Saoson Advice

[gjabball]

When making this batch of beer, my mash temp was 158 (not what I was shooting for) i made a 1 L starter and got the yeast going on a stir plate before i pitched. I fermented with WLP 565 my Saosin for two weeks at 85 degrees. OG was 1.068 and my SG two weeks after was 1.032. I decided to lower the temp to 68 degrees and pitch WLP 001 to dry the beer out. I made a starter and pitched it. After a week I am at 1.028.

Do you think because of my high mash temperature that the yeast has ate all the sugar it can break down? Should I try champaign yeast to eat the rest of the sugar? Looking for some advice.

Thanks!

 

[Quaker]

The high mash temp was definitely a prime issue, you were 10 degrees high for a Saison. In the future, if you overshoot your temp, go ahead and add cold water or ice to bring it down to where you want it. And it doesn't have to be a fire drill. If you get the temp down in a few minutes, it'll work out fine.

Your high pitching temp may also have hindered you some. It's better to start cooler, I aim for 64, then let it ramp up. That particular strain doesn't like to ever go backwards in temp. So if your beer cooled off some overnight, it may have given up. Use the search and enter the yeast and you'll find more threads on that topic. My recommendation would be to rack it off the main yeast cake, set it aside and try to forget about it for 6 months. The yeast will slowly keep working. It won't finish dry like a Saison should be, but the yeast will continue to develop flavors as well.

In the meantime, brew another batch immediately of the same recipe with better attention to mash and ferm temps so you can see the results yourself. Go ahead and pitch on top of that old yeast cake which will be sitting in your primary (rack the original beer on the same day you brew).

 

[gjabball]

Thanks for the help. I really appreciate it! I will try it again.

 

[kingwood-kid]

The yeast cake won't help much if he already pitched 001. Who knows what proportions of each yeast are in there, and fermenting at temps the 565 will like will make the 001 produce some questionable flavors. Champagne yeast won't help, it only eats simple sugars like you'd find in wine, not the complex ones you still have. It is an excellent bottling yeast for that exact reason.

 

[Quaker]

Good point on the 001. Neglected that as I was responding. If there's a rebrew, get fresh yeast.