Rehydrate "finishing" yeast?

[eulipion2]

I've got a saison with Wyeast 3724 going right now, but it's taking its sweet time (okay, I admit, it's only been two weeks.) I'm considering pitching Mangrove Jack's French Saison yeast in hopes that it will speed things along, and maybe help with flocculation along the way, but I'm wondering if I should pitch it dry or rehyrdrate.

I'm of mixed opinion in general about sprinkling vs rehydrating, depending on style, strain, and starting gravity, but a "finishing" yeast is a new concept to me.

OG was 1.062, and it's sitting around 1.010-1.012 right now, at 90°F, not really doing anything. Hydrometer sample tastes pretty fantastic for a flat saison. The other option is to wait and hope the 3724 finishes up on its own, but I'd really like to use the fermenter for another beer. Of course there's also the possibility that the beer would finish up at about the same time whether I add the second yeast or not.

Thoughts?

 

[m00ps]

I doubt the reduced "lag" you may get from rehydrating it is going to matter at all for this already fermented beer. I'd just toss it in from the pack.

1.062 to 1.010 may be as low as it is going to get with 3724. Thats 83%AA. I havent used mangrove jack's french saison yeast so Im not really sure how high it usually attenuates

 

[eulipion2]

1.062 to 1.010 may be as low as it is going to get with 3724. Thats 83%AA. I havent used mangrove jack's french saison yeast so Im not really sure how high it usually attenuates

Yeah, it's my first time with the yeast as well, but I'm hoping it's similar to Wyeast 3711 - that strain would eat through concrete given enough time! Unfortunately getting liquid strains in my area is rather hit-or-miss. The original Mangrove Jack saison strain (M27) was also super attenuative, so I'd be happy to get similar to that as well.

Thanks m00ps!

 

[NTexBrewer]

Just checked my brew logs on the last two beers that I used 3724 and it basically took about 5 to 5 weeks before it was finished.

Saison #1 went from 1.058 to 1.005 91.4% attenuation
Day 9 1.028
Day 22 1.022
Day 32 1.009
Day 37 1.005

Saison #2 went from 1.053 to 1.006 88.7% attenuation
Day 6 1.013
Day 13 1.010
Day 20 1.008
Day 29 1.006

Both had some sugar added so that will help with attenuation.

I don't consider your beer stuck. I did have a 3724 stuck fermentation and I added two packs of Belle Saison. It did the job but I also had fusel alcohols. The beer tasted great but you could only drink one or have massive morning headaches.

I would wait another week. The times I have used this yeast you will have very little airlock activity after a couple of weeks but the yeast are still doing there thing and the gravity will continue to drop.

 

[eulipion2]

Just checked my brew logs on the last two beers that I used 3724 and it basically took about 5 to 5 weeks before it was finished.

...

I would wait another week. The times I have used this yeast you will have very little airlock activity after a couple of weeks but the yeast are still doing there thing and the gravity will continue to drop.

Woof - five weeks! I very rarely go over three, especially on a relatively low gravity beer like this. I'll forgo the witbier I had planned for the moment and let the saison go another week. But I won't be happy about it!

I chose the 3724 to try and get a nice, classic Dupont character. Usually I use 3711 in my saisons (or dry options), but thought I'd change it up. 3711 drops clear in three weeks usually. Live and learn.

 

[NTexBrewer]

https://byo.com/stories/issue/item/3220-collaborative-fermentations-advanced-brewing

Here is a good read about blending 3724 with another yeast to get quick turn around.

It seems that I have read other articles where american breweries have mixed 3724 with other yeasts to get the yeast character of 3724 and the quick turnaround we are used to.

 

[eulipion2]

https://byo.com/stories/issue/item/3220-collaborative-fermentations-advanced-brewing

Here is a good read about blending 3724 with another yeast to get quick turn around.

It seems that I have read other articles where american breweries have mixed 3724 with other yeasts to get the yeast character of 3724 and the quick turnaround we are used to.

Thanks for that. I was actually thinking about that article when I asked my question, but couldn't remember where/when I had read it.

As a side note, while I was planning my brew I considered Omega Yeast's OLY-500 Saisonstein's Monster, which really sounds like a hybrid of 3724 and 3711, but I couldn't get my hands on it before brew day.

 

[NTexBrewer]

I guess the other question is do you keg or bottle. If you keg and 3724 continues to attenuate then you can release the pressure. If you bottle then you may have to use belgian bottles or carb a little lower with the possibility that it will continue to attenuate.

my best Saisons have almost always been with 3724 unless they were something that was hop forward like a Sorachi Ace clone that I used 3711.

I have also used the belle saison yeast and have had mixed results.

 

[eulipion2]

I always bottle my Belgians. I find they mature better in the bottle than the keg. Also, my Belgians are often big beers, and I don't want to tie up kegerator real estate while I take my time drinking them.

I've used Belle Saison maybe three times. My session saison turned out very nice, but the other two were crap. The session saison was still better with 3711. Definitely hoping for better results with the Mangrove Jack's (over Belle Saison), whenever I get a chance to use it.

 

[eulipion2]

Well, I had to do it. After taking another gravity reading yesterday the SG hadn't changed since I first posted the question. So I pitched a pack of M21 French Saison. The hydro sample did taste pretty good, but a saison in the bottle at 1.011 is just asking for trouble.

 

[eulipion2]

Just following up, I bottled today at 1.005. The beer hasn't quite dropped clear yet, but it's well on its way, and I'm on a bit of a tight schedule. Still had a very nice "Dupont" character, but the French Saison seems to have given a touch more pepper than was there when I added it. Could just be the lower residual sweetness bringing it out. Either way, it seems like a very nice beer.