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 1.008) 10L will be transferred to a secondary fermenter and pitched with my wild culture, the other 10L finished as normal and kegged.
The wild fermenter will be 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 ~1.008 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 10L
- Cold crash to 0–2°C
- Do not let fully clear
- Into Keg and Carbonate to 2.7–3.0 vols CO₂
- “Wild 10L”
- 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