Hide Yo Kids Saison

All Grain - BIAB
Yeast: Dupont strain 3724 - no starter
Batch Size: 5 gal
Boil Size: 8 gal
Estimated OG: 1.107 SG
Estimated Color: 7.2 SRM
Estimated IBU: 59.4 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 72.00 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes
Step Mash: 144-148-154-168

14.5lb Bohemian Pils
3lb Munich
1.5lb Table Sugar @ 5min

FWH - 1oz Motueka - 25.4 IBU
@30 - .5oz Pacific Jade - 13.9 IBU
@10 - 2oz Motueka - 15.6 IBU
@1 - 2.4oz Pac Jade & .8oz Motueka - 4.4 IBU
DH - 2oz Pac Jade & likely something else

For my final brew in Austin (before moving to Las Vegas) I was going to make a nice, reasonable 10 gallons of saison. Then I started drinking and decided a 5 gallon monster saison would be more fitting to celebrate my departure. Now I've got this insanity cranking away at 93F in my closet. BeerSmith is estimating 12.4% ABV. Be interesting to see what the smackpack of Dupont can do.

I will be sure to update. Shooting for bottling this thing mid March. Might have to finish it out with 3711 at some point.

Mmm. NZ hops and saison are a match made in heaven. Good luck with the 3724

2/11 update - Krausen has fallen but there's still a yeast party. Gravity is at 1.066 with temp of 80. Smells very fruity and farmhoused. I won't at all be surprised if my lackluster approach to yeast health results in needing to pitch in some 3711.

2/19 update - Just got back from vacation. Turns out my roomie was turning off the heater blowing on the bucket while he was at work. Got it going again now. Good amount of yeast partying on top. Gravity is 1.030 at 80.

2/21 update - Yeast appears to have dropped. Heat has been consistent but still holding 1.030 at 80. Beer is at about 9.84% right now. 3724 can supposedly handle up to 12%. I'll give it a couple days before I pitch 3711 or some other high alcohol Belgian strain. Considering adding Brett but I may do that at bottling since I'm moving at the end of March.

2/23 update - I'm drunk and it'd been a day and a half since I said hi to my yeast buddies. 1.023 at 90. Good to see we've dropped about 5 points since last visitation (accounting for hydro temps). Rocking out at 10.5% now. Smelled exactly like the Great Divide Nomad pilsner I'm drinking. Maybe Bohemian wasn't the wisest random choice for this project. Time will tell. Beersmith says 1.015 is our target FG. Now I'm on the fence about pitching 3711, although I guess it couldn't hurt anything. Meanwhile my Saison Dupont clone with all Citra is stalled at 1.020 despite hanging out at 100 degrees. It's definitely getting 3711 soon.

2/25 - 1.020 at 86 now. Slow going. Up to 11%. Smell is a little farmhouse and a ton of alcohol heat. This thing is going to come in real hot regardless of where I can get it down to. Citra Dupont still stalled out.

Considering finishing out this thing with WLP530 aka 3787. It has dried out some beers nicely for me and if it kicks in a little fruitiness that's fine. Not sure I can continue my starter-less ways however. If I weren't moving I'd be all about some Brett for this experiment.

2/27 update: I salute you Dupont strain. You've done all you can do. Hydrometer still floating around 1.020 with temp somehow over 100. Not the most reliable cheese thermometer mind you. Aroma is a little sweet breadiness with a massive side of alcohol burn.

Might look into waxing the tops of the bottles. Still toying with idea of Brett at bottling. Should be able to make it up to the homebrew store tomorrow for some 3711 or 3787. Turning the heat off and letting this and Citra Dupont cool down.

2/28 - Wow! After letting it cool down to 68 the hydrometer is reading 1.030. I might need to invest in a new thermometer and hydrometer. So we've crapped out at about 10%.

3/1 - Added 3787 to the Monster Saison at 7pm tonight. Gravity was 1.030 @ 65. Put 3711 in the Citra Dupont. Gravity was 1.020 @ 68. Should be interesting to see where I can get these guys down to and what flavors if any get added by the additional yeast. Would like to bottle in a week to 10 days, yeast gods permitting.

3/3 - 3711 making a dent in its Citra Dupont batch. Down to 1.016 now. Monster is still at 1.030 though. Might wash a cake of 3711 tomorrow and throw it in too to see if it can get us anywhere.

3/5 - 3711 has Citra Dupont down to 1.011. Monster still stuck. Will bottle my wheatwine tomorrow or Wed and use its 3711 cake.

3/7 - Dumped some of the 3711 cake in cause I'm lazy like that. My Columbus-loaded saison appears to have gone wild on me. Should be interesting.

3/13 - Citra Dupont is down to 1.007@69. The big boy is at 1.024@69. Hit the big boy with 3oz Pac Jade and 1oz Palisade for dry hops. Wyeast 3711 gets my vote for most heroic yeast.

6/2 - Finally sampling the beast for the first time (from a carboy). FG of 1.010 at room temp. Big alcohol heat and molasses/dark fruit aroma. Flavor is alcohol heat with nice breadiness. Finish is the dark fruit and a kick of sweetness.

Before I left Austin in late March I transferred this to a keg and threw in roughly half a pound of turbinado sugar so the yeast would have something to eat while travelling cross country in the back of a moving van. Seems to have worked out.

Hit it with 2oz Pacific Jade, 2oz Motueka, & 1oz Citra more dry hops tonight to try and mask the alcohol burn a little. Should be interesting. Have some Brett B & thinking about using it.

6/18 - Took a sample. Fruity hops merged with the molasses-like flavors. Tastes kind of like a Werther's Original with a little alcohol burn now. Quite an interesting mess of a beer. White Labs Brett B just went in. We're officially wild!

7/1 - Don't really detect Brett. Shocking since I dumped in a vial with no starter on a 13% beer 2 weeks ago. lol

This thing is all sweet caramel and toffee with a little alcohol burn and maybe a touch of sour/funk developing in the end. Pretty thin body.

Kind of a tasty little beverage. Hard to know how it will be received by others.

Keep updating us! I've got a 1.060 rye saison going right now with 3711 @ 86F - hoping to get some good results at those temps, though perhaps should be a bit cooler.

I'd be interested to hear how that turns out. I've always had good luck with 3711 at ambient temps. Although I suppose 3711 ran pretty hot on the sugar I added to the keg when I dragged this mess of a beer cross country.