I finally brewed my first saison, well 2 actually. I used WLP 565 the Dupont strain. I have read Farm house brews. Countless forum postings and the reviews on White labs site. So I was prepared! I was ready to wait a long time! I made a big starter. I mashed low @ 143F. I aerated well with an airstone intially and then again into ferment. I kept them warm. One in a water bath the other in a ferment chamber with a heating pad.
The one in the chamber with heating pad is already down to 1.011 after only 2 days! It was a simple one. Only pilsner. I had it up to about 82F in there. The other astonishing thing? It already tastes pretty damn good after only a few days!
The other in the water bath is still chugging. I have only let it get as high as 75F so far. It is easier to control a slow ramp up with the aquarium heater. I did not have that control with the heating pad (though that does not seem to have hurt.) It was my first attempt at a cereal mash using spelt. That one is only down to 1.018, but, hey it is only 2 days. This one is pretty tasty too. Definitley some bready flavors. Also some banana I do not pick up in the other one.
Normally I would not check a beer this early. I would not touch for at least 2 weeks. Since I am new to this yeast though and after all I have read I wanted to see how it goes though. The krauesen last night I think, and one was no longer producing enough CO2 to escape the airlock, so I guess I wanted to see if the rumors of its sluggishness were true.
Can't wait to repitch from these for another round...