Mon Dec 12, 2016 8:28 pm
Others may think differently, but my preference is to start counting once I see signs of fermentation. The reason is that I want to keep the esters locked down as much as possible in the early part of the fermentation, so giving it the extra day or two low helps cement that lower ester profile.
All that said, Try it both ways and see if you can tell the difference.
Most likely, you probably can't tell unless you got a REALLY long lag time. That's the cool thing about this hobby. There really isn't a "right" way to do everything.
Also, if I was making a Saison, I'd start counting right away, or not even count, just let it free rise all the way up into the 80s.
HTH-
-B'Dawg
BJCP GM3 Judge & Mead
"Lunch Meat. It's an acquired taste....." -- Mylo