Wyeast 3711 - Yeast Bite???

Before I even start, I know that the beer I'm talking about is VERY young. I'm just trying to understand and learn a little. So many times I read on the forums about off flavors and what not, but until you taste them and confirm it's hard to understand.

I brewed a Saison 2 Sundays ago (12 days ago) with the 3711 French Saison yeast, and forgot Whirl-Floc. Like everyone said, that yeast is a MONSTER!!! I started the fermentation temp off at around 65-66 degrees and and started to ramp it up at the 48 hour mark. I raised it till it got around 79-80 degrees. The thing finished up fermentation at about day 7 or 8. I got around to taking a sample yesterday, and it read 1.002 and started at around 1.065.

That makes 8.25% abv, which is crazy.

The problem is that the beer has a VERY bitter taste to it with maybe a note of Sulphur, and the bitterness is different than hop bitterness I believe. The beer initially has that great fruit and belgian taste then it finishes with that strong bitter and sulphur note.

Is this Yeast Bite???

Has anyone else tasted this with 3711?

Any insight into Yeast Bite or 3711 would be a huge help!!!

I have used 3711 a few times and for the first few weeks it can be a little rough around the edges, and yes a touch bitter. I have found that a few weeks in the bottle has remedied this taste and my beers have all been wonderful. As far as sulfur, IDK, I've never smelled/tasted any in my saisons.

Sounds to me like you're tasting "green" beer, and it should go away with conditioning. Yeast bite is the result of seriously overpitching yeast, and since you didn't mention your pitching rate, it's hard to say whether you used too much or not.

I have a batch of saison with 3711 in bottles right now. My hydro tastings, and bottling taste were extremely bitter, almost hot. I am strongly considering keeping this in bottles for at least 4 weeks before I even crack the first one. Previous experience tells me that it will get much better with a bit of bottle conditioning.

JuanMoore said:

Sounds to me like you're tasting "green" beer, and it should go away with conditioning. Yeast bite is the result of seriously overpitching yeast, and since you didn't mention your pitching rate, it's hard to say whether you used too much or not.

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I've been very careful about pitching rates and pitched exactly what Mr Malty's Calculator suggests. With that being said, there is a TON of yeast still in suspension. I'm going to let it set on the cake for another week or so at 72 degrees, and then cold crash it with Gelatin at about 30-32 degrees. If it is in fact yeast bite, that should clear it up.

I'm very happy to hear that other people have reported a bitterness to the beer when yeast is present also.