Damn Saison

[edisonst]

So i know this topic has come up on more than one occassion but im going to ask anyways. Ive got a saison that has been in primary for 14 days held at 90 degrees. The SG was 1053 and so far it has gotten down to 1.023 in 2 weeks. The flavor is great but obviously has a way to go. The airlock bubbles about once every 8 seconds so I believe it is still working. The question for you guys is how long should I leave the beer on the cake before moving to secondary. I normally would not hesitate to leave the beer on the yeast for 3 weeks but at 90 degrees...thats what freaks me out. I know this yeast(the dupont strain from wyEAST) famous for long ferments I am just concerned about autolysis. In Farmhouse Ales the author advises to pull it off the primary yeast after the first couple of weeks if a long warm maturation is expected. The yeast is still very much in suspention.....should I leave it in primary until terminal gravity or move it to secondary at week 3? I am still debating the second yeast strain method to finish things up.

What says you?

[ApresSkiBrewer]

Did you start the yeast at 90 or ramp up to that? Seems high, even for a belgian!

[edisonst]

I ramped it up to that over the course of 2 days from 75 degrees. I was reading somewhere on the wyeast site that the yeast doent really move until its 90-95 degrees. Thats also the temperature range quoted in Farmhouse Ales. Having the fermentation that high is very unintuitive for me..the carboy is warm to the touch....freaks me out. I just wonder how long it can sustain those temps without something fucked up happening to it.

[Dirk McLargeHuge]

Speaking as a consistent competition loser, I'd take that puppy to 95F and see what happens.

[ApresSkiBrewer]

You're still getting some legit airlock activity, so I'd say leave it for as long as you feel comfortable. I hear what you're saying about a ferment that warm. I've never brewed w/ that strain, but I've never gone over 80-82ËšF with any of my belgians.

Hold on, if that's what farmhouse and the wyeast site say, I'd hang tough.

[Mylo]

I was tormented by this same problem. My beer stayed at 90 for 2 full weeks. Rousing didn't help, and I don't have the constitution to watch 5 gallons of beer autolysize. I racked to the secondary and I am going to finish it out with some 001 pitched at high krausen.

Fuck 565.


Mylo

[BigNastyBrew]

Fuck 565.

hey I offered to get you the other 566 tube.

[TapItGood]

It seems like 90 is too warm, IMO. I'd bring it down into the 80's for another week and see what your gravity is. If it's still fermenting I'd leave until finished if your not in a hurry. In my experience with the Saison's you can't rush them, they'll take their sweet time, but it's so worth the wait!