Wyeat 3724 Stuck at 1.031

[castillo]

My Saison has been stuck at 1.031 for about a week now. I have it sitting in a water bath heated to 88F with an aquarium heater. I started fermentation at about 68F then after about two days I started to raise the temp. My question is should I just let it be or should I pitch some other yeast?

 

[neilpcraven]

It's typical for that yeast. Happened to me before. Give it a good swirl about (but don't oxygenate it!). That should wake up the lazy buggers. Keep it nice and warm - it should drop down to single digits assuming your mash converted properly. Last time i used this yeast it (eventually) went all the way down to 1.001!

 

[castillo]

I have given it a couple of good swirls already through the week and I've kept it warm all this time. Still the gravity has not dropped one point in a week.

 

[Calder]

I assume you are using an hydrometer to take SG readings. If it is a refractometer, you need to use a calculator to estimate the gravity as it does not read properly when there is alcohol present.

I had a stubborn Belgian yeast. It was harvested, so I don't know what strain it is. Took a simple wort (1.084) down to 1.035 and stopped. I was expecting somewhere in the region of 1,008.

I heated it up, got some activity, but not much. Probably went down to somewhere between 1.025 and 1.030 (using a refractometer and I'm not confident with it - the 1.035 reading was with an hydrometer).

Eventually racked it onto a fresh cake (of an English yeast), and it has come down nicely. Currently around 1.010, with some slow airlock activity still going on.

 

[neilpcraven]

Remember these guys are Belgian. Belgians don't always do things quickly - remember that time they went without a government for about a year and a half?
The wyeast site itself says they're prone to stick. When mine did, I swirled it a couple of times every so often and then left it. After 6 weeks it had dropped to about 1.006 and tasted amazing.
Keep it as warm as you can. If you have trouble stick it in the corner, it's always 90 degrees there

 

[murrahjm]

More heat and more time. See the warning on the wyeast page: https://www.wyeastlab.com/rw_yeaststrain_detail.cfm?ID=60

The last time I brewed with 3724 I had three solid weeks of fermentation in a 90+ degree garage. In fact to save my sanity I don't even bother doing gravity readings before 3 weeks with this yeast.

 

[AnOldUR]

I started fermentation at about 68F then after about two days I started to raise the temp.

What temperature is it at now?

from murrahjm's link above:

YEAST STRAIN: 3724 | Belgian Saison™

This strain is the classic farmhouse ale yeast. A traditional yeast that is spicy with complex aromatics, including bubble gum. It is very tart and dry on the palate with a mild fruitiness. Expect a crisp, mildly acidic finish that will benefit from elevated fermentation temperatures. This strain is notorious for a rapid and vigorous start to fermentation, only to stick around 1.035 S.G. Fermentation will finish, given time and warm temperatures. Warm fermentation temperatures, at least 90°F (32°C), or the use of a secondary strain can accelerate attenuation.

Origin:
Flocculation: Low
Attenuation: 76-80%
Temperature Range: 70-95F, 21-35C
Alcohol Tolerance: 12% ABV

 

[castillo]

right now it's around the low to mid 80'sF.

 

[HopOnHops]

I too decided to forgo the warnings about that yeast. My saison stuck in the mid 30s for a solid month. Then one day BAM. 1.007. I was sampling every week. It was so rachet but eventually it does get there.