Saison aging/mellowing

I have a Saison in bottles for about 3/4 weeks. It finished super dry @ 1.000 and is perhaps ever so slightly harsh. I think the next one I brew I will try aim for an FG of around 1.004-6 for a little touch of sweetness. Anyway, what should I expect this brew to do over the course of time and how does a Saison's taste change over time, generally speaking? I know all Saisons will taste differently, but as a general guide, what tends to happen to them as they age?

What yeast did you use? In my experience 3711 produces a nice saison that, while finishing dry, leaves a nice mouthfeel as well. The last one I did I kept around 75F and it turned out very nice and balanced. Yours should mellow a bit more over time.

I used 3711 yeast. If I wanted it a tiny touch sweeter next time, should I put in less honey or should I increase mash temp or both?


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Both of these things could help. I have a 3711 saison going that i mashed at 152 although at the end of the mash it was 148. I used no simple sugars. I'll try to remember to let you know where my FG ends up.


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My saisons usually hit their stride after 3-4 months. Lots of variables, but that's my personal experience. The ones I brew at the beginning of summer and drink at the end are always better than the ones that get tapped right away.

mclaughlindw4 said:

Both of these things could help. I have a 3711 saison going that i mashed at 152 although at the end of the mash it was 148. I used no simple sugars. I'll try to remember to let you know where my FG ends up.


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That would be great, thanks.

-Liam- said:

That would be great, thanks.

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So it's been about 2.5 weeks since I pitched the yeast. My grain bill was about 78% pilsner and 22% wheat. No simple sugar. According to my notes my starting mash temp was 153 and my ending was 145 - 150 (??) I think I was seeing some big differences depending on where I stuck the thermometer. I fermented at 67-68.

So I might not have mashed terribly high. But my gravity reading was 1.001. So I think simple sugars for the purpose of drying the beer out is not needed for 3711. I wanted some sweetness as I intend to add a crap load of peaches to this beer. Next time I'm gonna mash at like 158 or something. Although I wonder if that would even make a difference with this yeast. If I had to bet, I'd say it won't. Maybe this had been discussed already in the 3711 mega thread.