Mixing WLP500 (chimay) & 3711 (french saison)

Was initially hoping to just rack on top of a cake of 3711 from the previous batch, however after bottling yesterday there just wasnt much left...made a starter of the tiny bit that was left, however definitely not enough for 5 gal's.

Plan: Pitch WLP500 at 67F, raise to 72F over the course of 5 days. Grow starter of 3711 while WLP500 is doing its thing, hopefully having enough to pitch at 5 days.

Recipe is a basic strong saison (1.075og), pils, munich, bit of vienna, tett & hallertauer for hops.

Hoping for something spicy, fruity, about 8% abv, and happily dry.

Any thoughts or suggestions? Brewed tonight, pitching the WLP500 tomorrow AM. First time mixing strains...excited as I know the 3711 will finish just about anything, just hoping the fruitiness of the chimay yeast pops through.

In my limited experience, you won't have any trouble tasting the Saison. Then again, I pitched wlp 565 with 001 at the same time. I'd be really curious to see how this turns out. Are you doing a test batch on the side using just one or the other?

I would expect that 98% of the fermentation would be done by the time you pitched the second yeast. So if you want to use the 3711 at all I would not wait to pitch it in

You get zero taste effect from the 3711, itll just dry the beer out, and youll have a dry wlp500 tasting beer, not saying thats bad by any means.

Pitched at day 3, as krausen was falling. Moved into a 75F room to finish for the next couple of weeks. I'll have to make a note to update this thread on how it turns out.

Never updated this thread. 3711 is one of my favorite yeasts, this was one of my learning experiences with it. It totally took over the beer, lots of great saison-y spice but not much fruit. If I'd done this again, I would've given the WLP500 a couple weeks minimum before adding the 3711.

Mathematics said:

Never updated this thread. 3711 is one of my favorite yeasts, this was one of my learning experiences with it. It totally took over the beer, lots of great saison-y spice but not much fruit. If I'd done this again, I would've given the WLP500 a couple weeks minimum before adding the 3711.

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I blended those 2 yeasts and hopped lightly with Nelson & Mosaic in an Oatmeal Saison and scored a 44 with it. I re-pitched the cake a couple times and it definitely was different each pitch. Not a particularly stable blend, but fun nonetheless.