Question about Belgian Saison I Ale White Labs #WLP565 (not what you think)

[rjstew]

So I brewed a black pepper saison with WLP565 on 8/25, recipe is below. I hit 64% efficiency and OG was 1.066. Estimated FG was 1.014. I made a huge 3 liter starter since it was 9 gallons. I basically tripled a 1 liter starter by decanting half of the previous starter into a new starter over 3 days.

I just took my first sample and FG appears to be 1.004. How is it possible that it dropped so low? I was expecting to have this stall out at 1.03 like everyone else but it did the exact opposite.



Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size (fermenter): 9.00 gal
Estimated OG: 1.066 SG
Estimated Color: 7.2 SRM
Estimated IBU: 34.5 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 64.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 71.6 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
1 lbs Rice Hulls (0.0 SRM) Adjunct 1 3.8 %
16 lbs Pilsner (2 Row) Bel (2.0 SRM) Grain 2 61.5 %
3 lbs 8.0 oz Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM) Grain 3 13.5 %
3 lbs 8.0 oz Wheat Malt, Ger (2.0 SRM) Grain 4 13.5 %
1 lbs Acid Malt (3.0 SRM) Grain 5 3.8 %
1 lbs Candi Sugar, Amber (45.0 SRM) Sugar 6 3.8 %
3.00 oz Hallertauer [4.80 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 7 25.6 IBUs
2.00 oz Styrian Goldings [5.40 %] - Boil 10.0 mi Hop 8 7.0 IBUs
1.80 Items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 5.0 mins) Fining 9 -
1.00 oz Styrian Goldings [5.40 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 10 1.9 IBUs
25.00 g Black Pepper - Cracked (Boil 5.0 mins) Spice 11 -
1.0 pkg Belgian Saison I Ale (White Labs #WLP565 Yeast 12 -

 

[rjstew]

Sorry, forgot to mention that I mashed 10.5 gallons at 148-149 for 60 minutes and sparged 4.5 gallons at 169 degrees for 30 minutes. Collected exactly 9.5 gallons.

I also screwed up, was rushing at the very end and pitched at 88 degrees. I just tasted the beer and it tasted great, so it doesn't like this gave off anything bad. I've read that you can ferment this up to 90 degrees but obviously you want to ramp up from 70 or so, not start there. Not sure if that would have affected attenuation.

 

[chocotaco]

That's a pretty low mash and saison yeast can be an attenuation monster under the right conditions. Sounds like you had them.

It's not unheard of for saisons to get below 1.0 FG.

 

[rjstew]

Thanks for the info Chocotaco. I was just super surprised when the FG was at the other end of the spectrum from everything I read. It tastes good, that's all that matters. Fortunately the pepper is hot so that distracts from the alcohol hot.

I just won't tell the girlfriend she's drinking a couple of double-saison's.

 

[wmtunate]

When people say 565 (and wyeast 3724) "stalls" around 1.030, they mean just that. It doesn't completely quit. Rousing the yeast with a swirl and boosting the temperature will get it to keep going and finish really low. It just takes time. I've never had that strain stall on me, but then again, I ramp the temp from 80 to 90 F over the course of the first week and then keep it there for about 2 weeks more. 3 weeks to get below 1.010 is about right, so I'm not surprised by your FG reading.

 

[JoppaFarms]

I agree with the first response in this thread. Saison yeasts are in a class of their own. The low mash temp gave you a LOT more fermentables than a temp in the 152-155 range would have. Sounds like you're going to have a really high ABV beverage there. If it's too much for you, you can always send some my way