Belgian Saison question. Possible problem.

[exc500]

Thank you both for all the informative advice. I have definitely learned a tremendous amount from your option suggestions. I unfortunately focussed most of my attention on good equipment and not so much on technique. I think I'm going to pitch a little starter and let it run it's course. I took a small sample and the color is so much lighter outside the fermenter as you suggested. I shook the sample up and got good carbonation with a nice head so I know it's still alive. It taste very sweet which leads me to believe that again as you suggested I should have just left it alone. Thanks again for all the info. I should have signed up here before compiling mixed info from online. Wish me luck and thanks,

Mike

[spiderwrangler]

Yeah, beer will always look way darker in the fermentor than it will in the glass, and color will change drastically as the yeast settles out.

[exc500]

OK. Since I have been very short on time lately, I pitched half of an ale smack pack shook it up a bit and moved to it's own closet with a heater. Temp is at 86. It produced quite a head in the carboy when I shook it which I assumed meant it's still healthy and I probably shouldn't have F'd with it in the first place. This morning it was uniform in color again and yeast was visibly active. It's Alive!! Thank god. I'm sure I should have went the starter route and I have all the stuff to do it but haven't put one together yet and again as mentioned have been wicked short on time. Thanks again for all the advice. I'll let it ride for a few weeks and and shake it up a bit as suggested. It may not turn out to be the best saison around but I've learned a tremendous amount so far because of it. Hop fully it will come out somewhat enjoyable. I'll let you know.

[Ozwald]

No beer is a complete failure as long as you learn something from it... and took notes.

[exc500]

UGH!!! My day is ruined. This may be the dumbest question hopefully you guys can answer. All was going well with this saison and is was due to take another FG test today. I had this in a secondary in a closet with a heater and a 1 gallon jug filled half way with star san as a blow off setup. I said to myself numerous times that I should take that off and install a reg airlock but did not. This morning I went to check the beer and found that someone had pulled the plug on the heater. The temp in the carboy went from 85 to 60 overnight and to my amazement siphoned all the star san up into the fermenting beer. I had no idea that this was even possible. I'm assuming the drop in temp must have created a vacuum and sucked the sanitizer upwards into the 5 gallon carboy. AAAACCCCCCKKKKK!!! When I looked at the beer I noticed an inch of hazy liquid on top of the amber colored beer and then noticed the empty gallon jug. My heart almost stopped beating.

I sucked all the sanitizer off the top carefully with a baster. It seemed to just sit on top like an oil slick. The color and smell of the saison didn't seem to change. So with my ignorance and stupidity I'm asking whether this is now trashed after 2 months of work? Should I dump it? AAACCCCKKK!!! Or is there any chance that it was not affected by the sanitizer? I am sooo disgusted with myself you have no idea. Please let me know what you all think I should do. Again this is probably the dumbest question even.

Thanks,
Dumb and Dumber

[adamK]

It is most likely not effected by the star san, assuming you got most of it back out. Star san is a fairly weak acid, in that it will easily be 'neutralized'. The star san might leave a slight flavor, but won't actually hurt the beer. The yeast will, however, likely be quite upset by the temperature shock.

[exc500]

Thanks...I would say I removed a good 98% of it. It stayed separated on top like oil. As far as the low temp would it be better to heat it back up and let it ride for a couple more weeks or just sacrifice more of the top liquid and bottle it?

[Ozwald]

I'd rack from underneath the remaining beer very gently to not disturb the layers & leave a little behind... or mark the last couple bottles & try them anyways. You can just let it age out in the bottles at this point.