Added too much water, high gravity after 1.5 weeks in primary

[tryan225]

Hey folks, I'm brewing the northern brewers saison dupont clone and got a wee bit too drunk when brewing, and added too much water to bring it up(or in this case, over) to volume. Didn't get a good gravity reading prior to adding yeast. The gravity last I checked, two days ago(about 1.5 weeks after pitching), was around 1.04.

The plan was, and still is, to get it down to where the gravity is stable, throw it in the secondary and let it sit until its a few weeks out from gardening/saison season(season? saison? season?)

Is there anything I can do short of adding more malt extract to bring it closer to a desirable gravity reading? I was considering pitching a little bit more yeast after racking it to secondary. Would I have to try to get as much cake into the secondary as possible?

To be honest, it tastes pretty good, so if I have to settle for a lighter saison, it's no big deal, but I was wondering if anyone had any input.

Thanks!

 

[RM-MN]

Extract kit? If so, your OG was about 1.055 unless you added a lot of extra water. How are you measuring the current gravity, hydrometer or refractometer? Hydrometers should be pretty accurate, refractometers not so much when ferment has started because the alcohol changes the refraction and gives high readings.

What temperature have you been fermenting the beer? Saison yeasts like it warmer than most ale yeasts and you may have to warm this beer up to get more action.

 

[tryan225]

I'm using a hydrometer, and fermenting at about 60F. Perhaps I'll bring it up to the apartment for one last week of fermenting.

 

[RM-MN]

For sure you need to warm that up. Saison yeasts like it warm, not cold. Wyeast 3724 has a preferred temperature range from 70 to 95. Your yeast are probably shivering at 60. Here's a link to Wyeast's 3724 data: http://www.wyeastlab.com/rw_yeaststrain_detail.cfm?ID=60

 

[Norwaybrewer]

I just added 100 extra grams of beer enhancer (dextrose and spraymalt) to my batch after 1 week in primary, to a beer that I expected to be too thin considering previous experiences. I read that this could improve the body of the beer and that some people do this as a rule of thumb, although they used maltodextrodin or something.

Would not recommend this surely, because I have yet too see the results.

 

[duboman]

For sure you need to warm that up. Saison yeasts like it warm, not cold. Wyeast 3724 has a preferred temperature range from 70 to 95. Your yeast are probably shivering at 60. Here's a link to Wyeast's 3724 data: http://www.wyeastlab.com/rw_yeaststrain_detail.cfm?ID=60

+1000!
Those yeast strains like it warm! Rouse the yeast and bump it up into the high 80s low 90s.

Give it time and it will finish. First time I used that yeast and wasn't aware of the temp requirements it took a full 4 weeks to hit FG and finished at 1.004! It was delicious!!


Sent from the Commune

 

[tryan225]

Thanks folks. I'll bring it upstairs and let the yeast do their job.

 

[tryan225]

Just wanted to update:

I brought the saison upstairs on Monday. It was sitting at 59 degrees Fahrenheit! It looked as if the krausen had sunk all the way in and there was no activity, but I knew by the gravity (now at 1.03) it was nowhere near done.

As of last night it was at 67F, and the little yeasts were back at it again, showing insane activity in the airlock and a renewed, foamy krausen.

Thanks all!