Repitch on 655 cake, primary or secondary?

My blonde saison (Og 1055) is fermenting since 3 days now at 75°C.

I'm planning an Imperial Black Saison (OG 1080) to pitch on the yeast cake.

I have two brewing session planned in the next weeks... May 25th (1 week after Saison 1 brew) or June 15th (4 weeks after Saison 1 brew).


Should I brew the Black Saison on may 25th, and then pitch it on the primary yeast cake (and rack the first saison in secondary), or should I let it in primary for 4 weeks, then brew and pitch on it the black saison on june 15th?

Thanks guys!

If you do the May 25th schedule, you might be taking the blonde off the yeast too soon. It's possible fermentation won't even be done yet at that point. Even if it is done, the beer will clean up its flavors faster if it's on the main yeast cake. So I think I'd go for the later schedule. A few additional weeks for the yeast cake on the bottom of a normal-gravity beer shouldn't affect its viability too much.

motorneuron said:

If you do the May 25th schedule, you might be taking the blonde off the yeast too soon. It's possible fermentation won't even be done yet at that point. Even if it is done, the beer will clean up its flavors faster if it's on the main yeast cake. So I think I'd go for the later schedule. A few additional weeks for the yeast cake on the bottom of a normal-gravity beer shouldn't affect its viability too much.

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Yhea... that's what I was thinking... for any other style, I would not worry and transfer to secondary (in the case of a repitch on cake, because I usually not do a secondary). But it looks like saison love to stay in primary and develope flavors.

So.. you think that after 4 weeks, the yeast cake will still be good to jump on a the 1080 wort?

Yeah, I think you should be fine using the yeast cake, even if it's been sitting in the beer for a few weeks. If you're concerned, you could rack the first beer to a secondary a few days before Juen 15th, and then make a large starter from the yeast cake.

motorneuron said:

Yeah, I think you should be fine using the yeast cake, even if it's been sitting in the beer for a few weeks. If you're concerned, you could rack the first beer to a secondary a few days before Juen 15th, and then make a large starter from the yeast cake.

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Not a bad Idea!

If not.. I was thinking to pitch on the cake, and then rack of to secondary after 1 week, this way I won't sit on a 2 months cake. And if needed, I will finish the beer with us05.

Thanks for the reply, btw!