I'll be brewing a saison in the next week or two using Wyeast 3711. Because it's so hot up here in the northeast I'd be able to ferment at the upper range of its temp if I wanted to, around 77F. I could otherwise go lower in the upper 60s, also in its optimum range. Given such a wide range of temps, what would the flavor differences be at these temps?
Some people ferment Saisons real warm to keep them from stalling, but with 3711 I don't think you'll have any problems at either temp...I say go low and ramp up towards the end of fermentation.
I followed the advice of Drewbarge (I think) that he posted. I think it was a link, and went 62 with a slow ramp up to 66 after the first 3 days. It completely changed my saisons for the better. It is the highest scoring beer I've ever brewed.
Both of the previous answers are correct. However if you want more of Drew's previous saison advice it is DREWBAGE. Search the innernets for "A Saison For Every Season", free download from The Homebrewers Association. 3711 is a great yeast because of this versatility. You can let 'er rip as hot as you want it will perform well and give you a nice peppery saison. Control the temp and you get more fruity.
Indeed. Took my hb club's president's advice on my second batch with 3711 and fermented it hot out the gate, 90 the whole way, and it came out smooth yet spicy and full of flavor, just delicious.
I start mine at 64, then let it get up to 70 or so. You really cant go wrong with this yeast, however, for any yeast, I dont like starting them off hot right out of the gate. I've very sensitive to fusels, though.
This is what I did also and it turned out really well. Finished around 1.000-1.002. I wanted more fruit than spice from the yeast since I used citrus hops instead of the traditional noble hops.
3711 is my go to Saison yeast. I usually pitch around 70-75, let the fermentor sit in a closet that that hovers around those same temps (mid 70's) and just let it ride. I know it gets up over 80F during active fermentation, but the fermometer stops there, so I'm not sure how hot it gets. Always makes a very spicy/tasty beer!
I didn't do this experiment with 3711, but with WLP565 I did try letting it run hot out the gate (driven by a fermenter wrap during winter) vs. my process of starting cool and allowing it to ramp. The results were pretty unanimous - folks preferred the cold started Saison to the hot start.
When we did the tasting in SD, I asked the room and it was a good 75% preference for the free rise. From my notes: · WLP 565 Saison 1 (Heated – straight to 85F) o Deep, dry spice, black pepper, dry as hell, distractingly medicinal · WLP 565 Saison 1 (Free Rise to Ambient) o Fruit, cherries, subdued spices, more balanced with a sneaking of malt – still dry, but not overly so.
“dry spice, black pepper, dry as hell,” That sounds similar to the Saisons that I made using 3711. “Fruit, cherries, subdued spices, more balanced” Sounds like the Saison I made with Wyeast 3724 where I started at 70°F and then let free rise (I was at 80°F on day four of the ferment). I prefer a Saison that has a nice mix of fruity and spicy flavors. I will be bottling my Saison made with ECY-08 later this week. I will provide a preliminary report on that batch in 2-3 weeks. Cheers!
Thanks for all the input. I want a hint of fruitiness to it, so I may start a little lower and let it warm up. Cheers!
Usually pitch in the 70s, heating to >90 with a heating pad. Mine are always nice and dry, very fruity with mild pepper.
