Questions on Sour mash, higher efficiency, Wyeast 3711?

[DSorenson]

I performed a sour mash for 22 hours and brewed 5.5 gallons of a rye saison. I completed the boil yesterday. I typically have a 65-70% BHE, but I ended up with 83%.

There are two things I did differently:
1) I used uncrushed barley at 117 degrees Fahrenheit to sour the wort for ~22 hours.
2) I used DI water and ~4 grams of calcium chloride as a water treatment.

The numbers here are staggering to me. My recipe used:
7 lbs American 2 row
5 lbs Rye malt

Has this type of thing happened to anyone else? I assumed the bacteria would eat some sugar during that 22 hours, so I might have even achieved higher numbers.

While I have your attention, I'm using WYeast 3711 (french saison) and just moments ago noticed that my carboy was well beyond the temperature of the fermometer on the side. I know they aren't super reliable, but I made room and put it in my fermentation chamber to be safe. It was probably into the 80s (F). I chilled it down to about 68 degrees prior to pitching. Unfortunately CT is having a little heat wave I wasn't expecting.

The yeast is rated to 77 degrees. Does anyone have any experience with this yeast? Have I made rocket fuel? Or is it like the Belgian Saison strain, where temperature is a guide?

 

[jsun]

Dunno about the sour mash, but the 3711 should be fine. You might've made rocket fuel (FG possibly <1), but that yeast is a worker and tends to chew through wort no matter what.

 

[DSorenson]

Dunno about the sour mash, but the 3711 should be fine. You might've made rocket fuel (FG possibly <1), but that yeast is a worker and tends to chew through wort no matter what.

yeah, i ended up with an OG of 1.065, so if it even got down to 1.000 we are looking at 8.7% ABV. I was more concerned about the production of off-flavors- but since I'm going for a sour farmhouse, I guess that might just come with the territory.

Honestly I'm not sure what I've made here... the excitement is killing me!

 

[Tyler Hurst]

Hey so I know this post is years old but I just did the same thing. I took a Tired Hands SaisonHands grain bill
7#11oz Pilsen
9oz white wheat
9oz Rye
9oz flaked Oats
(I added 9oz Acidulated Malt to kettle sour after adding about 8ml 88% lactic acid to get ph down to 4.2 before kettle souring for 48 hours)
Did a starter of 3711
Added .5oz warrior @75
1oz Chinook @15 (whirlflock and wyeast nutrient)
1oz chinook at flameout

I literally pitched the yeast 2 hours ago and it’s started but I think the lacto slows down fermenting. I did add lactic to the starter so that the new yeast cells are used to an Acidulated environment. It’s fermenting at 66 which I plan to ramp up to 77 over 2 weeks. This is My first Lactobacillus brew and I’m super excited. Post Boil OG was 1.048. I’m expecting 3711 to chew through that to at least 1.004 but I do want to enjoy this while it’s still warm out. It’s mid August in Philly now.