Too early to move saison to secondary?

[bovineblitz]

Two weeks ago I brewed up a saison with an OG of 1.053, pitched with Wyeast 3724. Gravity is currently sitting at 1.011 and there is slow airlock activity so I want to give it more time.

The thing is I want to get another beer in the fermenter, I only have one 6gal container. Will it hurt my saison to move it? I'm worried fermentation might stop or something. It tastes great right now but I want it to dry out more.

 

[ChshreCat]

2 weeks is definitely early for that yeast. 3724 is a balky yeast as it is. If you rack it to secondary before it's done, you're only going to make matters worse. Leave it alone for a few more weeks, keep it warm and let it crawl down to terminal gravity, or pitch a starter of 3711 to finish it off quicker.

 

[bovineblitz]

Hm... was afraid of that. I was hoping that the yeast in secondary would be enough to do the trick but you're right it might just stop fermenting. I want to brew an IPA on friday... maybe I'll make a small starter of washed S05 to toss into the secondary.

 

[ChshreCat]

Or you can just pick up a new primary fermenter. That's what I'd do. Ale pails are cheap and you can have two brews going at once. If you're going to repitch into the saison, I'd suggest Wyeast 3711. S05 won't dry it out like a saison should be dried out. In fact, it might not take that beer any lower than it is right now.

 

[Homercidal]

Cheschrecat is spot on. If it were me I'd just buy another Ale Pail. They are cheap.

Then again I don't think it would necessarily hurt anything to transfer it to a secondary. You may even pick up some more live yeast from the bottom and help move things along. But then you're still talking about keeping it in the secondary for a few more weeks.

That yeast is very good at taking it's time getting down there, and for a Saison, you want it as low as it can go. Someone once suggested pitching a champagne yeast once the Saison yeast had slowed way down. Sort of cheating, but effective, and a Saison ought to be dry anyway, so what's the harm?

 

[bovineblitz]

Thanks for the input, this forum is invaluable.

I suppose if I have to go to the store for either yeast or another fermenter I may as well pick up another fermenter. But then again, SWMBO is on my case about the amount of equipment in the small apt/the $ spent on equipment, so idk about that. I have several 5gal secondaries and I would just reduce my grain bill to 4.5gal but the grain is already milled and mixed and I don't want an 8% IPA.

My current thought is to swirl slightly to agitate the yeast a little bit, rack to secondary, and cross my fingers. If I don't see an improvement I'll pitch another yeast... I like the idea of champagne yeast, a dry packet is really cheap.

I knew this would be an eventual problem when I brewed the saison, I just figured I'd come up with something... lol. Unless I get an additional primary, in the future I'll just brew slightly stronger 4.5 gallon saisons!

 

[ChshreCat]

If you have to rack it, give it the swirl and suck up as much of the top layer of the yeast cake as you can like Homer said. Leaving it alone is the best option, but if you HAVE to rack... taking as much yeast as possible with it would be a good idea.

 

[prosper]

pump up the temps for a few days to ensure it's fermented out. You DON'T want it taking down another 4 or 5 points in the bottle!

Depending on the specifics of your recipe, I would fully expect this yeast to finish anywhere from 1.003 to 1.008 or so with your SG

 

[bovineblitz]

I think it'll finish very dry.

Batch Size: 5.50 gal
OG: 1.053
Estimated IBU: 28.5 IBU
Boil Time: 60 Minutes
Mashed at 148 for 1 hour

Ingredients:
7.50 lb Pilsner (2 Row) Bel (2.0 SRM)
1.50 lb Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM)
1.50 lb Wheat Malt, Bel (2.0 SRM)
0.50 lb Acidulated Malt (3.0 SRM)
2.00 gm Grains of Paradise (Boil 15.0 min)
0.50 lb Sugar, Table (Sucrose) (1.0 SRM)

2.00 oz Hallertauer Mittelfrueh [4.00%] (60min)
0.50 oz Saaz [4.40%] (15 min)

1 Pkgs Dupont Saison (Wyeast Labs #3724)

----------------

I don't have any temp control but it's typically in the mid-upper 80s in the day and mid 70s at night... and I'm willing to give it the time it needs.

 

[ChshreCat]

If you really want it dry, throw in some 3711. It took mine from 1.067 down to 1.000!

 

[bovineblitz]

I didn't brew on Friday, doing it tomorrow instead... so I racked it today, it was at 1.008. I think it'll dry out a little more in secondary, but if not I suppose I can live with 1.008.