I brewed up a saison/BGSA 13 days ago, OG of 1.088. Don't have the grain bill/fermentables handy, but there was a good bit of sugar/highly fermentable adjuncts. Pitched a 32oz starter with this yeast almost two weeks ago @ 68 degrees. I realize that this is a little low for a saison, but I am looking for low-to-moderate esters, plus I don't have means to increase this up to the 80s. Short lag time and heavy airlock activity after 12 hours, continuing for a few days.
The crazy thing is, there is still visible airlock activity now, two weeks after pitching (temp has remained constant per the therm strip @ 68 degrees, ambient temp of same).
will get a gravity measurement, but has anyone had this long of a growth phase with this yeast?
My first and only other time working with a saison yeast (WLP 565/Dupont) was a bit of a disaster, probably due to underpitching (one vial only), stressing the yeast, and going a bit overboard with high fermentation temps (got it into the high 80's)...I eventually had to rack it onto a hefe cake to finish after it stalled at .040.
Am I just gunshy after my last experience? I have no problem leaving this in the primary for 4 weeks or more, to clean up diacetyl and get this beer dried out.