From the article referenced above, in short: increased partial pressure of CO2
Quote:
“I’m inclined to view the method Drew proposes as an easy way to decrease the risk of a stalled ferment when using the Dupont strain.”
Unquote.
My 6 or 7 saisons using this particular strain 3724, never truly stalled and I never used heat…my room temps (mostly low to mid 70’s) with the foil over the fermenter opening led to steady if not mercurial fermentations, and some good beer.
Nah, it doesn’t have to be sanitized, just my process. Shrugs.
And this:
Many brewers fear the dreaded “saison stall” seen with these strains. Your fermentation goes gangbusters for a day or two, and then all activity stops for two to three weeks. I’ve done experiments that give credence to these strains’ preference for open fermentation. Give your yeast room to breathe. Dupont uses large squarish fermentors with plenty of air space. For homebrewers, just slap aluminum foil over your fermentor instead of an airlock during primary fermentation.
(From the Beechum article above)
I’ll try the foil today I did read that article BTW. Shows how much I actually remember
Don’t worry about sanitizing the foil. I think all of us here have our overkill sanitation things. I have vodka in the bubblers when I never had a problem using tap water for years.
So I’m scheming my next beer, thinking a grisette for easy drinker /hot weather /low ABV. Want to try one of the dry DuPont strains mentioned earlier in this thread.
Dang…seems like there is no dry Du Pont equivalent. The RVA 261 saison 1 sounds great but it’s a slurry…WLP and WY are both liquid…the BY 125 you cite I can’t find…
Maybe I can road trip soon to a Wyeast provider.
Can’t even think about shipping liquid yeast here…I tried this past December and the smakpack came hot and looking like a pufferfish lol.
Ok the currant Saison was at .004 at 9 days. Its 26 days now and i just got around to kegging. Its still .004 so i believe its stable. Sample had the nice saison yeast taste also something extra that i couldn’t identify. Maybe something from the currants? Warm and flat so can’t judge yet. Wasn’t a spitter for sure. Little stronger than i like but. Started at .058 thought the decoction would make it finish higher.
If you guys are getting .998 maybe i did get some body from the step and decoction. I have it kegged at a high Psi along with my heff so a bit carbonated. Its good similar to Great Divide Collette or Alagash Saison which is what i was going for. Ive made this before with a single decotion using 3711. Interested to see how this compares going deeper into the keg
One thing I have learned about brewing is patience. If I need the fermenters then it can go into secondary fermenters. Next time I think I will try using 3711 instead of 3724 for yeast.
Wait it out. It will still chug along and dry out quite a bit more. Reasonable to move it into a secondary fermenter if you need your primary, that may even give it a little nudge. I would not add additional yeast.
I did read that article BTW. Shows how much I actually remember 
