Saison

Which yeast strain did you plan to use? Also, read "How to Brew" if you haven't. (Old version is free online. New version is in print.)

 

My recommendation would be Wyeast 3724. It takes some patience (slow attenuation), but is well worth it. IMO the balance of fruity/spicy is spot on with 3724. A lot of people like 3711 too. With either strain, don't forget to oxygenate your wort well. I also recommend adding some yeast nurient. (I use Wyeast.)

If you are brewing tomorrow, but haven't decided on yeast, you obviously won't be making a starter. Make sure to buy enough yeast. A single smackpack/vial isn't ideal, unless it's a really small saison and the yeast rolled out of the lab yesterday.

 

If this is only your 2nd beer, I recommend the 3711. 3724 can be a little difficult to work with. If you use the 3711, try to keep the temp below 70 degrees F for the first few days and then let it ramp up. I also recommend using Amarillo along with the Citra. The two hops play well together and I like it better than 100% citra. Use table sugar for about 10% of the fermentables to help it dry out.

 

Here's a vote for 3711, which plays nicely with Citra and can be fermented at room temp (low 70's). 3724 is definitely a more interesting yeast, but you can make a nice beer with 3711, 4/5 lbs of golden light DME, and a couple ounces of Citra late in the boil.

 

I will second the 3724 with @VikeMan it can be a little finicky and needs time, but if you are patient enough to wait a couple more weeks for the beer you will be pleased with the results. Just keep it warm and let it go until the FG stabilizes in the single digits before you bottle.

 

Yep.

 

He might mean the sugar is 10% of the weight of the entire 'grain plus sugar' weight. Or he might mean 10% of the original gravity coming from sugar. The latter way of expressing fermentables makes more sense, because differences in mash efficiency (from brewer to brewer) would make the first way not very specific. (i.e. the fermentables from grains are subject to differences in mash efficiency, but sugar is not)

 

Given the short time frame you might want to consider a dry yeast, Fermentis T-58 or Lallemand Belle Saison, rather than buying 2-3 smack packs or vials. The final product is definitely not nearly as tasty as 3724/3711 results but you are almost assured a good fermentation at a much lower cost... and you can look forward to repeating the recipe with a proper starter of the good stuff later.

 

I'd consider that; you'll almost certainly get tastier beer. Now you have to decide if you like the 3724 or 3711 flavor better...

 

Correct. I recommend 10% of your OG be table sugar. I like to wait until the end of the boil to add it. Avoids off flavors and is easier than adding it to the fermenter halfway through fermentation.

 

That's different. The sugar you add to the bottling bucket is for carbonation. Any sugar you add before fermentation is part of the basic recipe. Replacing a portion of the malt with sugar results in a lighter, drier body. (You would still add sugar at bottling for carbonation.)

 

You can always pitch a clean ale yeast with 3724 for attenuation (alla Lost Abbey).

 

I always pitch yeast into my saisons at 85F and let it rise on it's own. I've had great results doing this with both 3711 and 3724. From what I remember DuPont (3724) ferments their saison between 85F and 95F so it would make sense to follow the leader at least on that strain.