Very slow fermentation with WLP565

[hercher]

I brewed a Saison on 6/17, with an OG of 1.069. Two weeks later it was only down to 1.046. A week after that (today, it is just a hair over 1.040. Since gravity continues to drop, I know it isn't a stuck fermentation, but I've never had anything go this slowly. I used WLP 565, and pitched a 1 liter starter. By the next morning it was going strong, and I had to switch to a blow off tube instead of my airlock. My grain bill was as follows:

8 lbs Pilsner
3 lbs Rye
3 lbs white wheat
14 oz CaraRye
1 lb amber Belgian Candi sugar

I did a single infusion mash at 150F for 75 minutes, vorlauf for 30 minutes, and fly sparge for 85 minutes. I boiled for 2 hours.

Should I just let it go, or should I add a packet of Belle Saison to get it going? I was hoping to enter this beer into the Longshot contest, meaning I have to have the beer in by 7/22/16, so I'm running out of time.

 

[spittybug]

You didn't tell us your fermentation temperature...... Saisons like it warm.

 

[hercher]

It's varied, but generally low 70s

 

[PissyFingers]

It's varied, but generally low 70s

I haven't used 565 regularly use 566 and my favourite saison yeast 585, start them both at 22c and ramp up to 27 over 5 days, keg on day 15, finish around .006. My guess would be your temp is a bit to low, also did you oxygenate before pitching? I give my wort 90 seconds and things take off by the 10 hour make. Not sure that helped you at all

 

[tagz]

The lower temps and fluctuation were your problem. You really need solid temp control to use the DuPont strain. At this point, if you want to use it for the competition, use the belle.

 

[secondbase]

DuPont can be a finicky strain. It sounds like you may have underpitched slightly as well. Did you oxygenate your wort before pitching? My experience with this strain is that it likes it hot. I typically start fermentation around 70 and ramp up to the upper 80's to low 90's to finish. I've had this strain take 4 weeks to reach terminal gravity (1.000). Don't be afraid to get that sucker as hot as you can manage. This strain produces an amazing saison character and is worth the trouble.

 

[m00ps]

Do you know when the judging is for the contest? Even if you get it bottled in time to send off, it may not be fully carbed and/or have green flavors at the time they judges open it to sample

 

[hercher]

So I wound up adding some Belle Saison, and it got going. It's down to 1.030.