Well, just one saison. But two yeast strains.
My recent experience was a lesson in both the finicky nature of saison yeasts and the power of repitching. I took home a portion of the October shop brew, Kent's Falcons Noel, with an OG of 1.081. We had pitched both Wyeast's and White Labs' strains (3724 I think and 565) from two pretty big starters. Lots of yeasties. So off she goes, looking good, and I guess I got complacent or lazy or busy or all three and I let the carboy just do its thing for about a month. Then I pulled the ultimate bonehead move and racked WITHOUT taking a reading. Stupid, eh? I figured, "four weeks is aplenty" and anyway the last Saison I did finished in like 3 minutes (of course that was August!) so what's the worry?
So, another few weeks go by with this big saison in the corny and I finally get around to checking: 1.030. Yep. WAY too high for most beers, let alone a saison. Now, I know these strains can be finicky anyway, and like it a little rough, and now I start panicking because I've lost my primary cake down the drain, and the last thing I want is for Fletch to think I'm an idiot (well, more of an idiot) and I don't want to tarnish by association the good name of my friend and mentor the late Jonny Lieberman, and so I go after the keg with a vengeance. I start calling it names, and kicking it, and swirling it, and I move it upstairs to a warmer room and I think I even threw a small mammal or two at it. Well, after about 2 or 3 more weeks I check her again. Boom! 1.020! Ok, so still too high, but I managed to knock off 10 points with just the yeast suspended in the corny. Not bad, I thinks.
But here I am, two months out from the brewday, with nothing on tap but the dregs of a barleywine. So I hit the road, jump over the hill, and grab me a packet of Safale-05. As dry and cheap as lovely ladies of the Women's Christian Temperance Union. Onward ho! I whip up a little starter, wait for the krausen, pour and pray.
Well, that did it. Two weeks later (or so) I pull 1.010. A thing of beauty. A marvel to behold. Liquid as delightful as nectar from Venus herself. Thanks to Kent, Nancy and Diane for the brewday and Drew for the Saison knowledge. I'll bring a growler to the next meeting.
Jimmy, I've never thought of you as an idiot, indeed quite the contrary is true. It should be interesting to compare your finished beer with a portion that was not repitched - to see if the 05 swallowed up any of the original strains' flavor/aroma signatures. I'll try to remember to bring some of mine. See ya Sunday!