I recently made an attempt at a clean Saison. I read a number of forums and asked some questions from the homebrew store.
Recipe was 76% Weyermann Bohemian Pilsner, 16% Rahr White Wheat, and 8% (1 16oz bag) Golden Candi Syrup.
I used 2 packages of Wyeast 3711.
Hopped with 1oz East Kent at 60 minutes and 1oz of Saaz at 50 minutes.
Used BIIB single infusion mash, and mashed around 148ish for 60 minutes (also put the candi syrup in the mash and did not burn it with the boil)
Boiled for about 65 minutes.
OG 1.052
Set the controller to operate between 67-70 (68.5 happy medium) for 2 days and increased the temperature one degree for the next five days. Fermented for 14 days.
FG shocked the hell out of me at 1.002.
Bottled from the bucket adding 5oz corn sugar and just a tick of table sugar trying to carb to around 2.9.
Let the bottles sit 69-72 (70.5 happy medium) for 15 days.
Crashed a bottle for 2 days in the fridge before trying.
When I tried it, the carbonation was perfect. It smelled great. But I got an off taste at the end that reminded me of brewing with extract if that makes any sense. I didn't notice the off caramel flavors of an extract, but it was almost a sugar. I also noticed a lime like flavor toward the back-end. The latter, I think time will cure as I ran into the same thing from a brewery, and their Saison was absolutely killer two weeks later.
The first really bothers me as I want to learn from my mistakes.
Maybe next time I would ditch the sugar and maybe use a small amount of Munich as the FG with this yeast is insane, but I wanted to hear if anyone else had a similar experience and could give some advice of how to do better the next time. I hope things will improve by sitting on it for a couple of weeks, but just in case, I would welcome some advice.
Thank you.
Recipe was 76% Weyermann Bohemian Pilsner, 16% Rahr White Wheat, and 8% (1 16oz bag) Golden Candi Syrup.
I used 2 packages of Wyeast 3711.
Hopped with 1oz East Kent at 60 minutes and 1oz of Saaz at 50 minutes.
Used BIIB single infusion mash, and mashed around 148ish for 60 minutes (also put the candi syrup in the mash and did not burn it with the boil)
Boiled for about 65 minutes.
OG 1.052
Set the controller to operate between 67-70 (68.5 happy medium) for 2 days and increased the temperature one degree for the next five days. Fermented for 14 days.
FG shocked the hell out of me at 1.002.
Bottled from the bucket adding 5oz corn sugar and just a tick of table sugar trying to carb to around 2.9.
Let the bottles sit 69-72 (70.5 happy medium) for 15 days.
Crashed a bottle for 2 days in the fridge before trying.
When I tried it, the carbonation was perfect. It smelled great. But I got an off taste at the end that reminded me of brewing with extract if that makes any sense. I didn't notice the off caramel flavors of an extract, but it was almost a sugar. I also noticed a lime like flavor toward the back-end. The latter, I think time will cure as I ran into the same thing from a brewery, and their Saison was absolutely killer two weeks later.
The first really bothers me as I want to learn from my mistakes.
Maybe next time I would ditch the sugar and maybe use a small amount of Munich as the FG with this yeast is insane, but I wanted to hear if anyone else had a similar experience and could give some advice of how to do better the next time. I hope things will improve by sitting on it for a couple of weeks, but just in case, I would welcome some advice.
Thank you.