Saison fermentation + Wyeast 3724

[Merkur]

Hi - I'm fermenting a Saison and after a lot of reading I am using the approach where I step the temperature up one degree a day. The fermentation has gone well and is about to finish at the target FG of 1.011. My normal approach would be to wait 4-5 days after the FG is reached and confirmed with a hydrometer and then keg it. I plan to add some BioFine or gelatin to the keg and do an oxygen free pressure transfer.

Is this a good approach? Am I better off adding the BioFine to the fermenter before kegging?

Thanks.

 

[adhomebrew10]

I would recommend you add any clarity agents to the fermenter instead of the keg, otherwise you will end up with a lot of gunk at the bottom of your keg. If you are worried about introducing oxygen at this point, you still have positive pressure on the fermenter and can be added safely, then maybe do a cold crash before transferring. A saison is fine with poor clarity, however, so it would probably be ok to do without as well. Are you wanting to remove the yeast, clear up chill haze or something else?

 

[Miraculix]

I don't see any benefit in slowly ramping the temperature here. Ramping is usually done to lower yeast expression while boosting attenuation. Here in this case, it's a saison which means we want as much yeast expression we can get. Also 3724 is said to be prone to stalling and finishing slooooowly when fermented not warm enough. It's also described as being able to take temperatures up to 35 degrees without negative impact.

This ticks all the boxes for me to go full force from day one! If I could, I would start and finish the ferment at 32c, just to have a little space for system induced temperature swings.

It finishes quicker this way and the yeast expression is higher. Both things that I want.

Funnily, I just have a fermenter in a waterbath with a fish tank heater in it right now in my kitchen. Unfortunately, the heater is only able to heat it up to 27c, too much thermal mass and heat loss for this one I guess.

I have added half a pack of belle saison to it on day two to bring the final gravity really down. I hope that I can still maintain the 3724 character this way while lowering the final gravity. In about 12 days it will be bottling time.

 

[Merkur]

Thanks for the input. Yep the Saison has reached terminal gravity, so the degree a day bump worked out. Lots of people have warned about this yeast stalling. I will add the BrewClear to the fermenter. I have perfected the 'syringe attached to a ball-lock' technique for adding tinctures and finings so I'm not concerned about oxidation.

 

[Miraculix]

Thanks for the input. Yep the Saison has reached terminal gravity, so the degree a day bump worked out. Lots of people have warned about this yeast stalling. I will add the BrewClear to the fermenter. I have perfected the 'syringe attached to a ball-lock' technique for adding tinctures and finings so I'm not concerned about oxidation.

I think the main things to do to avoid this particular yeast stalling is fermenting at a high enough temperature and to open ferment for the main part of the fermentation. High enough temperature can be sufficient alone, but why risk it, I fermented it open for the first two days before I added the belle saison. Few days later, visual inspection of the fermenter from the outside says it is done, but I have no way to really check. I will wait till the weekend after next and then bottle.