Some questions?

I'm planning on doing my next batch soon once i figure out what i want to make. I was thinking a Saison but every recipe says to increase the temperature which I'm unable to do unless i put a space heater in where i ferment. Do i have to raise and lower the temperature for a Saison? What does that do to the yeast?

Any suggestions on styles? I made a brown, IPA, coffee porter. Want to try my hands at as many styles as i can.


While asking a bunch of questions. I was planning to cork my mead in wine bottles. Just wondering how to store the mead? do you place it on its side like wine or have it stand up like corked beer?

any help will be appriciated

Thank you,
Dustin

I'll probably go with the hefe because i got an IPA on hand. I was thinking something like a Klosch? I want to try to copy Saint Arnolds Santo which is a black klosch style but havent decided

I'm in the same boat as you for figuring out what to do next. I recently did a pumpkin ale, a spiced ale, a graff, a wee heavy, Belgian/IPA, milk stout, and a "butter beer" mock up.

I'm thinking maybe something with fruit in the primary. I came across some recipes for cranberry beer today. I think a cranberry APA would be interesting.

I'd like to try my hands at a hefe again but every time I've brewed one it has been disappointing. I want it to turn out like a Hoegaarden but it always turns too dark and bitter.

I found a Hoegaarden recipe here that looks promising. I dont think Hoegaarden is a Hefe but idk. If i'm doing a hefe i'll like the have a little banana taste in there with the proper yeast. I'm a little cautious to add fruit to my beer and not a fan of fruity beers. I want either the yeast or hops to bring the fruit flavors out intead of just adding fruit. I still dont have a clue but i have plenty of time to figure out what to do next.

You should definitely go for the saison if that's what you like. IMO, saisons are great beers to brew if you don't have temp control because you can just let them go at room temp and they will still be to style. At higher temps, the yeast will produce more esters and give you more funky flavors, but it will still be good even as low at mid- to upper-60's.

I have done two saisons. The first one was in the middle of the summer in the hottest closet of my house that was probably about 80F and the second was fermented in a basement that stays in the mid-60's. They were different recipes, but I actually thought the second turned out much better and still had a lot of the characteristic spicy, fruity notes that make saisons great.

I used Wyeast 3522 for both of these and it lists the optimum temp as 65-85F.

This is a timely post, as although I'd like to brew a saison soon, I've been avoiding it because of the low fermentation temps I have going right now. Thanks, saluki brewer, for confirming that saison yeasts don't mind the lower end of their advertised range.

Another idea I'm considering is a kolsch. I brewed one this time last year and it turned out great, in large part (I'm guessing) because I had no problem maintaining lower fermentation temps.

Fermentation control is next up on my upgrade list.

Temperature control is on its way and just need to get a chest freezer to plug it in to. Thanks for clearing up the saison. I dont have temperature control at the moment and its good i can do it at my house temperature. "winter" in texas keeps my house in the mid 60s naturally because i'm a cheap ass to turn the heater on.

Is a klosch a lager and has to be fermented cold? If so i'll hold off until i get my deep freeze

Yeah I'm pretty sure kolsch is a lager. I haven't started doing lagers yet. Definitely go for the temp control as soon as you can. I just got my parents old chest freezer and johnson controller and have an ipa fermenting. My sample tasted awesome when I put the dry hops in.

FYI my last saison was the Surly Cynic clone from Northern Brewer.

saluki_brewer said:

Yeah I'm pretty sure kolsch is a lager.

Click to expand...

It's an ale that likes to ferment in the lower end of the spectrum (low 60's).

alright. Thanks a4j. I probably cant do the kolsch until i get a freezer so i can keep the temperatures where i need them

Do a saison, use Wyeast 3711 French Saison yeast. Its temperature range is something like 62-70ºF. I made a saison 6 weeks ago, fermented it at the low end of that range, and it dried out to 1.004. Great yeast!