what to do, can anything even be done?

[wgonfan]

3 weeks ago I brewed my first partial mash, a belgian blonde, I used wyeast saison3724 yeast hoping to achieve a more robust flavor profile. Fermentation started 10hrs after pitching and the wort was kept at 80f for 1 week then ramped up to 90 over a few days and kept it there for another week. It smelled and tasted great for the 1st two weeks, but now its lacking any flavor other than alcohol (not fusely though). The fruity, clove banana aroma I still there but not the flavor. I understand and have experinced first hand that the flavor will likely improve after bottling but my real concern is that My og was 1.054 and its currently at 1.008 and shows no signs of stopping. Thats ~85% aa, that yeast tops out at 80% i believe. This beer is thin and the color is a watery orange. I don't want it to get any thinner or dryer than it is now or it will be worthless. I don't want to tie up 50 bottles for alcohol water. I've moved it to the fridge at 35f until I can determine what to do. Do you guys have any suggestions? Maybe I can bottle with out priming?


Also, im wondering what in my brewing process may of caused this? The grain bill; 5lb LME, 2.5lbs of base grain (not listed, 2 row maybe?) and 1lb of special grains (Golden Promise, Aromatic, red wheat). (Expected og1.052, fg 1.012) Also, Hallertau, Willamette Hops. I also added brewvint alcohol boost, so I felt like my og of 1.054 was right on the mark. I mashed the grains in my aluminum pot t 154f, but all three of my thermometers (dial, digital, ir) kept giving me different readings. I eneded up assuming my dial thermo was the most accurate and trusted it. However there is good chance that my mash temp could had dropped as low as 148 and as high as 165 but only for a minute or two each while I was playing with thermometers. I mashed for 60mins, then sparged 1.5gals of 170f water. I did not take a preboil sg. I did the boil just as I had done my extract kits, and pitched the yeast at 70f. Any ideas? Would my temp problem of caused a high aa and thin beer?

 

[BrewinHooligan]

The temp problem could have been a low mash temp making a more fermentable beer. I know there are wine chemicals available that can halt the yeast, but you won't be able to bottle prime if you kill off the yeast. I say package, condition, and see it through. What you taste now could and most likely will be completely different from the final, carbonated product.

 

[Genjin]

Generally speaking, Saison is a very dry style. My saison is still in the fermenter and finished at 0.998, but it doesn't taste thin, just dry. If you did indeed mash low (145-148) you may have gotten more fermentables in the wort.

I have found that beer often tastes thinner when it is not carbonated. My guess is that it is done after three weeks at those high temps and 1.008 is pretty low for an extract beer. If you want it to carbonated beer I suggest that you prime it as normal. Also, I would let it warm back up to room temperature before you bottle.

What are you looking for when you say 'robust'? If you want a malty robust beer, I think you should choose a yeast that attenuates less or maybe use malts like crystal, aromatic, biscuit, melanoidin, etc. Saison/Belgian yeasts will give you a lot of interesting flavors, but wont necessarily help you make a full bodied beer.

 

[wgonfan]

Robust was probably the wrong word. I guess interesting or complex would be more appropriate.

 

[beergolf]

Let the beer finish. Your mistake was moving it to the fridge before it was done. Your now have a big risk of bottle bombs. You cannot stop yeast that wants to eat. Once you decide to botttle the yeast will start up again and go crazy. Possible bombs. The yeast may wake up if you bringup the temp, but it may not.

You have to let the beer finish before you decide the flavor. That means
letting fermentation finish and then bottling and letting it carb up. Beers often taste very thin before carbing and aging properly. making a decision of a young uncarbed beer is a mistake.