Wyeast 3711 French Saison

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B-Dub

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Just used the 3711 last week. The brew started around 1.058 and was down to 1.006 in 8 days.

Temps were 60's at night and low 70's during the day (garage on the cool CA coast) for the first 60 hours then moved into the warm fridge at 74 deg to finish.

So far I would say this is a very easy Saison yeast to use.

From their site:

Wyeast 3711-PC French Saison
Beer Styles: Saison, Bier de Garde, Witbier, Belgian Golden and Dark Strong Ales, Belgian Blonde Ale, Belgian Specialty Ale.

Profile: Produces saison or farmhouse style biers that are highly aromatic with clean, citrus-esters. Expect peppery and spicy notes with no earthiness and low phenols. This strain enhances the use of spices and aroma hops, and is extremely attenuative but leaves an unexpected silky and rich mouthfeel in a very dry finished beer.

Alc. Tolerance 12% ABV
Flocculation low
Attenuation 77-83%
Temperature Range 65-77°F (18-25°C)
 
I am very interested in hearing how this yeast performs. I'm using 3724 right now, and it really needs warm temperatures to keep it going-- I have it at ~85 deg. F. right now. I hadn't heard about 3711 until yesterday, but I like that it works at a lower temperature.

-Steve
 
I've got 3711 in my fridge to use my saison that I was *supposed* to brew today (grumble) but will brew soon.

I'd be curious if anyone who used 3724 might try the same or a similar recipe with 3711 to how they compare flavor wise.
 
The aroma is very nice and the sample that I cooled for the yeast to floc out tasted like it has great potential.

Still very green at 8 days old.

I only used 1.5 pounds of C&H in 13 gallons. So very little simple sugar and very dry already. Mash temp was 147-149 for 60 min, 158 for 15 and 170 at the end.

It looks like there is still some fermentation happening, so I would bet it goes lower.

Half the batch is getting kegged and put on tap and the other 5 gallons is going to be bottled with brett brux.
 
got a batch in the closet as we speak. what a krausen! It has a bit more time to go. this brew got up to 1.080.

Smells great, I'm taking a reading tomorrow...
 
b-dub- what finings did you use on that batch? I spaced out and forgot my usual whirlfloc.

I blame Brewtopia's double pils for that mistake!
 
b-dub- what finings did you use on that batch?

I used a little moss at 20 min. The last Saison I brewed had such nonflocculating yeast that it was hazy from the yeast for over a month!

"Flocculation low" is what wyeast says about the 3711. On top of that it sounds like most Saisons are low flocculators.

So I would not sweat the finings. The yeast will be around for a while.
 
I haven't brewed with this particular strain, but I believe this is the primary strain Upright Brewing is using for anyone in the Portland, Or area. It's obviously a quick attenuator, and, if Upright counts as an indication, it works very nicely with higher IBUs.
 
Tasted my hydro today 1.082-1.009 in 8 days boom!

Yeasty and fruity, stays away from banana I really do taste ripe peaches in the yeast. Great performing yeast so far, let's see it when the beer has more than just that week under it's belt.

Easily my strongest beer to date fermented out to 9.6 abv. I am proud of this brew!
 
Here is the print out. I had some grains that I wanted to use up and figured when this beer was brewed in the Ol Days the brewers just used what they had. So I did the same.



Recipe: Saison 09
Brewer:
Asst Brewer:
Style: Saison
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (35.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 13.00 gal
Boil Size: 14.88 gal
Estimated OG: 1.058 SG
Estimated Color: 8.1 SRM
Estimated IBU: 22.6 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 83.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
8.00 lb Munich Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 33.33 %
7.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 29.17 %
7.00 lb White Wheat Malt (2.4 SRM) Grain 29.17 %
0.50 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L (80.0 SRM) Grain 2.08 %
2.00 oz Fuggles [4.50 %] (60 min) Hops 15.4 IBU
1.00 oz Hallertauer [6.10 %] (20 min) Hops 3.5 IBU
1.00 oz Styrian Goldings [3.20 %] (20 min) Hops 1.8 IBU
0.50 oz Hallertauer [6.10 %] (5 min) Hops 0.9 IBU
0.50 oz Styrian Goldings [3.20 %] (5 min) Hops 0.5 IBU
0.50 oz Saaz [3.10 %] (5 min) Hops 0.4 IBU
1.50 lb Sugar, Table (Sucrose) (1.0 SRM) Sugar 6.25 %


