Lawrence Brewers Guild

This weekend we'll be brewing up our first batch of Saison. As I understand it, Saison yeast (and I'll be using WLP565) requires higher fermentation temperatures than most ale yeast. So I've got two questions:

1) My usual fermentation chamber has been a consistent 70° over the past few weeks. That's clearly too cold. We've got travels coming up in September/October that would make a stalled fermentation...inconvenient, shall we say? The two most alternatives would be the garage, and a 2nd floor room on the warmest end of the house.

The afternoon sun blasts the garage doors, so while I haven't actually taken temperature readings, it's fair to say it would be nice and warm in there for the next few weeks.

The warm interior room dropped to around 77° overnight, and I anticipate it will be in the mid-80s by afternoon.

Alternatives I dismissed include the attic, which I had dusted for silverfish earlier this year, and an attached greenhouse. The greenhouse gets so hot just from solar energy, that the temperature-controlled exhaust fan runs constantly from 10 a.m. to past sunset. While I can throw a blanket over the fermentation bucket to control light, it would probably be exposed to too extreme a temperature variation every 24 hours.

Given the above, what are your thoughts on the best location to place the fermentation bucket?

2) I plan to put the yeast in a starter 24 hours before brew day. Should I place this in a warm spot, too? Should I pitch it into the starter even earlier?

Thanks!

-Sally

If you have a way to put a heating pad on the fermenter this will help alot. Ive found that 565 phenols really start to pop in the upper 70's and beyond. This would be about the only strain that would really benefit from the higher temps. Otherwise upstairs in the sun would work or the garage.

As far as starters go, your making yeast cells not beer. Dont worry about temps building yeast. Ambient is just fine for all strains.

Sounds like a plan. Thanks!!

-Sally

Sally,

Sorry to say but, you have one of hardest yeasts in the world to work with. Your mileage will very but keep it warm like Andy suggested.

The 565 has some really nice flavors but tends to stall after about 5 days into the fermentation and then becomes super slow to finish. I generally finish with another Belgian strain.

I think that I have some WY3711, WL1762 or WLP510 (ready) that you can use to finish your Saison with. For that matter, about any other Belgian yeast.

Let your Saison, with 565 run it's course and check the SG. If it has stalled, give me a yell.

A Saison should finish dry (about 1.008 or less).

Good point Chris about the strain stalling. It does stall. Ive never had to pitch a second strain to finish, just keep warm, swirl, and be patient. Patient as in 3 weeks easily.

Yes. The stalling was something I'd read about. Sounds like many people get impatient and add WLP001 to finish it.
I don't mind waiting it out - within reason, that is!

Thank you for the yeast offer, Chris! I'll try it first with the Saison yeast alone. But lifelines are always good to have around!
-Sally