Belgian yeast is taking a very long time to ferment

Hi everyone,

I actually have a newbie problem and it is strange. First off, I have never had good luck with Belgian strains. I don't know which one it is but it is suppose to make a decent saison. I brewed it two weeks ago and life was perfect. It was in the mid 60's the whole time. I couldn't believe my luck. Now it is in the mid 80s and the yeast is still going. Temps have slowly increased from about 65 to 70's over the last two weeks. It is common for Belgian yeasts to take an exceptionally long time to ferment out? When should I start thinking about bottling and when I can expect that fermentation should stop?

BTW, I have only had terrible luck with Belgians. They always do something strange like stop midway through, explode for 48 hours and then basically stop, and now I get to add to the list exceptionally long fermentation. Does anyone else have experiences like this or is it just me?

Oh. I should also add that I did use a starter and it went smoothly for about 7 days. It did everything as I expected it to. There was plenty of healthy yeast and there wasn't a slow start or any of that. It is just bubbling after 15-16 days and by this point with any American or German beer I have made, it is still as glass on top.

Yeah, don't sweat it.

I had one batch using wyeast 3724 take six weeks to hit. I had to ramp the temps up into the mid 90's.

3724 is also notorious for stalling and then resuming. With Belgians, patience is the key.

Yea. It was that one I think. I accidentally threw out the packaging but I was told that something like this could happen and it sounds like exactly that. Really annoying. Thanks!

Oh. One more thing. I mashed at 148 and started at about 60GP. What should I expect a final FG to hit? I don't need exact numbers but I just want to know if I need to ramp it up even hotter somehow. With this yeast strain and a low temp mash, could I get below 10? Should I?

In most cases, Belgian strains love it hot. I used Mangrove Jacks M27 on a Saison I brewed about 3 weeks ago and it was pitched at 82 degrees with just a dry packet. It only took 3 days at the higher temp to ferment out. I've been sitting on it to clean up for a couple weeks. Just be patient with it. If it smells like crap after a week, it's working it well.

I'm going to let someone more knowledgeable inAG than I comment on that. If it was 3724, don't be shy about ramping the temps up.

Good luck with it.

asterix404 said:

Yea. It was that one I think. I accidentally threw out the packaging but I was told that something like this could happen and it sounds like exactly that. Really annoying. Thanks!

Oh. One more thing. I mashed at 148 and started at about 60GP. What should I expect a final FG to hit? I don't need exact numbers but I just want to know if I need to ramp it up even hotter somehow. With this yeast strain and a low temp mash, could I get below 10? Should I?

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You should reasonably be able to get it to 1.010 or below. Last Belgian I made finished at 1.001. Just give it a light swirl and it should keep going.

I have a 3724 Saison that I just kegged Tuesday, after 8 weeks in primary @ 94°F the entire time. It finally bottomed out at 1.012. The expected OG was 1.056 and expected FG was 1.006, but I overshot the OG and got 1.062, so maybe that had something to do with why mine didn't get quite as low as it should have.

But it's cold crashing and carbing as we speak. The sample tasted delightful.

So what strain are you using? Is it 3724 /565?

I've found nearly every Belgian strain does better if you get it warm, usually to 80 for most strains for me by day 7. Saisons I crank up past 90

Did you experience any temp swings down? That can get the finicky belgian yeasts to stall

Rhumbline said:

Yeah, don't sweat it.

I had one batch using wyeast 3724 take six weeks to hit. I had to ramp the temps up into the mid 90's.

3724 is also notorious for stalling and then resuming. With Belgians, patience is the key.

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Yes, I got 2 - 6 gallon carboys fermenting now where I blended the 3724 & 3711 yeast and I have them sitting in an insulated temperature regulated vessel pumped up to 85 right now but the 3724 strain can handle temperatures in the mid 90's!!!! That's where you get the most characteristic flavors for a Saison. I used 2000 ml starters and it took off over night and both carboys where bubbling the starsan solution right out of the airlocks and the carboys where foamed up to the neck. It settled down to a bubble every few seconds in a few days. I'll check gravity at 3 weeks and see what its at.

I'm drinking my first saison with 3724, the dupont stain. Brewed on 4/3, so it's taken what, about 9 weeks? This strain just takes time and heat. It sat at 90 fir about a month. Put it in the hottest place in your house right now and fuhgedaboutit.