Mash Schedule: Temperature Mash, 1 Step, Light Body
Total Grain Weight: 22.50 lb
----------------------------
Temperature Mash, 1 Step, Light Body
Step Time Name Description Step Temp
75 min Saccharification Add 7.03 gal of water at 159.7 F 147.0 F
10 min Mash Out Heat to 168.0 F over 10 min 168.0 F
 
I brewed mine with this yeast on sunday. The krausen was high on monday and was gone on wednesday! Going to check gravity tonight and likely add my pound of sugar.
 
Crashed the fridge on this one today. No reading, but last week it was 1.006 and this is the 2 week mark.

The fridge sure smells good!!!
 
Holy moly! Anyone complaining about their saison yeast being slow and finicky needs to use this one! 1.060 on Sunday, 1.009 on Thursday! The sample tastes spicy with no hint of fusel alcohols. Just added my pound of sugar. It should be done chewing through that in... oh... another 20 minutes or so. ;)
 
OK, now I'm pissed that I didn't know about this yeast before I pitched 3724 into my Saison. :mad:

Oh well, I'll just keep checking in on my fermentation in my 85 deg. F. laundry room until it's done... it had better taste pretty frackin' awesome when it's done!

-Steve
 
I got the very last pack at my LHBS on Wed. I won't be brewing my saison until the second weekend in sept, but I wanted to get my hands on the 3711 before it was all gone. Can't wait!
 
I'm considering washing mine, though I don't think I'll make a saison again until spring at the earliest.

Anyone in the PNW want some jars of washed 3711?
 
Ahhh, my link was the last set of guidelines. Call it an Imperial Saison then. ;) Oh well, mine came out a few points over too.
 
yeah- I way, way overshot it. No argument here. I was not expecting the eighties for og.

Just thought it sounded like fun to make a big beer that day and it was that week that the temp was 103 here in seattle so I naturally thought saison.

Bier De Garde huh? I'm cool with that.
 
1.056 down to 1.004 in 7 days for me, this yeast attenuates like a hero. Word around the campfire is that Wyeast will be making this available year round in 2010.
 
The guy at my local LHBS said that if the popularity is high enough this season they will make it year roung. brewing my saison today. :ban:
 
I just brewed up 11 gallons of a Saison using the 3711. Overshot my gravity a bit. Estimated at 1.065, Measured OG at 1.075. Used oxygenator for a couple minutes and pitched 2 smack packs. I am a little worried that this is not enough yeast. I usually use a starter, but should I be worried with using only 2 smackpacks? My real question is: I am thinking about throwing another yeast pack in a couple of days, is this necessary?
 
I used one smack pack on mine and it started at 1.060. Pitched at about midnight and it was just starting to form bubbles on the surface the next morning and had thick krausen at 8pm that evening when I got home.

I'm sure you'll be just fine with two, although some of the hardcore starter folks might say otherwise.
 
Brewed with 3711 about 2 weeks ago (8/1). We made a Liter starter out of one smack pack and split that between two carboys for our 10 gallon batch. With in 12 hours they were both bubblin like mad. One of the fermenters had a thick krausen, the other no krausen at all, we were worried, but they both smelled great. They've just quit bubbling, we're not taking samples, but I'd say based on fermentation time that we got a good attenuation. OG was 1.055.

My question about 3711 is about temp., we brewed in the mountains, and left it outside to ferment (in coolers), so I know temp didn't go over 77F then, but a week ago I drove them back to my apt in NY, where's it's been over 90F for a few days, these things def. went into the 80s.

Anyone else ferment the 3711 hot?

Thanks,

Stressy
 
Just put this batch on tap and one in the cold fridge for aging. One batch is planned for bottles and some brett.

For 2 weeks old this beer is looking to be very nice! Really needs more time, but the way I figure it, this brew will age for a few weeks before we really get into it.

Very clean and fruity! Loving the Halls and Saaz in the late addition. The temps were on the low side, mid 70's at the end.

Next one is 100% Pils and going to be fermented in the 70's and 80's.

Any else have this on tap yet??
 
One batch is planned for bottles and some brett.

