experienced saison brewers help

I brewed up 10 gallons of a rye saison (14.5 lb pilsen, 3.5 lb rye, 1 lb corn sugar). OG was supposed to be 1.052; however, I forgot to add the sugar at the end so my gravity was 1.048 (which upon realizing I forgot the sugar explained why my gravity was off, which was really perplexing me).

Anyway, so my question is this, should I boil up a pound of corn sugar and add it to the carboys to get my gravity and help dry it out or should I let things be at the bottom of the OG scale for the style? Yeast is Wyeast 3711. This is the first time I'm using this yeast, but from what I have read with or without the sugar this saison will be dry...will sugar make it too dry?

Don't know the recipe, but in my book there's no such thing as "too dry" with saison. Totally your call of course, but if I were in your shoes I'd add the corn sugar.

Yeah, that is where I was leaning...just haven't dealt with this yeast yet. I'm also playing with finishing one carboy with brett, probably won't do much with how much this yeast supposedly chews through, but a hint of brett in the background would be a nice touch and an excuse to go get something like an Avery 15 for the dregs.

Go ahead and add the sugar. Its gonna be bone dry with that grainbill and that yeast no matter what.

add the sugar. it's preferable for a saison

3711 will dry your beer out, period, sugar or not. I haven't made a single 3711 fermented saison in 20-odd batches that finished above 1.002, but it doesn't taste/feel dry in the mouth, the yeast is magical.

BigRob said:

3711 will dry your beer out, period, sugar or not. I haven't made a single 3711 fermented saison in 20-odd batches that finished above 1.002, but it doesn't taste/feel dry in the mouth, the yeast is magical.

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And I thought that I loved Saison...

Not meaning to hijack this thread, but it seems like a very appropriate place for this question.

I brewed a saison last week, it was my first all grain and I did it split boil. Not accounting for increased boil off I missed my 1.058 target and came it at 1.070. Do you think this yeast will dry the beer out enough? My mash was at 153*

From everything I have read, I would say yes. At the very least you have the best shot with that yeast. 153 is a little high on the mash so that will leave a little extra in there. The good thing is if you decide it finishes too high you will have something for brett to chew on to get it down the rest of the way...it'll take a while, but brett will get you there.

So, I opted for .5 lbs corn sugar in one carboy and .5 lbs of some darkcandi.com D syrup I have in the other

uglysofa said:

I brewed a saison last week, it was my first all grain and I did it split boil. Not accounting for increased boil off I missed my 1.058 target and came it at 1.070. Do you think this yeast will dry the beer out enough? My mash was at 153*

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I am drinking a Saison I brewed back in March, mashed at 150 but overshot to 152, it was 1.072 OG, and finished at 1.002. It should dry out just fine.

And I thought that I loved Saison...

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It's an easy style to love, not that I brew to style most of the time. I love Saison just because of the lore behind it, farmers, various odds and ends for the grain bill, a relaxed "pitch the yeast and walk away" attitude. I also live in an old building, with radiators turned OFF, on the 5th floor, even in the dead of Winter it's 80+ in here unless I've got windows open, so other styles were out of the question at the time (the attempts turned out rude on my palate).

Now I just recently finished up my ferm chamber, so I can actually make something that isn't a Saison, but i'll still keep 2 carboys of various experimental Saison going in my uncontrolled closet.

After 1 week, 1.070 to 1.013, impressive.

Anyone have any recomendations as far as hops go?

WhenInMinnesota said:

Anyone have any recomendations as far as hops go?

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I use EKG, Styrian Goldings, Saaz, Hallertau usually a combo of any of the 2. Go easy- the yeast is the focus of this beer not hops.

Strisselspalt works nicely as well.

WhenInMinnesota said:

Anyone have any recomendations as far as hops go?

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Willamette is a great hop to use. But EKG and hallertau work well too. My last one was made with new Zealand Nelson Sauvin hops (including a dry hop addition) and it turned out fantastic. There's really no right or wrong answer for hops on this style. It just depends on what you like and what kind of flavor profile you're looking for.

WhenInMinnesota said:

Anyone have any recomendations as far as hops go?

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I used halertau at 60 and crystal at 15, drank a hydrometer sample last night and it tasted great.

I just did an Amarillo Saison with 3711 and it is pretty dry but smells incredible.