[yso191]

My next brew will be a Saison.  It will be light, at 5%.  I am trying to highlight the yeast.  According to Wyeast, this yeast's temperature range is 65-77F.  Those of you that are familiar with it, what temperature to you recommend?

[HoosierBrew]

Personally, I like to hold 65-66F for 48 hrs, then ramp a couple dF/day up to upper 70s.

[yso191]

Thanks Jon.  Do you get good ester production at that temp?  I was thinking hotter was the way to go.

[dmtaylor]

I'd keep in the 60s for a whole week before ramping up.  Then give it time.  It can take up to a full month before the last few sugars are eaten up by this yeast.  You'll still get your Belgiany esters.

[HoosierBrew]

Thanks Jon.  Do you get good ester production at that temp?  I was thinking hotter was the way to go.

Yeah, holding the first couple days @ 65ish keeps the esters from being over the top, but slow ramping after a couple days gives me the nice ester level I'm after. I know people ferment saison strains all over the map. Just me.

[yso191]

Thanks guys, that's what I wanted to know!

[Stevie]

I avoid the higher temps. I have found that high temps lead to faster ferments, but the beer isn't drinkable for a couple of months due to higher alcohols. The beers are great after a few months, so I guess it depends on what you are going for

[dilluh98]

I've noticed this as well. If you wait them out they can be great but I usually stick with less extreme high temp ranges for saison fermentations these days as it still provides the complexity but waaaay less time conditioning in keg/bottle for things to sort themselves out.

[toby]

I'm a big fan of just leaving this one at room temperature (74-76F) in my home office for saisons.  I wrap in a towel for light protection and let it do its thing.

[erockrph]

I like the tart/citrus character of this yeast a lot, and prefer not to push the esters too much. My table saison is about 4.5%, and I keep it in the mid 60's for the first 2 weeks, then strap on my brew belt for one more week to help it finish out. This tends to enhance the citrus and leaves a background of fruity Belgian esters and a hint of white pepper.

One thing about this strain is that once you think you hit FG, give it another week. It will tend to eat down the final 2-4 gravity points slowly. I plan on 3 weeks in primary, where I give most other ales 2 weeks.

[troybinso]

This yeast is a different beast when it comes to attenuation. You should shoot for an original gravity under 1.045 to get close to 5%. I've had it get down to 1.002 before.

I usually add body builders like rye or oats and mash around 158  to keep the final gravity up. Never had a problem with a slow or stalled ferment.

My basement is between 64 and 68 throughout the year. I pitch at about 66 and just let it go. Easiest fermentation ever.

[charles1968]

I've tried 3711 at room temp and cooler at 65F. Worked fine either way but the warmer ferment had a bit more character.

[toby]

This yeast is a different beast when it comes to attenuation. You should shoot for an original gravity under 1.045 to get close to 5%. I've had it get down to 1.002 before.

I've had it get down to 1.001 and 1.000.  It's basically the only saison yeast I use.  It's such a beast and almost set and forget.  The only 'problem' I ever had with it was a winter time brew where I kept it in the fermenting freezer in the garage.  I was struggling to keep it above 60F since I didn't have my heat cord in there at the time.  Just moved it into the office, and from that point on, I just started using the office for my saisons.

[reverseapachemaster]

Pitch around 75F and let it free rise to 85F. Hold until fermentation ends and then cut off the heat and let it finish at ambient. Definitely needs a month or two of age to hit its stride at those temps.

I find 3711 too bland at cooler temperatures for my tastes.

[erockrph]

This yeast is a different beast when it comes to attenuation. You should shoot for an original gravity under 1.045 to get close to 5%. I've had it get down to 1.002 before.

I usually add body builders like rye or oats and mash around 158  to keep the final gravity up. Never had a problem with a slow or stalled ferment.

Agree on planning for an OG less than you're used to. I was shooting for 4% when I first brewed my table saison, so I set an OG of 1.040. It ended up finishing at 1.003 and overshot my target ABV by a bit. Flavor-wise the recipe was spot-on for what I wanted though, so I still brew it at that OG now.

As far as adding adjuncts or mashing high to keep the FG up, I don't think that's necessary with this strain. It produces some compounds that boost the mouthfeel in the finished beer. Even down at 1.002, I've never had a beer that seemed thin or watery at all.