BE-134 SAISON helppp

[jpbrauer]

Hello everyone

Last month I brewed my first Saison with BE-134 yeast, the only problem is that my FG wasn't as low as I expected. I fermented my beer around 75 degrees the whole time (I live in the tropics and I can't control fermentation) and also the FG was constant through two weeks straight at 1.009, which through temp correction could be a 1.011 as my hydrometer instructions indicate (which makes no sense to me). My OG was 1.061. My question is, do I have to worry about possible bottle bombs because of unfinished fermentation?

This is my recipe (5 gallon batch)

9 lbs pilsner malt

1 lb of wheat

1 lb Munich malt

0.5 caramunich l

Hops tettnang 0.7 1 hour, full boil

My mash temp was 156 (which i know is kinda high for a saison or most ales)

 

[jpbrauer]

Btw the mash was trough BIAB

 

[IslandLizard]

My mash temp was 156 (which i know is kinda high for a saison [...]

I think you answered your own question on the higher FG.

Not sure about BE-134, but most Belgian yeasts have the STA-1 gene (Diastaticus), so there's always a chance it may continue at a later point. I'd definitely let it be for another 2 weeks, keep it warm, and check gravity again. If it remains stable, I'd say it's safe to bottle.

 

[Off Balance Brewing]

Also wouldn't recommend bottling any of that long term even after a couple more weeks. I would drink it in a couple months.

 

[jpbrauer]

So basically, I need to leave it more time to ferment? It's weird because through my first 10 batches I always bottle when the FG is stable, but now that I started reading through the website I see that my FG was pretty high for a saison

 

[jpbrauer]

Also wouldn't recommend bottling any of that long term even after a couple more weeks. I would drink it in a couple months.

What timeframe would you recommend ???

 

[dmtaylor]

It's done. Bottle it.

Or at least, so says my 130 batches of bottling experience.

Yes I think it's safe to bottle if gravity has remained stable at 75 F for 2 weeks.

 

[jpbrauer]

Little update, I ended bottling the beer, and well it was one of my best brews yet. Really nice flavor with a round body, nothing extremely dry. I truly enjoy the flavor BE-134 gives a beer. I ended up brewing another Saison because I had another pack of BE-134 ( with Tettnang for bittering, Cascade, and Motueka at flameout and I'm planning to dry hop some cascade) and this time the gravity went down to 1.002 in only two weeks. My mash in this second attempt was at 152 with the same grain bill, I wanted a more classic Saison body but with a hoppier finish. Really crazy how 4 degrees can dramatically change your FG. with this yeast.

 

[jrgtr42]

Little update, I ended bottling the beer, and well it was one of my best brews yet. Really nice flavor with a round body, nothing extremely dry. I truly enjoy the flavor BE-134 gives a beer. I ended up brewing another Saison because I had another pack of BE-134 ( with Tettnang for bittering, Cascade, and Motueka at flameout and I'm planning to dry hop some cascade) and this time the gravity went down to 1.002 in only two weeks. My mash in this second attempt was at 152 with the same grain bill, I wanted a more classic Saison body but with a hoppier finish. Really crazy how 4 degrees can dramatically change your FG. with this yeast.

|When you said that you like the flavor BE-134 gives it, what flavors are you talking about? |I'm thinking about doing a saison and I'm going back and forth between this one and the T-58. I like the description of that one as spicy and peppery.

 

[Drewch]

|When you said that you like the flavor BE-134 gives it, what flavors are you talking about? |I'm thinking about doing a saison and I'm going back and forth between this one and the T-58. I like the description of that one as spicy and peppery.

T-58 is a nice yeast, but in my admittedly limited experience (I've only used it for a saison once), it won't give a strong saison character. You'll get a better saison from BE-134.

 

[Drewch]

Lallemand also just announced this: LalBrew Farmhouse™ | Lallemand Brewing

It's a POF+ but STA- (non-diastatic) farmhouse yeast. They say it'll be available in 11g homebrew packets as soon as it makes its way through the distribution network.

 

[jpbrauer]

|When you said that you like the flavor BE-134 gives it, what flavors are you talking about? |I'm thinking about doing a saison and I'm going back and forth between this one and the T-58. I like the description of that one as spicy and peppery.

Well, for me it was more on the peppery side (BE-134). Some clove and some fruity esters notes to it, maybe a little dank or tart on the nose. My first attempt (which is the reason I created the thread) was fermented around 75 (approximation). In my second attempt I was completely careless with the temp (I estimate it could have gone up to the high 80s) and the taste was awful haha, too much clove and green apple taste (I screwed that batch).

Overall, I truly enjoyed BE-134, really nice yeast. It does what it was made for, fermenting truly refreshing saisons. A friend of mine did a "saison" with T-58 and it didn't screamed saison to me, but it was nice overall, so I agree with Drewch. With T-58, you're also getting spicey and peppery notes, but in a different approach than BE-134. To keep it "short," I would go with BE-134 with my eyes closed haha.

 

[jpbrauer]

Lallemand also just announced this: LalBrew Farmhouse™ | Lallemand Brewing

It's a POF+ but STA- (non-diastatic) farmhouse yeast. They say it'll be available in 11g homebrew packets as soon as it makes its way through the distribution network.

That sounds juicyyy

 

[rhys333]

I brew all my saisons with BE-134. Floral lemon-pepper character and bone dry 98% attenuation in well under 2 weeks. I have tried the more expensive liquid strains and this out-performs by far.

The only downside for me is that it doesn't do well on the re-pitch. The character seems to change, becoming more like 3711/Belle, which I don't care for at all. I suppose this could be affected by pitch rate, temp, etc., and I might experiment with that. The easy fix though is to use a fresh pack every time.

 

[Ninoid]

I consider myself quite experienced with Saison yeasts, as I have been using Lallemand Belle Saison yeast exclusively for a few years now. In my experience, these distaticus Saison yeasts only work well if the grain bill contains at least 10% simple sugars. Then their authentization is over 80% and they finish in ten days for warmer fermentations or up to two weeks for cooler fermentations. I have never had any problems with the STA-1 gene possibly continuing fermentation in the bottle, at least not within the six months that my beers usually last.