime for the kind of carbonation saison usually has AND have residual sugars slowly fermenting away - bottle bombs beckon that way! A long slow fermentation finish and ending very low and dry seems freqquest from this particular yeast so 35 and a rouse wouldn't hurt.

SOunds like it's got a good taste - I'm trying to source some spelt for my saison de sauvin idea.

[Gricey]

Not budged. Hmm, I have a couple of expired vials of WLP001 I could lob in... I know some finish off with another yeast to claw down the the last few points...

[lancsSteve]

from the reports of the yeast sounds not untypical - prime and bottle?

I've just bought the wyeast "Beire de Garde" yeast which is actually Fantome Saison yeast - thinking of trying that alongside the Moinette Saison reculture and split a single mash and boil into two buckets

[196osh]

That all sounds great. I wouldn't worry about the 1008 FG that sounds fine, beers tend to drop a few points in the bottle anyway of they are bottle conditioned.

[FarmBrew]

Gricey, That fridge heater/cooler set up is cool...the heater tube is a better idea than a heater bulb.

I've got my hands on some heat trace...sort of like industrial sized brew belt. I'm going to try a 30C saison (winter) brew with it - it's currently keeping a black lager at 10C.

35C is pretty high - I think only Dupont ferment this hot. I've had Saison's run out of steam at 1018-1020 cos they can be a bit flakey. If it does just give it time at maybe a lower temp to reduce the OG further.

[Gricey]

I tried another hydrometer and it said more like 1.013. I think I'll drop it to 30. I do have a couple vials of expired WLP001, do you think that this late in the game they'd keel over dead or finish it off?