Sour Saison is good stuff! I got a chance to try boulevard's bretted saison on my 3711 brewday (thanks 'topia) and it was my fav of the day.
 
I brewed a Saison last summer with this 3711 strain. I made a very very nice Saison w/o any spices. Its very balanced, fruity and quite dry.

This beer needs time to age in the secondary and in the bottle. When I racked this to my bottling bucket it looked very clean and clear. Almost like a brilliant cider. It tasted great too

Once I put this beer in the bottle and let it carb, everything changed. The priming roused the yeast almost made it unpalatable for a while. The yeast needed to settle down.

Right now all of the bottles I have left, roughly a case of bombers, are pristinely clear. Once you put one in the fridge it will get very cloudy. Let it sit for a month or two and it will clear up good again.

Taste-wise the flavor is different whether its cloudy or clear. Clear being better.

Right now this beer is awesome. Either quick chilled or bottle lagered for a few months.

I submitted this beer for a PRO-AM and won by leaps and bounds, but the brewery decided not to go to GABF. :(

Raison d' Saison

A ProMash Recipe Report

BJCP Style and Style Guidelines
-------------------------------

16-C Belgian & French Ale, Saison

Min OG: 1.048 Max OG: 1.080
Min IBU: 25 Max IBU: 45
Min Clr: 5 Max Clr: 12 Color in SRM, Lovibond

Recipe Specifics
----------------

Batch Size (Gal): 6.00 Wort Size (Gal): 6.00
Total Grain (Lbs): 14.13
Anticipated OG: 1.064 Plato: 15.70
Anticipated SRM: 4.9
Anticipated IBU: 26.8
Brewhouse Efficiency: 65 %
Wort Boil Time: 90 Minutes


Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
74.3 10.50 lbs. Pilsener Belgium 1.037 2
5.3 0.75 lbs. Wheat Malt Belgium 1.038 2
5.3 0.75 lbs. Munich Malt Belgium 1.038 8
0.9 0.13 lbs. CaraMunich 60 France 1.034 60
14.2 2.00 lbs. Cane Sugar Generic 1.046 0

Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.


Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.75 oz. Hallertauer Pellet 4.00 26.8 60 min.
0.75 oz. Hallertauer Pellet 4.00 0.0 0 min.


Yeast
-----

Wyeast 3711 French Saison Yeast


Mash Schedule
-------------

Mash Type: Single Step

Grain Lbs: 12.13
Water Qts: 16.37 - Before Additional Infusions
Water Gal: 4.09 - Before Additional Infusions

Qts Water Per Lbs Grain: 1.35 - Before Additional Infusions

Saccharification Rest Temp : 147 Time: 90
Mash-out Rest Temp : 170 Time: 10
Sparge Temp : 170 Time: 10


Total Mash Volume Gal: 5.06 - Dough-In Infusion Only

All temperature measurements are degrees Fahrenheit.



Notes
-----

Boil 90 minutes to reduce DMS. Ferment @ 68F ramp to 80F. Should ferment down 1.012 if not add dry champagne yeast. (Didn't need it - went to 1.000)

Ferment no higher than 75F.

Bottle condition for a few months prior to drinking. Recomend bottle lagering too for 1-2 months.

Save this beer for special occasions. Its well worth keeping!
 
I have now used 3711 twice, once last year and a month ago. A year ago I brewed the extract with steeping grains Ete in Zymurgy at it turned out pretty good. I sent a few bottles with my wife to San Diego to share with some of our pro brewing friends. The message I got back was... That was the best damn extract homebrew they had ever tasted!:ban: Not bad, I thought.

So, in late July I brewed the all grain version of the same beer but added another pound of Belgian candi sugar. What the hell...I thought if 1 was good, 2 would be better. According to BeerSmith the OG at 75% efficiency should be 1.071 (sorry guys I didn't take a reading after I brewed. In my more recent batches I have begun to use the Hydrometer). So I took a gravity reading after 2 weeks of fermenting in the big cold water bucket... the hydrometer reading was 1.006... I pulled it out of the bucket and let it sit a room temp for a couple hours and fermentation kicked back up. I did drink the Hydro sample... it's gonna be good, boys, it's gonna be good. So tomorrow into the secondary, another reading, another month in the jug and a taste of the sample. I am hooked on 3711. Good stuff, yo.:rockin:
 
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