Hops for saison/farmhouse

[bradmccoy]

What hops do you like to use in saisons? Am thinking of brewing one with pilsner malt and some special b, using the danstar dry saison yeast. Any thoughts?

 

[Bats]

Styrian Goldings is usually the preferred option for this style.

I'm a creature of habbit and have only used this hop but interested to see what others have used.

The danstar saison yeast is a great dry yeast. Liquid yeast is always better but this yeast can get pretty damn close.

 

[JaseH]

Used Styrian, Saaz, and Hallertau M. in one I do and works well. Not sure how the Special B will go, Saisons traditionaly are light malts and maybe some wheat for a bit of tartness.

 

[bradmccoy]

Frothie, what sort of grain bill do you usually use? I thought a touch of special b might give it a bit of complexity.

 

[WarmBeer]

My first ever Saison was brewed with Perle @ 60 mins, 15 mins and 0 mins.

Recipe was very basic, 33% Pils, 33% Vienna, 33% Wheat malt. Belle Saison dry yeast, rehydrated as per the manufacturers instructions. Fermented at 25 degrees.

Quite possibly the best beer I've brewed.

Saison is all about the yeast, not the hops. Give is a nice, lightly hopped, slightly malty backbone, and let those esters shine through.

 

[manticle]

Noble or something like styrian. I like hallertauer mittelfruh for a slight zesty lemon hit that complements the spicy yeast.

 

[JaseH]

This is my regular Saison recipe:

BeerSmith 2 Recipe Printout - http://www.beersmith.com
Recipe: Saison De Jaison
Brewer: Jase
Asst Brewer:
Style: Belgian Specialty Ale
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (30.0)
Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size (fermenter): 27.00 l
Bottling Volume: 26.00 l
Estimated OG: 1.038 SG
Estimated Color: 6.2 EBC
Estimated IBU: 29.5 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 65.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 69.8 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes
Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
3.80 kg Pilsner, Malt Craft Export (Joe White) ( Grain 1 74.5 %
1.20 kg Wheat Malt, Malt Craft (Joe White) (3.5 Grain 2 23.5 %
0.10 kg Melanoiden Malt (39.4 EBC) Grain 3 2.0 %
60.00 g Styrian Goldings [3.40 %] - Boil 40.0 mi Hop 4 18.8 IBUs
0.50 Items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 mins) Fining 5 -
30.00 g Hallertauer Mittelfrueh [4.60 %] - Boil Hop 6 7.2 IBUs
20.00 g Styrian Goldings [3.40 %] - Boil 15.0 mi Hop 7 3.5 IBUs
1.00 tsp Yeast Nutrient (Boil 10.0 mins) Other 8 -
28.00 g Hallertauer Mittelfrueh [4.00 %] - Boil Hop 9 0.0 IBUs
1.0 pkg Farmhouse Ale (Wyeast Labs #3726PC) [124 Yeast 10 -

Saison's are all about the yeast.

 

[bradmccoy]

Cool, thanks. Looks good to me. Wouldn't special b and melanoidin essentialpy contribute the same sort of thing - a slight malt-sweet edge?

 

[bradmccoy]

Looks like Styrian is the winner at this stage.

 

[manticle]

Melanoiden is supposed to replicate the results of decoction, (bready/breadcrust/toast), spec b is a raisiny sweet crystal.

Personally I prefer continental pils with a touch of wheat, step mashed.

 

[JaseH]

Special B is better suited to darker style ales - ie. Dubbels. It can add more plum/raisin type characters as well as color - to keep your Saison to style you want it light golden/straw color. Rules are there to be broken but traditionally for a saison think summer, dry, refreshing, tart ale with some spice.

 

[OzPaleAle]

I have been using this guide for hop inspirations. They have a yeast guide for different styles also with descriptions of each.

http://byo.com/resources/hops

 

[Charst]

Ive done a couple using only Hallertau M, 90% pils 10% wheat and i think its a lovely beer, not lacking anything..

I recently did the Saison Vautour clone from BYO's american Saison article and it came out quite well.


76% Wey Bo Pils
17% Wey Rye
7% home made candi sugar.

IBU 26
Ger Hallertau @60, @15 and @5
Willamette @ 15
EKG @ 5.
no chill

 

[brewtas]

As a few guys have mentioned, additions of 10-15% of wheat or rye are good options. Spelt or oat malt can also be nice. For hops you're pretty free but I definitely prefer European hops over Americans in a Saison. Hallertau and Styrian Goldings are my defaults but EKG and Saaz are also worth a try.

 

[boonchu]

Normally
Hallertau @ 60
Saaz @15
Styrian dry hopped

Have also used Sorachi ace as a single hop with bitter orange and black pepper.
Worked very well

 

[Pickaxe]

Love to try sorachi ace or motueka for my first. Made a lovely snuggle hopped motueka ale, like the idea of crisp, spicy and peppery with that hop.
Anyone tried motueka?

 

[Pickaxe]

Single, not snuggle, ******* phone.

Sounds like a wiggles signature ale, "snuggle hopped".

 

[mje1980]

Melanoiden is supposed to replicate the results of decoction, (bready/breadcrust/toast), spec b is a raisiny sweet crystal.

Personally I prefer continental pils with a touch of wheat, step mashed.

Any particular schedule manticle?. I have a few packs of belle saison and some dingemans pils coming. I was thinking of just doing a long low 60's then short low 70's. Not sure about protein rest though as I'm using a small percentage if raw wheat and flaked barley (5% each ).

I've only tried the belle saison once. In a dry Irish stout. Best stout I've ever made, and a great beer.

 

[manticle]

For me it's similar to others - I just vary the rests a touch.

55/62/67/72/78
5/15/45/10/10

I mainly use 3711 and run it pretty warm so attenuation and dryness isn't a problem with 15 mins in the low 60s. Going to hit 1006 or lower no drama, dry finish but still enough body to give it life.

 

[mje1980]

Tah mate.