Belle Saison Tartness

[cyanmonkey]

Brewed a saison and due to my drinking, ended up just covering the brew post boil and crashing for 3 hours, then chilling and pitching.

Krausen in 4 hours, but now, 4 days later, it has a...tartness top it that I've never experienced with another saison yeast. Wondering if it's a characteristic or if I have a lacto thing going. It's not particularly desirable for this brew, but I could see how it could for another.

I let it so it's own thing and it was going around 78 for the bulk of fermentation.

 

[m00ps]

Belle Saison, WY 3711, and WLP585 all have a tartness to them (in respective increasing order) that increases with temperature IME

 

[dmtaylor]

You're tasting the yeast. Give it a month. This yeast takes forever to settle out and attenuate fully, but patience would be rewarded. I didn't get significant tartness when I used this yeast. Patience.

 

[cyanmonkey]

Lol. Don't worry about my patience. I got a teensy bit of tart from 3711, but not like this.

The only reason I'm concerned is because I let it sit at 140*F for several hours and was worried if it was inadvertently kettle soured.

 

[m00ps]

I think 140F is a bit too hot to kettle sour. Was this during the mash or after?

 

[pricelessbrewing]

Sounds like you partially no chilled. Shouldn't be an issue if you covered immediately after the boil, but it's possible.

Do you, or a friend, have a ph meter? That's kinda the only way to really know unless you want to wait and see if it develops more tartness.

 

[cyanmonkey]

Post boil, which should have killed any lacto, but this far removed from my normal routine.

I have a pH meter. What kind of pH would I be looking for?

 

[tjmac5071]

I never brew saison because I don't like them but my wife does so I split my pale ale half with belle last Saturday. Just took my first gravity sample today (1.002 from 1.058 in 6 days around 68 ). I got a very faint tartness in the flavor and thought maybe I did something wrong. Did yours clean up at all? I think it's fine, smells almost 100% like a tank 7. Planning to up the temp a bit for the next week then kegging and cold conditioning for a couple weeks before tapping, if I remember I will update with how this turned out as far as tartness goes.

 

[cyanmonkey]

Yeah, it did. I don't care for this strain, but the tartness definitely went away.

 

[tjmac5071]

What was it you didn't like about this strain? I only chose it because I didn't feel like making two different starters and picked what I heard was the best dry saison yeast.

 

[cyanmonkey]

Rather, I don't dislike it, I just think there are better stains. I let it so what it wanted during fermentation and it hit 78*. I didn't get any of the spiciniess that I get with other strains. I prefer 3711 or DuPont.

 

[joshesmusica]

Just wondering, do you always taste your beers 4 days into fermentation, or did you just check this one because you were worried?

 

[cyanmonkey]

I was worried about this one because of the "interesting" brew day. I've never left wort over night like that for several hours. Brew turned out fine.

I certainly don't typically taste it 4 days in.

 

[joshesmusica]

I was worried about this one because of the "interesting" brew day. I've never left wort over night like that for several hours. Brew turned out fine.

I certainly don't typically taste it 4 days in.

Kinda what I was thinking. I would imagine all kinds of "fun" flavors that soon into a saison fermentation from any saison yeast.

 

[cyanmonkey]

Kinda what I was thinking. I would imagine all kinds of "fun" flavors that soon into a saison fermentation from any saison yeast.

Right? I was mostly worried about lactic, but everything seems to have turned out ok. I mean, my recipe sucks, but it was a recipe issue, not an issue with brew day. I've got it kegged and in my fridge, so even if it had some sorry of infection it's somewhat controlled.

 

[joshesmusica]

Right? I was mostly worried about lactic, but everything seems to have turned out ok. I mean, my recipe sucks, but it was a recipe issue, not an issue with brew day. I've got it kegged and in my fridge, so even if it had some sorry of infection it's somewhat controlled.

How long did it end up staying in the fermentor? If you did end up with lacto, or any other wild organism, you would know pretty quickly.

 

[cyanmonkey]

How long did it end up staying in the fermentor? If you did end up with lacto, or any other wild organism, you would know pretty quickly.

I kegged it about a week and half after brew day.

 

[k_alebrewer]

I've had the same issue with Belle Saison yeast. The solution is very simple, bottle and leave it at room temp for around a month. But since you have already transferred it to the keg, conditioning it for 2-3 weeks will definitely help. Use your keg a secondary.
Cheers!

 

[cyanmonkey]

Yup. It's going to be in there a while before I start hittin' it.