keelanfish
Well-Known Member
Last Thursday night, February 19, my brother and I brewed up a mini-mash saison kit that we ordered from MoreBeer. I'm a little frustrated with MoreBeer because the kit is way outside the style guidelines for a Saison, but I should have checked that myself before deciding to order. Regardless, I'm hoping it will be a good beer and worth the money and effort.
My problem is that the kit instructions from MoreBeer suck and are obviously wrong. From 4 different MoreBeer sources, I've gotten the following four different answers:
MoreBeer Website (before I pointed out their inconsistencies)
OG: 1.096
ABV: 11%
MoreBeer Website (after I pointed out their inconsistencies)
OG: 1.080-1.090
ABV: 8-9%
Instructions with Kit
OG: 1.068
ABV: 11%
Email from MoreBeer Support
OG: 1.087
ABV: 8-9%
The kit had the following ingredients:
Mashed @ 154f for 60 minutes @ 1.2 quarts/lb, Batch Sparged w/ 180f water
5 lbs Belgian Pilsner
1 lbs Munich
0.5 lbs Caramunich
Boiled 60 minutes and added
9 lbs German Pilsner LME @ 60 min
1 oz Glacier Hops @ 60 min
0.5 oz Sterling Hops @ 20 min
0.5 oz Sterling Hops @ 5 min
Whirlfloc @ 5 min
Cooled to 70f using immersion chiller. Ended up with 5.25 gallons wort @ an OG of 1.093. I made a 2L yeast starter using White Labs Saison Yeast (WLP 565) and pitched the whole thing without decanting. Strong fermentation with blow off was occuring within 12 hours of pitching.
Following MoreBeer's fementation schedule, we started at 70f and are increasing the temp 2 degrees per day until we get to 85f. Then we're going to hold at 85f for three days and check FG.
My question is what should I be expecting/shooting for an FG? Style guidelines say between 1.010-1.015. But I'm already way above style guidelines for the OG. Using the recipe calculator at Tastybrew.com, it indicates I should expect an FG of 1.023 assuming 75% attenuation. Whitelab's website indicates with high gravity beers that it might be necessary to dry the beers with alternate yeast after 75% fermentation. What yeast would I use for that and how do I know when I've hit 75% fermentation? I've never pitched more than one yeast, so what's the process for doing that?
Any suggestions or feedback are welcome. Right now I feel like I'm shooting in the dark and don't have a good feeling where I should be trying to end up with the gravity.
My problem is that the kit instructions from MoreBeer suck and are obviously wrong. From 4 different MoreBeer sources, I've gotten the following four different answers:
MoreBeer Website (before I pointed out their inconsistencies)
OG: 1.096
ABV: 11%
MoreBeer Website (after I pointed out their inconsistencies)
OG: 1.080-1.090
ABV: 8-9%
Instructions with Kit
OG: 1.068
ABV: 11%
Email from MoreBeer Support
OG: 1.087
ABV: 8-9%
The kit had the following ingredients:
Mashed @ 154f for 60 minutes @ 1.2 quarts/lb, Batch Sparged w/ 180f water
5 lbs Belgian Pilsner
1 lbs Munich
0.5 lbs Caramunich
Boiled 60 minutes and added
9 lbs German Pilsner LME @ 60 min
1 oz Glacier Hops @ 60 min
0.5 oz Sterling Hops @ 20 min
0.5 oz Sterling Hops @ 5 min
Whirlfloc @ 5 min
Cooled to 70f using immersion chiller. Ended up with 5.25 gallons wort @ an OG of 1.093. I made a 2L yeast starter using White Labs Saison Yeast (WLP 565) and pitched the whole thing without decanting. Strong fermentation with blow off was occuring within 12 hours of pitching.
Following MoreBeer's fementation schedule, we started at 70f and are increasing the temp 2 degrees per day until we get to 85f. Then we're going to hold at 85f for three days and check FG.
My question is what should I be expecting/shooting for an FG? Style guidelines say between 1.010-1.015. But I'm already way above style guidelines for the OG. Using the recipe calculator at Tastybrew.com, it indicates I should expect an FG of 1.023 assuming 75% attenuation. Whitelab's website indicates with high gravity beers that it might be necessary to dry the beers with alternate yeast after 75% fermentation. What yeast would I use for that and how do I know when I've hit 75% fermentation? I've never pitched more than one yeast, so what's the process for doing that?
Any suggestions or feedback are welcome. Right now I feel like I'm shooting in the dark and don't have a good feeling where I should be trying to end up with the gravity.