My saison is still fermenting

jceg316 · Apr 23, 2018

I brewed it on the 3rd of March and it's still bubbling away. I originally held it at 18-20 c for the first few weeks, then I think it stalled, then I transferred it to a glass demi where it's sitting in a trug filled with water held at 22C. It's been there for weeks with the airlock bubbling away.

I'm using Mangrove Jack's French Saison yeast, OG was 1.053 and target FG is 1.003.

This is a sour saison and I added sour yeast for ~24 hours after the sparge/before the boil. I can't see how this would affect fermentation times though.

Sadfield · Apr 23, 2018

A lower the pH at pitching will create a more hostile environment for the yeast and therefore a slower fermentation and potentially more unpleasant flavours.

https://www.themadfermentationist.com/2016/12/quick-sour-then-what-acid-tolerance-of.html?m=1

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MrRook · Apr 23, 2018

What is the current gravity?

AdeDunn · Apr 23, 2018

M29 hits 1.004/1.003 with ease usually. I tend to let it free rise up to about 24 degrees in it's own time (from 18 degrees at pitching, takes about 3 days to hit 24 degrees in a room at 20 degrees C for me), then after 3 days I slowly ramp it up to 25/26 degrees C using a heat mat and thermostat.

Simonh82 · Apr 24, 2018

jceg316 said:
This is a sour saison and I added sour yeast for ~24 hours after the sparge/before the boil. I can't see how this would affect fermentation times though.

Do you mean wild yeast (like brettanomyces) or lactic acid bacteria?

jceg316 · Apr 24, 2018

I just checked it, it's at 1.004 or so. Tried some and it's tasting nice, can't detect any off flavours luckily. I guess it's just taking a while and will hopefully be finished soon.

@Sadfield thanks for that article, I'm gonna save it for my next commute as there's also a lot of reading around it I want to do.

jceg316 · Apr 26, 2018

Would it be possible to bottle this batch and use the fermentation to carbonate the beer, topping up with sugar if necessary? Is there a calculation I could use to measure how much bottling sugar is needed? Or is this a terrible idea?

Sadfield · Apr 26, 2018

Not stupid, but it is tricky to know where fermentation will end between 1.000 and 1.004. You could do a Force Fermentation Test to find the terminal gravity, although it may just ferment out in the time that takes.
It then gets a bit complicated working out how much unfermented sugar currently remaining.

Of course you could take a punt and bottle it. Unlike cask or keg, the problem with bottles it's hard to vent any excess.

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