Saison for a novice brewer: good idea? bad idea?

WY3724 has a bad reputation for not finishing/being slow...much of it undeserved. 3711 might be a better choice for your first Saison and mid 70s should be fine if I remember correctly. Even a decent dry on the market. Good idea

 

If you make a starter, you should not have a problem with 3724. You might give Belle Saison a try, it is a dry yeast so you don't need the starter. I think a basic saison is a great beginner beer because you don't really have to worry about fermentation temps.

If you do order online, get an ice pack when you order so it doesn't arrive dead.

 

I have experience just with the Belle Saison yeast, which turned out fantastic. No need to ferment at 80 F, this one performs well in the low 70s. I wouldn't say that the fermentation "stalled" but rather just progressed very very slowly over the course of about 4 weeks. I think we all need to be patient with our saisons. Don't rush things, and don't rack it, just let it do what it wants to do for as long as it takes. When it's done, it will let you know by the yeast settling out and clearing.

 

I love 3724 and was scared away for a while based on other's fears. It has a reputation for stuck fermentation, but if you build an appropriately sized starter and manage the temperature it's actually a beast and will ferment out very well. It can take a little longer than 3711, but I think it's worth the wait.

I don't think Saisons are a poor choice for a beginner. Does your fermentation chamber/ fridge have a dual controller and a heat source like a heating pad or light bulb? Actually it also might be plenty warm in Texas by now to ferment somewhere that isn't climate controlled too. Some ferment higher, but around 80 F will give off plenty of esters without getting too crazy and unpalatable.

 

Saisons are one of the simpliest and easiest beers to brew. They are made for hot weather . . . as an an-Texan I know what your summers are like.

This is my exact experience. Just racked a Dupont-fermented Saison to keg, FG was 1.001 in two weeks. I start fermentation in the upper 70s and raise it to mid 80s. Many people will tell you it's unnecessary to use such a high temp, but the yeast does especially well in that range and it's a practice used by the original Belgian brewers.

Suggestion: I believe you posted you are a chemist . . . Wyeast 3724 is supposedly the DuPont strain and has been the easiest yeast I've ever harvested. By investing in a commercial bottle and about 10 ounces of DME you can add "zymologist" to your resume.

 

I've used T-58 a few times now and liked it. A bit different character than 3711 but it's still tasty. I have not used 3724 or whatever other yeasts as I don't want to deal with a stuck fermentation (that will NEVER happen with 3711 LOL, and so far it has not happened with T-58),

I've made saisons at warm temperatures and at my generic 62F ale controlled temperature. I think I slightly prefer the ones brewed cooler, but it's pretty close. I also (of the batches I've made) slightly prefer the lower end of the gravity spectrums (I've made them from about 6% to just under 8%). I would suggest as one of many possibilities making a very simple saison (say a smash with GP and willamette) with slightly lower gravity (say 6.5%) and using T-58 at your usual ale fermenting temps.

And don't forget about Al's Rule when it comes to willamette:

whatever you think you need, double it, then add two ounces at flameout

 

I did 5 saisons last summer because I didn't have the time or equipment to keep temps below 70. They all turned out great fermenting between 75 and 80F for 10-15 days in primary. I did 3 with 3711 and 2 with 3724. I used a single slappack for all of them and didn't make any starters. One of the easiest styles I've dealt with to be honest.

I liked the batches with 3711 a bit more. I think they turned out a bit drier and spicier while the 3724 batches were a bit more tart. Both were delicious though. It's a great beer to brew and drink when it is warm.

Cheers!

 

If you get headaches after drinking a few 3711 beers that were fermented warm, then you can make it your winter saison yeast. 3724 can take the heat without making headaches.

 

That will probably work out great. I've noticed that I usually get about a 5F increase in temp after the lag phase. I'm usually battling it with my low budget carboy in a water bath system, but with saisons it works out quite nicely.

As an additional bonus you don't have to suffer through that final 10 degrees of wort chilling. 75 to 65 always feels like it takes forever.

 

According to Markowski (Lacambre), older Saisons were usually primary fermented between 18-25*C (64.4-77*F). The CONDITIONING was warmer but varied by season with the warmest being in Winter at 28-30*C (~mid 80s)

 

If you use WY3724 or WL565, make a starter. I usually use the MrMalty.com site for starter size estimates. It may be conservative (i.e., it recommends bigger starters than you probably need), but it is better to be safe than sorry. In addition to the starter, oxygenate well. I use pure O2 and a diffusion stone. If you use the shake method, it might be hard to get enough oxygen. If either oxygenation or starter production are problematic for you, use the Belle Saison dry yeast. It's pretty good (but not as good as the Saison DuPont strains, the aforementioned liquid products, IMO), but it is more forgiving when as you generally don't need to make starters or oxygenate when using dry yeast.

 

Degassing rod? I think I read about that in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales : )