Saison Fermentation

[dbang2012]

Hi All,

I am currently fermenting my first batch of Saison and would like some suggestions about my fermentation.

This beer has currently been fermenting for about 60 hours and major activity is starting to slow and my gravity has dropped about 60-70% to 1.020. I know that saison yeast (im using WLP 566) tend to stall right about here so my question is, should I keep it in primary until it completely dries out or should I rack to secondary in a few days to complete the fermentation?

Usually, with other beers i brew (APA, IPA, wheats etc...) I will rack to secondary when its nearly complete to get the beer off the yeast cake and into dry hopping.

Im afraid if I do this with the Saison, I will never see full attenuation.

Thanks for the Help,

D.

[spiderwrangler]

What temp are you sitting at right now? Try to get it up into at least the upper 70s, I'd probably leave it on the yeast it's got, rouse it and try to keep it warm to finish out...

[Stinkfist]

Sometimes racking the beer will get the yeast to get active again..and yeah a saison yeast you should be ramping the temperature up over the fermentation.

[dbang2012]

Hey Guys,

Initially my fermentation got a bit out of control at approximately 90F about 15 hours after i pitched and it stayed there for about two days before coming back down to about 77F. Im confident I can maintain this temperature for the rest of the fermentation so hopefully that helps. (My next project is to build a temperature controlled refrigerator so I can have more control)

I think Ill leave it in primary for awhile and see what happens. If I notice that the yeast are giving out, Ill try to rack to secondary to try and kick start the yeast again. Also I may just have to add a neutral drying yeast, but hopefully it doesnt come to that.

Thanks for the advice!

D.

[spiderwrangler]

Sometimes racking the beer will get the yeast to get active again.

I don't feel that racking will do anything that rousing the yeast in the primary won't...

[Stinkfist]

Hey Guys,

Initially my fermentation got a bit out of control at approximately 90F about 15 hours after i pitched and it stayed there for about two days before coming back down to about 77F. Im confident I can maintain this temperature for the rest of the fermentation so hopefully that helps. (My next project is to build a temperature controlled refrigerator so I can have more control)
D.

yeah that is probably your problem..the yeast were all excited and working real hard then you cooled them off and they got tired...will probably be touch to get them going again..

[Stinkfist]

Sometimes racking the beer will get the yeast to get active again.

I don't feel that racking will do anything that rousing the yeast in the primary won't...

I have had a beer get stuck at 1.020 and I rousted the yeast for nearly a week and got no change..I decided to rack it and another week later it was down to where is should have been 1.014, so I have seen it have a different effect..could have been coincidence, but if I get a stuck fermentation I try racking it first..

[dbang2012]

They are still fermenting steadily, I just wanted to be prepared to trouble shot. It really makes me mad that it got to 90, I wanted to keep it at high 70's. Its frustrating to put all the work and time into the brew and not get the appropriate fermentation. The way I see it, one weekend and about 300 bucks and I can put an end to that!