Friday I brewed a 1.070 OG saison, half of it will get a dose of Brett B. Yesterday I brewed an ESB, today it will be an oatmeal or rye stout and some kind of hoppy wheat beer. All are 10 gallon batches, but today I’ll be brewing with a friend and we’ll split the beer.
Re-brewed a 1.055 Saison with WY3724, finished with Nelson. As 3724 is famous for stalling, I used the recent Wyeast recommendation to pitch @ 90F and maintain it there to avoid the dreaded stall. I’m curious to see what happens, since this is counterintuitive with most any strain. But it’s a great strain when it gets to completion, and I hope this technique will make it easier to use. Will post the results.
Please do post! I just bottled my Saison Rye today. 8%, finished at 1.004 after 3 weeks of slow chugging by 3724. Bottling sample tasted simply amazing! I pitched cold and slowly ramped, stalled, ramped again. Curious to low how yours ferments with those recommendations.
Ok, a belated follow up on my WY3724 Say-zahn re-brew. I used the Wyeast recommendation to keep fermentation @ or above 90F to avoid the 1.030 stall. And it worked like a champ. 9 days after pitching I had gone from 1.055 to 1.006, as opposed to over 3 weeks to hit that reading last time. The only challenge was keeping a temp that high, but I pulled it off. Here is what I think helped :
1. Mashed @ 147 for ~ 100 minutes.
2. Per some recent postings, I used an extra 1/2 teaspoon of yeast nutrient.
3. Filled a Rubbermaid tub with 90F water, added the bucket of 90F wort, and an aquarium heater (which says that it heats to 88F). Since there would be the eventual drop from 90 to 88, I wrapped the fermentor and tub in a thick comforter to retain as much heat as possible. Obviously during peak krausen I’d have been a few degrees hotter, and my peak temp reading was 93F for a short time. Wyeast’s temp range for 3724 tops out @ 95F, so I feel good about it, though obviously with most any other yeast that is a crazy temp.
Long story short, the hydrometer sample smelled and tasted amazing. Spicy, peppery, lightly fruity, enhanced very nicely by the Nelson hops. No solventy fusels. Can’t wait to carb it up !
I brewed a dunkel yesterday. Chilled in kegerator over night and aerated/pitched yeast this morning. Had slurry of 34/70 from a helles. Pretty excited. Four gallon batch - 7.5lbs Bonlander Munich 10L, 4oz Caramunich, 1oz blackprinz malt, .75oz Mittelfrueh FWH, .75oz Mittelfrueh at 15. RO water with calcium chloride and gypsum to 50ppm calcium. Should be a nice and malty beer.
I did a hochkurz step mash, but I’m not sure it made a difference for efficiency. I hit around 75% which is my normal single infusion efficiency. I’m thinking the 10L Munich malt is a bit harder to convert without decoction.
Did a 1044 Rye Saison yesterday. Based on what you are saying, I’ll go out and raise the temp on the connical to 90. My garage will get inyto the 90’s with no problem.