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GuitarGumption · 09-18-2012, 04:13 AM

By the way, I didn't even pitch a starter, and it's down to that gravity already. I thought I must have some lead stuck to my hydrometer when I put it in the sample tube.

**BrewLou** · 09-18-2012, 05:22 PM

Just brewed this yesterday and all the signs were against me lol...

Got everything mashed and in the kettle ready to boil. Hooked up my propane tank, and when I went to turn the valve on... rut roh it was left on the last time I used the grill!!! Put the cover on the pot, disconnected the tank and took it to my grocery store right down the road. Guy got me a tank and as I was walking to the car I thought man this feels light... Turned the valve and nothing... empty tank. I run back into the store (it is starting to cloud up) and the guy prompty gets me a new tank again. I high tail it home, hook up the propane tank, get the lighter out of the drawer and nothing. Wife put the lighter back in the drawer empty. Thankfully I have matches that I use for my cigars. With a slight boom and some smoldering hairs on my hand it finally lit. Ok Im feeling better now its finally coming to a boil but boy its cloudy out... I add hops stir, add hops again stir, and head inside to get a drink. Oh what do you know the bottom fell out of the clouds. /facepalm. I run out, but the top back on the kettle and stand at the sliding glass door staring at my boil kettle helplessly sitting there in the rain. After about 25 mins it stops and I yank the top off to add hops again. From here on out it was rather smooth sailing but boy that was the worst brew day I have every had in almost 7 years of brewing.

About the beer though, tasted rather nicely as I tested OG. I also added an additional 8oz of light belgian hard candy sugar to the boil. I went with this addtion for 2 reasons... 1. The only Sorachi hops my LHBS had were at 11.6 AA, and the fugals were all at 5.3 as opposed to 4.75AA. 2. I wanted a bit more alcohol

. There was a bit more of a hops taste than I wanted in the OG sample, but if it doesnt "clean" up a bit, Ill tweak it a bit more as I transfer to the secondary. So far I am loving how it is looking. OG came out to be 1.069.

**BrewLou** · 09-20-2012, 05:32 PM

Just over 24hrs in and the fermentation seems to have stalled.

Does this French Saison Yeast encounter the same issue that the Belgian does in that it is going to stall out on me if I do not keep it around 80 degrees?

If the answer is yes, how do you guys go about heating up your primaries? Heating pad wrapped in a towel? Its ranging anywhere from 50-75 degrees here in NC at the moment, and I definitely do not want to let me house get that warm

.

GuitarGumption · 09-20-2012, 07:33 PM

I take it you are using the 3711 yeast? From everything I've read it does fine as long as it stays in the upper 60s or higher. Mine went like crazy starting around 68 and kept going.

To maintain temp, I put my carboy or corny keg in my 10 gallon brewpot, filled with water, then use an aquarium heater to set the temp.

**BrewLou** · 09-20-2012, 08:41 PM

Yes I am using 3711. I didnt think it needed to be anywhere near as high as the Belgian strain. My house stays around 70-72, so Im a bit confused as to why I only saw about a solid 24hrs of fermentation.

Update: had the wife pop the top of it and tell me what it looked like. Thick Krausen still she said with active bubbles. Ill check a gravity when I get home tonight and see where she is sitting.

**EdMerican** · 09-20-2012, 10:26 PM

Gonna brew this this weekend with one minor change. Adding chamomile tea. SWMBO had a chamomile saison she loved so I was tasked with brewing one. I'm stoked and will post results when its done. Cheers

**BrewLou** · 09-21-2012, 05:53 PM

Good luck brewing it! Checked the gravity today on this one since I was concerned about the yeast stalling but the gravity is down to 1.018 already. I just pitched the yeast at like 7pm Monday lol. Go go 3711! Popped the top this am to check it. Still actively bubbling but nothing is really going through my blow off valve. It was bubbling like mad the 1st 24hrs then stopped. Had me worried but its still kicking it seems.

GuitarGumption · 09-21-2012, 06:39 PM

Yea, mine with the 3711 was never extremely vigorous in appearance or bubbles, but the gravity kept dropping quickly anyway. Interesting stuff.

Pie_Man · 09-21-2012, 10:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrewLou

Good luck brewing it! Checked the gravity today on this one since I was concerned about the yeast stalling but the gravity is down to 1.018 already. I just pitched the yeast at like 7pm Monday lol. Go go 3711! Popped the top this am to check it. Still actively bubbling but nothing is really going through my blow off valve. It was bubbling like mad the 1st 24hrs then stopped. Had me worried but its still kicking it seems.

The blow off valve, or airlock, are not the best measures of fermentation activity. Just give the yeast some time to do their job, then check the gravity. It sounds like your beer is well on its way. Cheers!

**azscoob** · 09-22-2012, 06:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pie_Man

The blow off valve, or airlock, are not the best measures of fermentation activity. Just give the yeast some time to do their job, then check the gravity. It sounds like your beer is well on its way. Cheers!

I haven't used an airlock in I can't remember how long, I use a blowoff tube for fermentation, then swap it out for an S style airlock when crash cooling, it bubbles backwards so no suck back into the fermenter, nothing like having a half gallon of blowoff water sucked back into the carboy to remind you to swap over to the bubbler