Saison issue / yeast question

I really don't know.

 

Shhh, you gonna blow my cover. I'm just a vintner with a grudge against beer and homebrewers.

 

Bump @d3kalb

I just brewed my first saison using TYB Saison Blend (I) on Sunday. Pitched at 68 F and let it free rise to ambient 70-74 F. Fermentation kicked-off within 24 hours and has been chugging along since Monday. Until this morning, the smell from the airlock activity has been hoppy/saisony - nothing off. But this morning, 4 days in, I got a distinct rotten egg/sulfur-like aroma.

Other details, for what it is worth:

• OG: 1.052 - 5.5 gallons in the fermenter.
• Grain bill: 69% Pils; 10% Red Wheat; 6% Vienna; 8% Honey; 4% Flaked Oats; 2% Honey Malt.
• Boil: 60 minute boil, despite the Pils. Yet the propane tank was on "E" the last 20 minutes of the boil. So it was far from "vigorous" or "rolling". But I have a wider kettle. So I'm hoping the wider surface area helped to mitigate DMS risk.
• Yeast/Pitch: The Saison Blend yeast vial was just under two months old. So, midway through its best-by window. Given the OG, TYB instructions for this blend and considering the notion that underpitching may help in getting a more desirable ester production, I just pitched the vial, alone. No starter.

In short, it seems you experienced a similar observation just over a year ago with similar fermentation conditions, boil length, etc. So I'm curious how things ended up with your saisons, particularly with this yeast. While I've seen @OldSock report success with this yeast blend, he's The Mad Fermentationist, after all. And I've found very little in terms of reviews, otherwise.

Thanks in advance to the forum!

Kevin

 

Of course mine got other microbes in it from the start (so not a fair comparison), but two years later the slurry is still doing great work. Just brewed a batch with it that'll be served at my NHC seminar!