Rye Saison

Rye Saison (3 gallons)
4.19 lbs Belgian Pilsner
1.50 lbs Rye Malt
1.00 oz Dehusked Carafa III
1.00 oz Styrian Goldings 3.4% (60 mins)
6.20 oz Turbinado Sugar (10 mins)
1.00 tsp Irish Moss (10 mins)
0.50 tsp Yeast Nutrient (10 mins)
Wyeast 3711 French Saison (Lot#1145144 Mfg 06/07/11) (650mL Starter)

Mash @152ºF* @1.91 qts/lb.  Batch sparge with 2.75 gallons.

Add Turbinado Sugar @10 mins.  Add dehusked Carafa III prior to mashing out for color only (ground with rolling pin).

Expected OG = 1.058
OG = 1.056 (76.3%)
FG = ?
ABV = ?
IBU = 10.4
SRM = 6.3

*Mashed in @151.0ºF.  Dropped to 145.0ºF after 60 mins.  Added 1-2qts 190ºF water to reach 149.6ºF.  Let sit for another 30 mins and finished @147.5 mins.  I have no idea why my mash temps were all over the place today.  I added a little ice to bring the initial mash temp down to 151 from 155.  I also mashed @1.9qts/pound.  Maybe one or the other or the combination of both had something to do with it.  I’m not quite sure as I haven’t had any issues maintaining temperatures the past few times regardless of whether it was a thick or thin mash.

My starter was supposed to be 800mL.  Because of boil off that I didn’t account for, it was 650mL.  After reading some of “Yeast” I found out I didn’t get much growth out of that size starter if any.  This is good and bad.  One, this will still get the yeast hungry and ready to eat.  It was furiously bubbling away a couple hours after I pitched, so that’s good.  But, because of the “underpitch”, I’m going to stress the yeast a little.  This should help increase the ester profile greatly, I’m just hoping that it still fully attenuates.

06/27/11 – Started at 78ºF because I didn’t cool enough apparently.  Dropped to 73ºF by morning.  Was holding at 69ºF after work.  The original recipe called for 71ºF.  I don’t want to stress the yeast too much and keep moving it around.  3711 is supposed to work at higher temps.  The air is on now so I might move it upstairs for a couple days.  At least it will be a bit more authentically “farmhouse” from slight temperature swings.  Hoping I still get a good ester profile from this one with it dropping a little below 70.

I also did some research on the mash thing and I think temp was dropped due to the smaller batch size + the smaller amount of grain in my tun.  I don’t usually have this issue with 5 gallon batches.

10PM – Moved to spare room upstairs because temp dropped to 68ºF.  I don’t want to lose out on too many esters and don’t want the yeast to tire out from the temp dropping.  Hopefully any fusel’s that develop will be ok in this style.  If I had my own place I’d have a fermentation chamber, as I don’t think the folks would be too keen on that.

06/29/11 – Came home and beer was at 76ºF.  Hope this doesn’t make it too fusely.  This will be more farmhouse as I said before.  Should have a nice ester profile.  Gonna do a quick gravity check and then move in the basement if it’s done.

06/30/11 – Beer is sitting around 75ºF and is showing what looks like a little more fermentation.  Supposedly this guy churns it out pretty dry (especially at this temp).  Just gonna leave it until I take a gravity reading.