I just kegged my saison and it has a strong grapefruit-iness to it.
Tartness in the aftertaste, and just grapefruit all over.
It was very sweet a while back when it stalled at 1.035 or so, but fermented down to 1.022 and now has this grapefruit profile.
Has anyone else experienced this with this yeast? Is it common?
I believe the hops were all EKG.
Thanks,
JOE
If your saison was only down to 1.022, it sounds like you kegged too early. But that probably has little to do with your grapefruit question.
I get a lot of citrus(softer orange aroma/flavor) from 3724, but not sure I would classify it as grapefruit. To me, grapefruit is more pungent/acidic than orange.
This yeast is very temperature dependent (what flavors/aromas you get are heavily influenced by temp). That being said, what was your fermenting temperature?
I get big citrus from this yeast in the area of 75-78F. Lower and I get clove, higher and I get spicy pepper.
Peter:
Perhaps. It sat for a couple months though, and hasn’t been going any lower.
I don’t have my notes in front of me, but the OG was very high. I really don’t think it will go any lower, but who knows.
Ryang:
It fermented in the high 70s. As I noted, it stalled at 1.035 (as I understand this yeast will do). I tried rousing the yeast and eventually pitched a sachet of dry lager yeast which brought it down to 1.022.
For the last couple weeks it’s been sitting at around 65 as my basement is cooling with the weather.
More details: I used organic sucanat (http://www.wholesomesweeteners.com/brands/Wholesome_Sweeteners/Fair_Trade_Certified_Organic_Sucanat.html) to raise the OG. I think I used the whole bag. I don’t know if this could cause the grapefruit.
I have a second saison ready that will be ready to keg soon. Same recipe but I used Belgian candy sugar instead of sucanat. I’ll have to see if there’s a flavor difference.
I’ve used the White Labs version, once. By mismanaging my temperature controller, my fermentation temp got just over 100F. In 4 days, my saison went from 1.060 to 1.010, but it didn’t get lower after another month in the 70s. Sounds like a disaster, but it really didn’t taste bad. Everyone says this yeast likes heat, so it may be that you really should have let your temp get higher than you did (but maybe not 100F!). This beer is a distant memory, though and I can’t recall if it had grapefruit flavors. Even if it hasn’t attenuated as low as typical style examples, the grapefruit part doesn’t sound bad to me.
You should get fruitiness, but you also should get peppery phenols. Given your use of sucanat (sugarcane/molasses), I wonder if your residual sweetness and body might be masking the peppery aspect of the yeast profile and accentuating the fruitiness.
I say the EKG. Have very fond memories of the big grapefruit back when I used EKG’s in 07. Like drinking ruby red. That’s it I’m ordering some!
2nd batch also has grapefruit, but not as much. Third batch is fermenting right now.
EKG in all of them, so perhaps that’s it.
The grapefruit seems to have mellowed a bit as batch #1has carbed and cooled.
Currently on tap and had a few yesterday.