anyone know if this is the case - hopefully its not best by date. petec

I have done two brews with it and its acting like what I've heard, furious activity for a couple days and taking forever to finish. A bit difficult to work with but the samples so far have been wonderful.

I'm hoping to use it on sunday or monday so we'll see how it goes. petec

I chilled it down on sunday afternoon and pitched the solids on sunday evening. we'll see if its starting up when I go home tonight and hit it with some O2.

petec

4 lb Dingeman's pale malt

4 lb US 2-row pale malt

1 lb Vienna

mashed 113-145-160

OG: 1.051

FG: 1.004

At day 3, I added about 0.75 lbs of cane sugar as well to bump the gravity to 1.057. W/o sugar, the gravity was 1.050 with a grain bill of 50% wheat, 25% vienna and 25% pils. straight infusion mash.

I racked it last night to secondary and to check the gravity to make sure it had finished dry enough and the gravity was at 1.004. Its dry and slightly phenolic. I'm considering it a success so far with none of the hassles I had with the Wyeast Dupont strain - of course I made that withOUT teh big hot garage I used this time.

cheers petec

I know the White Labs strain is notorious for slowing down as well, but I've only spoken to or read about individuals who pitched at their desired gravity and let it go for a month or so.

Also, the temperature ramp followed is more a result of scheduling to get it to my buddies hot garage than by intent. I had been hoping to get it there quicker than 3 days post pitch but thats how it went.

I was fully prepared to add more yeast when I dropped it to secondary since I hadn't let the beer go for a month (primary was 17 days total). But since it was 1.004 I decided that was low enough and didn't require more time at high temps or reyeasting to finish it up any dryer.

When I used the Wyeast strain several yrs ago, I let it sit for atleast a month at temperatures of 65-80F but it only went to something like 1.020, at which point I reyeasted and got it to ~1.012. This was a disappointment.

Pitching rates are totally different since the Dupont was a harvesting from 2x750mL bottles of SaisonDupont with 2 wort additions on a stir plate and I probably just pitched the Wyeast either right from the pack or with a minimal starter per my typical routines.

The intent wasn't a direct comparison betw the dregs of Dupont and the Wyeast but more of a success story with the one method along with enough discussion that nonmicrobiologists might be able to replicate it if they had access to a 'hot garage'.

If I wasn't successful with the cultured Dupont, I was just going to drop working on it and find a strain I liked better than the 3276 farmhouse (too fruity) and the 3274 (above mentioned probelms with not finishing dry enough).

cheers petec