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Belle Saison attenuation

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safcraft

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I have made a double batch of Saison : one dark and one amber.
They were both on the same day, and pitched at same time with Belle Saison (Danstar).

Both started with OG 1.065, and both showed vigorous fermentation signs for about a week. It slowed down after that i took some samples, showing around 1.011 in both.
Temperature is pretty hot. No temp control on these, ambient temperature is steady 25C (77F). I know for a fact that in the first week temp of beer was in the 85F mark !

As the airlock was still bubling around 6-10 per minute, i let them be.
It has now been 32 days and airlock activity is still 5 per minute !!
Gravity sample revealed 1.007 yesterday.

I know this yeast is known for big attenuations, but 1 month primary seems excessive.
Still, the beer tastes a little sour and dry and very boosy.
I am now thinking i could have an infection due to a bug got in during sampling.

I am thinking of this, because i have another Belgian beer moving along in another carboy and it is showing off strange flavors. It started 1.065 and after a week seemed finished at 1.016. It tasted wonderfull and chocolatey. Beautifull. Very happy.
Then, after sampling, i replaced airlock with another one and the next day it was bubbling again. Gas was clearly coming to the surface but seemed like co2 beeing pushed out of beer due to some agitation .
48h later bubbles stopped and took another reading. This time is 1.014 so it fermented a little for sure....but taste CHANGED ! Not chocolaty anymore...much more acid...much more boosy....much less nice...

If i have an "air bug" in my bathroom...it sure is destroying my beers...
 
For opinions, the second Belgian i was describing as strange behaviour, with a ressurrected fermentation, looked like this with 2 weeks in primary:

35905129603_ac055cc117_c.jpg

Clear and no bubles. Yeast had fallen to bottom.

Then, i took a sample and replaced the airlock. NExt morning :
35879900774_4921584133_c.jpg


Cloudy yeasty and airlock activity. Bubles forming on top of beer:
35879905284_d32193769d_c.jpg


After 2 days, bubles fainted and the beer is beggining to look like in the first pic.

I would just toss it as "final fermentation sprint" if it wasnt for the change in flavor.
Before this, it was sweet chocolatey.
After bubles, it is now much more acrid, boozy and dry. Also gravity dropped 2 points.
 
Used this yeast a few weeks ago. It went from 1.070 to 1.004 in less than a week. Kegged it recently and it tastes great.

Starting temp was around 66F and let it warm up in its own.
 
Flavor change could just be 'bottle shock' try n see it thru package. Referment from belgians are common. Try and ride out the 'infected' batch. Could be a yeast profile or product of a light malt bill. If it is infected something more pleasant may result due to such a high attenuation. My 2cents. Looks n sounds good. I'd try it
 
Flavor change could just be 'bottle shock' try n see it thru package. Referment from belgians are common. Try and ride out the 'infected' batch. Could be a yeast profile or product of a light malt bill. If it is infected something more pleasant may result due to such a high attenuation. My 2cents. Looks n sounds good. I'd try it

Valuable comment. :rockin:

2 days forward and taste seems to mellow again, so i am rulling out infection. This is good news because i rull out not 1 but 4 batches of infection (simultaneous fermentations ocurring in same space).

They will all sit tight for 2 weeks (going out on vacations) at ambient temp of 25C. All will be bottled when i get back.
 
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