OG too high for style (saison)

It will probably be good. This saison comes in at over 9 %

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/637/1716/

tank 7 comes in at 8.5% love this beer

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/423/50570/

 

Trinity does saisons with that yeast that go up to 13% abv (haven't had a big one myself). I wouldn't worry too much about guidelines for saisons myself.

 

I'd think that with such a low FG that it would take a pretty long time to set up. it would still be worth tucking away until August or September to see how it's settling down.

 

I'm always happy when my gravity comes out higher than expected even if it means I'm doin' it rong!

 

I did a honey saison that went from 1.086 to 1.001, drinks like a nice dry wine. Almost meadish. Got 10 gallons aging of it right now. 4 weeks primary, 1 week secondary so far.

 

While 3711 is a bit more tolerant of high temp than a typical Ale yeast, it doesn't like it as hot as a typical Saison yeast - 3724, for example. I'd keep a close eye on fermentation temp to keep it from getting out of control. Better yet, be proactive and keep it cool.
Other than that, I wouldn't worry about it. It'll probably turn out fine. And as kennyg alluded, it's better to overshoot your OG than undershoot it. Within reason, of course.

 

If you were not planing to enter this beer in compitition then it is not a big deal. Enjoy your creation!

 

Change the name to imperial saison. Problem, solution.

 

Saisons are less of a "style", more a category of beers defined by their specific yeast characteristics. I've made 3% ABV pale saison to 12% ABV dark sour saisons.

 

Super-Saison was a term in vogue for a while. I don't hear it much anymore though.

 

What changed about this batch compared to the previous four? Were the mash and sparge dynamics the same? Anything different with the mechanics of the process? Grain crush?

If your just worried about the saison, don't be, the high gravity may work in your favor. If your worried about the inconsistency in efficiency, then we need more details.

 

if i were you, i'd be ready for a bit of a hot mess based on my experience...not saying it's going to happen, but could. If anything I would prefer to undershoot og with 3711 since i've always had 3711 ferment to dry so don't be surprised if your hydrometer reads under 1.000 when finished. My first batch with 3711 went from 1.068 to .996 and the alcohol burn was just too intense for my taste. Subsequent batches never went above 1052 and I enjoyed those.
You could mix in some maltodextrin if my fears for your batch do come true to counter the burn.

 

I think you're stuck, but you won't necessarily get a bad beer out of it. Any reason you didn't dilute it prior to pitching your yeast? I had the same thing happen when I decocted my hefeweizen, I badly overshot my gravity due to a ~15% higher efficiency than expected. Diluted it with water down closer to my target gravity and it turned out fine. I always prep an extra few quarts of water for brewday just in case, or keep an unopened bottle of distilled water handy.

 

“ …the alcohol burn was just too intense for my taste.” Was that due to higher alcohols (fusel oils)?

Cheers!

 

that sounds amazing, where in PA are you? would like to set up an IP homebrew swap for some of that!

 

with that one, it did have fusels as well because of the explosive fermentation...so between the phenols, fusels & what I called ethanol burn, it was a tough keg to finish. Not saying some people didn't like it, but not me...

 

Thank you for that input. It has been a while since I have brewed with 3711 (my latest Saison batches where ECY08, WLP585 and WY3724). If I utilize 3711 again I will keep the OG down and keep an eye on the fermentation temperature.

Cheers!

 

Oh yeah, everything is imperial now. It's all the rage. Even session beers come in imperial strength these days.