As I posted 3 weeks ago in the What’s Brewing thread, I brewed 10 gallons of 1.065 OG saison wort, and split it into two fermenter. One received Wyeast 3724 Belgian Saison, the other Wyeast 3726 Farmhouse. As I noted in the earlier post, the starters behaved quite different - 3724 dropped quite bright, while 3726 remained very cloudy.
This remained true in the 5 gallon batches 3 weeks later. I fermented in Big Mouth Bubblers, which are clear. I’m pretty sure they were both done after 2 weeks, but let them sit for another week to see if 3726 would drop. It did not.
I kegged them yesterday. Measured the FG - 3724, the clear one finished at 1.004. Then I measured 3726…1.002! Another notable difference between the two finished beers was 3726 had a lot of CO2 in suspension…I think it might have kept going and gone under 1.000!
Has others using these yeasts had similar experience? Both were fermented in a small room with the temperature set at 69°F.
I love doing these brew and taste test comparisons! I haven’t done this particular Saison experiment but last Spring I brewed a 10 gal Maibock recipe with splitting the fermentation and pitching different yeasts. One carboy got Lallamand Novalager and one got Lallamand Abbye Ale. Each fermented with different levels of robustness at 65F with the Novalager carboy going to 1.000 and the Ale going to 1.004 FG from OG of 1.068.
The taste of both were different and quite enjoyable, worth the experimentation to have kegged two tasty and well received beers by all who shared!
Tasting time. These yeasts are remarkably similar. Both beers are loaded with spicy phenolics. 3724 seems more full bodied, 3726 drier and more tart. Both have some fruitiness, though that is subdued compared to the spicy character. 3724 has an earthiness to it that 3726 doesn’t seem to have.
These are both young beers, I will do another tasting review in a couple of more months.
Sure, since I posted it in the What’s brewing thread.
10 gallons, OG 1.065
20 lbs Viking pils
2 lbs Viking vienna
2 lbs Viking wheat
3.5 oz. Golden Naked Oats (remnant of a bag that seemed worth chucking in)
Mash at 148f for 45 min, add 2.5 gal of boiling water to mash at 156f for another 45 min. Batch sparge.
4 oz. Strisselspalt hops FWH
1.4 oz Czech Kazbek hops 90 min
1 oz Lubelski hops 90 min
2.5 lbs cane sugar added halfway during the 90 minute boil.
Not getting the pear flavor in 3726 as Drew noted. Maybe because I fermented on the cool side? I did draw a pint of the 3724 last night and it is getting better and better.
Spiciness had decreased, but the fruitiness remained.
Those were two great kegs, but now they are gone. I saved the slurry of both, so I going to build a started and brew another saison. Maybe a dark winter saison.
22 lbs. pilsner malt (I used a blend of Viking and Montana craft)
4 lbs. wheat malt
2 lbs. Melanoidin malt
6 oz. Carafa III
Mash at 148°F for 90 min. Batch sparge.
2 oz. Nugget hops 60 min
3 oz. Sladek hops 30 min
2.5 oz. Saaz 0 min
2.5 lbs. D90 candi syrup
1.3 lbs. cane sugar
Split into two fermenters, each with the 3724/3726 yeast slurry. I woke up the slurry with a 2 L starter the day before. Fermenting like gangbusters in my 70 degree basement, one of the fermenters is spewing through the plastic lid bunghole.
I prefer 3726 to 3724, purely for ease of use. I find them very similar flavour wise, just that 3726 gets in and finishes pretty quickly. I was making a spelt saison in champagne bottles every year for a good few years, now i’ve increased batches to have some year round.
I saved the slurry of both, so I going to build a started and brew another saison. Maybe a dark winter saison.