NB Petite Saison - taste?

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by alysmith4, Apr 8, 2013.

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  1. alysmith4

    alysmith4 Pooh-Bah (1,738) Feb 11, 2005 District of Columbia
    Pooh-Bah

    Has anyone else brewed or tried the Northern Brewer Petite Saison? I'm trying to figure out what it "should" taste like, and/or if my batch is intentionally sour or somehow infected. There are a few people that posted feedback on the NB site, but I was trying to find a BA that's had it..
     
    #1 alysmith4, Apr 8, 2013
  2. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,067) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    I have never brewed it. But I just looked up the ingredients. There's nothing there that should really taste sour. Fruity yes, but not sour.
     
    #2 VikeMan, Apr 8, 2013
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  3. OddNotion

    OddNotion Pooh-Bah (1,915) Nov 1, 2009 New Jersey
    Pooh-Bah

    I agree with Vike, nothing there that would really sour the beer. How sour are you talking? Very slightly tart may not be out of the realm of possibilities here but sour should not really be an issue. How long did it ferment for? Did you notice a pellicle at all? If you are not familiar with pellicles take a look here:
    http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f127/pellicle-photo-collection-174033/
     
    #3 OddNotion, Apr 9, 2013
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  4. alysmith4

    alysmith4 Pooh-Bah (1,738) Feb 11, 2005 District of Columbia
    Pooh-Bah

    Fermented for 5 weeks (bottled for 3). I didn't notice any pellicle, or anything similar. It's sour enough that a) I'm noticing b) I don't really want to drink it (and I actually like sours!) and c) it's giving me heartburn a bit :flushed:.

    The first batch I ever made (an IPA) was super sour, but I figured that's because I had no idea what I was doing and lacked the proper equipment to rack correctly (like I poured the beer through a funnel into the bottle, for example).

    This is my second batch, and I'm frustrated that it's sour and that I may have made some of the same mistake(s) again. I really don't know what I'm doing wrong. I'm SUPER sanitary about the whole thing, which isn't too hard as I work in a microbiology lab all day and am used to that sort of thing. But I'm doing something wrong here evidentially..
     
    #4 alysmith4, Apr 9, 2013
  5. OddNotion

    OddNotion Pooh-Bah (1,915) Nov 1, 2009 New Jersey
    Pooh-Bah

    Hmmm this is odd... I have never had any beer go unintentionally sour on me. I would really have to see your process/taste the beer to figure out whats going on. When you say sanitary, do you mean you use starsan (or any other sanitizer) on everything post boil?
     
    #5 OddNotion, Apr 9, 2013
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  6. barfdiggs

    barfdiggs Initiate (0) Mar 22, 2011 California

    Just curious are you using plastic or glass fermentation vessels, and are you using the same bottling bucket as your first batch?

    Plastic can harbor bacteria, so if you're re-using the same plastic vessels that produced a sour IPA (Bottling bucket or fermenters), they may be responsible for your sour Saison. Its worth going and dropping a couple bucks on a couple new Homers Buckets and lids at Home Depot and a new plastic spigot or bottling bucket setup at your local homebrew store.
     
    #6 barfdiggs, Apr 9, 2013
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  7. alysmith4

    alysmith4 Pooh-Bah (1,738) Feb 11, 2005 District of Columbia
    Pooh-Bah

    Yes, Starsan on everything post-boil.. bucket, strainer, yeast packet, scissors to cut yeast packet :rolling_eyes:, stirring spoon, etc. etc.
     
    #7 alysmith4, Apr 9, 2013
  8. alysmith4

    alysmith4 Pooh-Bah (1,738) Feb 11, 2005 District of Columbia
    Pooh-Bah

    I am using plastic, but it's all new equipment since the first batch (that was a 1 gal kit I got as a gift).
     
    #8 alysmith4, Apr 9, 2013
  9. barfdiggs

    barfdiggs Initiate (0) Mar 22, 2011 California

    Crap. Did you taste it at all throughout the fermentation and bottling process? I guess I'm wondering where it might have went wrong, as at the moment, its kind of combinatorial explosion in terms different variables that could be to blame.

    Do you remember the yeast strain, and also how much you used? (Hard to underpitch a 1.041 OG Saison; could you have accidentally purchased a Saison blend with brett/bugs in it?). Also, I've had/brewed Saisons that are so dry they almost taste tart and slightly acidic, what was the FG?
     
    #9 barfdiggs, Apr 9, 2013
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  10. SFACRKnight

    SFACRKnight Grand Pooh-Bah (3,348) Jan 20, 2012 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Brett shouldn't sour it up though. Did you use a racking cane with an autosiphon? I've found a lot of crap built up in the end of my autosiphon. Just a thought.
     
    #10 SFACRKnight, Apr 9, 2013
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  11. alysmith4

    alysmith4 Pooh-Bah (1,738) Feb 11, 2005 District of Columbia
    Pooh-Bah

    Thanks for all the help. Yes, I tasted it after fermentation (5 weeks), before sugar/bottling. I thought it was sour then too, but thought it might just taste "off" without carbonation (and sugar). Then I tasted after a week (still flat), after two (still flat), and now at three weeks with proper carbonation.

    I used one smack-pack of the WY3711. FG: 1.042.
     
    #11 alysmith4, Apr 9, 2013
  12. alysmith4

    alysmith4 Pooh-Bah (1,738) Feb 11, 2005 District of Columbia
    Pooh-Bah

    Yeah, I used the EZ autosiphon, but it was brand new.
     
    #12 alysmith4, Apr 9, 2013
  13. SFACRKnight

    SFACRKnight Grand Pooh-Bah (3,348) Jan 20, 2012 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I got nothing.
     
    #13 SFACRKnight, Apr 9, 2013
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  14. GreenKrusty101

    GreenKrusty101 Initiate (0) Dec 4, 2008 Nevada

    Really? 1.042 FG? That's got to be a typo...Saisons should finish extremely low...~1.00X
     
    #14 GreenKrusty101, Apr 10, 2013
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  15. epk

    epk Pundit (849) Jun 10, 2008 New Jersey

    Probably meant OG. Which is more or less on the money for NB's kit.
     
    #15 epk, Apr 10, 2013
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  16. alysmith4

    alysmith4 Pooh-Bah (1,738) Feb 11, 2005 District of Columbia
    Pooh-Bah

    Hm..
     
    #16 alysmith4, Apr 10, 2013
  17. epk

    epk Pundit (849) Jun 10, 2008 New Jersey

    No? This "Hm.." confuses and infuriates me.

    EDIT: No, of course you meant OG.

    EDIT EDIT: I was editing while you were replying.
     
    #17 epk, Apr 10, 2013
  18. alysmith4

    alysmith4 Pooh-Bah (1,738) Feb 11, 2005 District of Columbia
    Pooh-Bah

    Yeah, I did. Now I just can't remember FG. (That was the "hm" :slight_smile:)
     
    #18 alysmith4, Apr 10, 2013
  19. Lagger

    Lagger Initiate (0) Jan 18, 2013 California

    3711 has some funk, in a good way. Can be described as fruity :wink:

    5 weeks primary should be enough time. Give it more time in the bottle, at 3 weeks in maybe you're tasting just a young funky 3711. I personally like it, but to each their own!
     
    #19 Lagger, Apr 10, 2013
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  20. zachary80

    zachary80 Initiate (0) Nov 29, 2009 Indiana

    I brewed this a while ago and thought it was pretty good, nothing about it that seemed sour or funky or similar to an infection. Sorry I can't get more detailed, it has been a while since I've had one.
     
    #20 zachary80, Apr 10, 2013
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