Mixed Fermentation Saison – Philly Sour + Farmhouse + Wild Culture
Another attempt at a Saison – using a solid foundation of grain and hop to fit style, and a mixed fermentation approach with multiple yeasts.
Step one is 1.5packets of Philly Sour yeast for its lactic acid ohase. Then on day 3 approx 7-8pts gravity shift step two is add 1x packet of Farmhouse Yeast.
Once gravity is stable for about 48 hours (est. Day 8-10 at 1.018) 20L will be transferred to a secondary fermenter and pitched with my wild culture, the other 2-3L finished as normal and kegged (mini keg).
The wild fermenter kept at 22C for about 4 weeks to condition and finish, then bottled with priming sugar to condition further.
The wild culture was created using a starter from the dregs of a Two Bites Wild Workshop bottle, and grown over several weeks;
- 04/11 Inital dregs onto approx. 300ml of leftover wort from the Philly Funk v2 grain, and fermented at approx. 16-23C (in the hallway cupboard in the middle of the house). Allowed a full fermentation cycle, then chilled and poured of the beer leaving the wild mix at the bottom.
- 21/11 Added 30g light DME in 500ml water (and a small pinch of yeast nutrient) and boiled for 10min, cooled, then added to the fermenting bottle. Allowed a full fermenttion cycle, there was more wild mix this time and it was a little faster. When it finished and the foan settled I cooled it to settle the yeast, pouring off the beer.
- 29/11 Added 60g light DME in 1L water (and a small pinch of yeast nutrient) and boiled for 10 min, cooled, then added to the fermenting bottle (into a larger bottle).
Batch Size
- 30 L kettle full
- ~23 L into fermenter
Targets (estimated)
- OG: ~1.060
- FG: 1.004–1.006
- ABV: ~7.2%
- IBU: ~26
- Colour: 8–9 EBC
Three-Stage Fermentation
Stage 1 — Philly Sour (Days 0–3)
- Pitch 1.5 packets Philly Sour at 22°C
- Hold at 22–23°C
- Let run 72 hours
- Produces lactic acid and lowers pH to ~3.3–3.5
Stage 2 — Lallemand Farmhouse (Days 3–10+)
At 72 hours:
- Pitch 1 packet Lallemand Farmhouse
- Raise temp 1°C per day to 25°C
- Ferment until gravity is stable
- Should reach ~1.018 before wild culture
Stage 3 — Wild Culture (After Primary Completion)
When gravity is stable for 48 hours:
- Pitch wild culture (grown to ~1 L starter)
- Maintain 22–25°C for 4 weeks
- Adds funk, light acidity, dryness, complexity
Cold Crash & Packaging
- “Clean 2-3L
- Cold crash to 0–2°C
- Do not let fully clear
- Into mini Keg and Carbonate to 2.7–3.0 vols CO₂
- “Wild 20L”
- character evolves over 2–12 weeks
- crash cool at approx. 4-6 weeks once stable
- add priming sugar and bottle
Expected Beer
- Bright citrus acidity (Philly Sour)
- Peppery Saison character (Farmhouse)
- Funky, rustic depth (wild culture)
- Very dry and highly complex
Brew:
Days 1-3 went well, the Philly Sour yeast went through the initial phase nicely with plenty of activity and foam for the first 2 days, settling in day three. Gravity went from 1.059 to 1.051.
I co-pitched the farmhouse yeast end of day 3. Farmhouse fermentation at 22C for 48hours
Farmhouse yeast started well and fermented from 1.051 to 1.017, giving approx. 4.5% ABV.
Transferred 20L into the bucket fermenter with the wild culture at its peak Krausen, and finished the rest in the mini keg – approx 3L
The wild showed little movement of the first 5 days, the bubbler going periodically and smelling great, more fruity aroma than the clean beer.
The clean sour beer is very drinkable, great sour flavour, some residual sweetness in the malt and a nice balanced Saison character.
Dec 18th (8 days of wild) I took 200ml to measure gravity; 1.014 so it’s dropped 2-3 points. Taste test seemed on track
Dec 25th – approx 2 weeks of wild – another sample taken, SG 1.012 and smelling / tasting on track, nothing majorly off. A very slight phenolic taste coming through, medical or something, hopefully will sort it out with age and it’s part of the process.
The main observation was a thin pellicle on the surface. I believe this is a good sign of the shifting stages of the wild culture, leaving the end of primary ferment and the cleanup of easy sugars into a longer slower phase.
