Wyest 3711 - in a BIG beer tailored after a Saison?

[jjones17]

Hello out there in HBT land!

I was hoping someone out there may have had experience in using French Saison yeast in a very big beer.... say 1.110 + OG? I have made 2 Saisons with my 3711 reserves, and I am looking to make one final Saison using this yeast I have been saving (in a cake under my most recently brewed saison).

I wonder what it would taste like? I am hoping for a Belgian Trippel(or Quad)-esque strength beer with the flavors of the Saison style of beer. I am looking at likely all Pilsner malt, or maybe with 5-10% wheat (flaked or malted, not sure yet). I may add some orange peel as well.

Anyone try this? I am going to do it either way, but I am curious what attenuation and flavor profiles look like when you get to that OG using this strain.

 

[AwesomeSquad]

I was thinking about doing the same thing. I spoke with a guy who said that getting the og that high will throw off a lot of neat funky flavors.

 

[Glossolalia]

Last summer, I used Wyeast 3711 in a beer where the OG was just over 1.100. FG came in around 1.011. The grist was more to the style of a BSDA, including Pilsen, wheat, Vienna, Caravienne, Caramunich, and house-roasted aromatic malts, chaptalized with house-made dark candi syrup and sucrose. It was hopped with Tettnanger hops. It turned out rather well according to my notes. Despite the huge ABV, it was quite dry and dangerously digestible (as the Belgians would put it).

My tasting notes: "Dark chocolate in color with a pale tan head that dissipates over time, but leaves a bit of lacing. The aroma is massive and complex with a significant dark fruit presence--maybe raisins and figs--and lots of molasses, toffee and cola. There's also a bit of spiciness on the nose. The body is definitely full, but smooth and not viscous. It's amazingly dry, but the alcohol is apparent. No doubt a sipper. There's a bit of a boozy bite in the back of the throat on the finish and a bit of spice."

 

[BigRob]

Did an extract "wheatwine" with an OG of 1.100 a few years back, using 3711, even with a big underpitch it finished out at 1.012, it was undrinkable, through no fault of the yeast, just horrible clashing hops.

 

[runs4beer]

I did a 2.5 gallon batch of first runnings and its OG was 1.108 FG 1.006. It was only two months old when I tasted it last. It very dry my comment was its like red wine with a Belgian yeast character and others agreed, very thin mouth feel and alcohol heat. I’m going to give a few more months before I open another bottle.
The bill was something like 40% Pils, 40% German wheat and 5% aromatic 5% cara pils.

But the second running batch was amazing, the tannins made it so dry, I think it’s OG was 1.046 and finished below 1.000