What would be some good yeast strains to use in my apartment at 76 - 78 degrees Fahrenheit? I’d prefer to brew without sacrificing my comfort.
I’m going to try my first brew as the NB Saison de Noel. Wyeast 3726. I intend to make a starter. Any input on how much starter I should make? (The stir plate is being shipped currently.)
Do I need temperature control? I was considering building a Son of Fermentation chiller.
Any tips on starting out besides what I’ve read in Papazian and Palmer?
What would be some good yeast strains to use in my apartment at 76 - 78 degrees Fahrenheit? I’d prefer to brew without sacrificing my comfort.
I’m going to try my first brew as the NB Saison de Noel. Wyeast 3726. I intend to make a starter. Any input on how much starter I should make? (The stir plate is being shipped currently.)
Do I need temperature control? I was considering building a Son of Fermentation chiller.
Any tips on starting out besides what I’ve read in Papazian and Palmer?[/quote]
Unfortunately, there really isn’t a good yeast for those temps. Some Belgian yeasts will do OK at higher temps, but you need to pitch them in the mid 60s and hold that temp for 5-7 days before letting the temp rise.
[quote=“Denny”]
Best place for starter info is mrmalty.com
Unfortunately, there really isn’t a good yeast for those temps. Some Belgian yeasts will do OK at higher temps, but you need to pitch them in the mid 60s and hold that temp for 5-7 days before letting the temp rise.[/quote]
Thank you for the nice starter link. Apparently one liter will do the job.
My understanding about Wyeast 3726 was that it played well in the eighties, no?
I believe the strain is relatively specialized/new(?). Although, if it will produce good quality product at room temperature, I will certainly buy it again.
So, you are saying a fermentation chiller is essential?
About the rising temperature. I assume a gradual rise is called for. How would that play out in specifics?
Some will disagree, but I’ve had great results fermenting Saisons in the mid 70s. I just did one with 3711 that I pitched at 78* and just let it sit at room temp, 74*, it was fantastic and went over very well at my brew club meeting.
Did you use a secondary? I appreciate your feedback. Now I have the courage to proceed without cooling.[/quote]
No, I don’t do secondary conditioning anymore, but it won’t hurt you either, some say they get a clearer beer, my Saison is really clear though. I don’t know what you meant by ‘proceed without cooling’, but you do need to cool your wort somewhat quickly down to pitching temps…
I know. 74* room temp, so my belgians that I want to ferment warm are at 78ish. A lot of peoples brewing habits, myself included, seem to be from heresay. I just tried this one time for a saison a while ago and it worked really well for me, so thats my go to for belgians that I want to have strong yeast character, no probelm with fusels. I just did a Dubbell that I’m fermenting at 66*…
I know. 74* room temp, so my belgians that I want to ferment warm are at 78ish. A lot of peoples brewing habits, myself included, seem to be from heresay. I just tried this one time for a saison a while ago and it worked really well for me, so thats my go to for belgians that I want to have strong yeast character, no probelm with fusels. I just did a Dubbell that I’m fermenting at 66*…[/quote]
Well, my opinion on this is based on many, many batches of experience. But tastes differ, so if you get what you want fermenting warmer, go for it.
I’ve probably done a dozen or so Saison batches and do ten gallon batches. I used to ferment one carboy at warm temps and one at cooler ale temps to get a feel for it, but just always liked the warm ones better. Denny, I’m sure you’ve done quite a few more though. What does fermenting at 65ish* and ramping up after 4-5 days do as opposed to just fermenting at 65*? I’ve never tried this. Also, what don’t you like about warm fermenting Saisons? I’ve tasted fusels and off flavors in some of my beginning batches with 1056 from fermenting too high, but dont seem to get that from 3711, 3726, etc.
I’ve used 3726 a few times, but my go to is 3711. By ramping up the temps I make sure the beer is fully attenuated. By keeping the temps down for the first few days or so, I avoid fusels and esters that I don’t care for. But there’s more than one way to make beer! If you’ve tried it both ways and prefer the higher temps, that’s the right way for you to do it.
I read an article in Zymurgy by Drew Beechum about saisons. Sorry I don’t have a link, but I think it was titled “a saison for every season” or something like that. His approach is to chill to 65 before the pitch, then let it naturally rise to where ever it will. He mentions brewing in So Cal and talks about most saison strains doing well into the 80’s and even low 90’s! I haven’t had one hit that high, but if you like the funky esters produced by saison yeast, you’ll get pleny of them using this technique. If you prefer just a hint of their character in the background, better hit Craig’s list for an extra fridge!
I know. 74* room temp, so my belgians that I want to ferment warm are at 78ish. A lot of peoples brewing habits, myself included, seem to be from heresay. I just tried this one time for a saison a while ago and it worked really well for me, so thats my go to for belgians that I want to have strong yeast character, no probelm with fusels. I just did a Dubbell that I’m fermenting at 66*…[/quote]
The 77-78* is my current room temperature.
From the conversation above (sorry, I don’t know how to quote everyone), I gather that (Thanks again, Denny and all) it would be nice to keep the room temps low for a few days during primary. The 74* room temp for primary seems to be a do-able target. (Though my AC does have some trouble keeping up with hot Houston summers sometimes.) As far as ramping up the temperatures for attenuation, how high do you go? and how quickly?
While I appreciate the fruity, spicy notes from a Belgian brew, I do not go for the horse blanket aroma. I guess I’ll check into the spare fridge idea when I can. Right now, I’m more interested in getting my first batch under my belt at room temperatures.
I know. 74* room temp, so my belgians that I want to ferment warm are at 78ish. A lot of peoples brewing habits, myself included, seem to be from heresay. I just tried this one time for a saison a while ago and it worked really well for me, so thats my go to for belgians that I want to have strong yeast character, no probelm with fusels. I just did a Dubbell that I’m fermenting at 66*…[/quote]
The 77-78* is my current room temperature.
From the conversation above, I gather that (Thanks again, Denny) it would be nice to keep the room temps low for a few days during primary. The 74* room temp for primary seems to be a do-able target. (Though my AC does have some trouble keeping up with hot Houston summers sometimes.) As far as ramping up the temperatures for attenuation, how high do you go? and how quickly?[/quote]
IMO, you need to start lower than 74…a LOT lower. Mid 60s would be as high as I want to go for the first 5-7 days. Check out “Brew Like a Monk” for examples.
Another option is to use a swamp cooler. Put your primary in a larger bucket or cooler with some ice packs and cover with a blanket.
Even in the hot summer months, I can bring down my wort temps to the mid 60s and hold them there with my primary in a large bucket with two large ice packs in my basement. I’ve also found that putting the primary on top of an AC vent in my kitchen works as well. My wife prefers the primary in our basement.
