Wyeast Belgian Saison Fermentation

Ingredients
1

Just checked my fermenting saison and it has a decidedly sour smell to it when I pulled the airlock.

It tastes fine. Sweet, still has some fermenting to do, but no obvious sourness.

Since I recently had a porter turn sour on me (perhaps a poorly sanitized carboy) I’m not paranoid.

Is the sour smell to be expected from this yeast?

I’m usually pretty solid on sanitation and the only equipment shared between this batch and the one that went sour would be my immersion chiller and my funnel.

Regardless, I’m planning a bleach sanitizing session for everything in the coming weeks.

I’m just hoping I don’t have to dump this batch.

2

Some Belgian Saison yeast strains can have a slight sour smell to them.  Give it some time and that should go away.
Did you make a starter and what temp are you fermenting?

3

No starter, but it took off within 8 hours.

I’m fermenting in the mid to high 70s for this one.  I understand it likes the higher temperatures.

4

I’ve used this strain many times and I love it.

It does sometimes give off that slight sour tinge aroma.  The yeast does lend some tartness (not sour in my opinion) to the finished product (perfect in a saison if you ask me)

5

My fears of contamination were nothing but paranoia.  My two other contemporaneous batches are just fine, and the saison appears to be as well.

It DOES have a sourness to the aroma, but it’s faded from what I recall last week.  Or else I was simply WAY paranoid.  Which is quite likely.

As usual, RDWHAHB.