Style Of The Week 11/10/06 - Saison

[sponge]

It just makes it more the challenge to pump one out again. I've still got a bottle left so I'll have a sampling this weekend.

As for numbers, both beers were from 1.056 to 1.010, so 82% attenuation. Pretty sure they were both mashed with 55/62/68/72/78'C (15/40/20/15/15min) step mashes as well..

 

[mje1980]

So, after 24hrs at 18, I hit it with the heat belt. It's at high 20's. I checked this morning and it's down to 1.012. These farmhouse yeast strains seem to love high temp abuse haha. Smell of the sample is fruity with some spice. I'm keen to bottle this in champagne bottles and carb the crap out of it.

 

[Samuel Adams]

From memory mine got down to 1.008 from about 1.050 ish it's a beast yeast (I will check my exact figures on brewmate when I get a chance)

Exact figures were OG 1.052 FG 1.008 with a 66*c mash temp and 30*c ferment temp

 

[Donske]

Good timing for this thread to rear it's head again.

How stable are the yeast derived flavour/aroma in Saisons, is it the same deal as German wheat beers and we should be drinking them young?

After having a sample of Winkle's Saison Noir and picking his brain on the beer I decided to give something similar a crack, took a cube of dry stout wort with a touch too much roast barley and pitched some Belle Saison, took 2 weeks to hit FG and was kegged yesterday.

The Saison yeast notes are there in the usual doses, and the bready/toasted flavour of the MO base comes through quite well compared to the other half of the brew which was fermented with 1084, but the roast is a bit too apparent for my tastes, it clashes with the yeast derived flavours instead of tying in nicely like it does in Winkle's, it's not undrinkable, but I think it will be much better in a month/6 weeks time as the roast fades a bit.

The yeast has been harvested and thrown at a random cube of APA, 80% MO/20% Biscuit grist, Nelson & Falconer's Flight cube hops to somewhere between 35 and 40 IBUs. I have quite high hopes for this beer, I'm thinking the hops will work well with the yeast (the Nelson in particular).

 

[mje1980]

If you like belle saison, try either the Belgian or French wy strain. The Belgian is a bit fussy but well worth it. Yes, the yeast character will hang around. Maybe even get better !

 

[Donske]

If you like belle saison, try either the Belgian or French wy strain. The Belgian is a bit fussy but well worth it. Yes, the yeast character will hang around. Maybe even get better !

Cheers, good to know, will rotate that keg out for something that is ready then.

I'm a big fan of the WY French strain, it's a cracker, not tried a bad beer that's used it yet.

I only brew a saison or 2 every six months or so as a bit of a palette cleanser, I can live with them being 90% as good as they could be, reckon the Belle Saison is that close to the French strain.

 

[mje1980]

Try a DuPont and see if you think the same

 

[Batz]

I have a saison fermenting away at 30C atm. Wyeast 3726, love the style but I tend to go easy on any spices now, saison is not intended to be a spice soup, the yeast will give you all the flavour you want.

Batz

 

[mje1980]

Yeah, Im no fan of spice in beer. Yeast gives plenty. Trying out the 3726 at the moment myself, same close to 30c. Ding pils n saaz

 

[mje1980]

Seems to have stopped at 1.009. I'm used to 3724 so kinda not ready to call it done yet, but the samples are already starting to clear right up, and it is 85% apparent attenuation ( 1.058 og ). Might give it a few days then bottle on Friday. Smells very fruity. Got a bit of a flu so dunno what it tastes like haha. Into the champagne bottles she goes . Might even do one with no carb sugar, but some funky dregs.

 

[mje1980]

I do love the 3724, but if this turns out as nice as I think it will, this may well be a good complement to the 3724. 3724 for beers I plan on storing a few months, and the 3726 for beers I can turn around quickly. I still think I'll bottle it. As much of a pain it is, I rarely feel like kegged beer now, just way too cold and uninspiring. Might just be a winter thing I guess, I'm sure come the first hot humid day I'll be stinging for a cold blonde ale or something.

 

[sponge]

As much of a pain it is, I rarely feel like kegged beer now, just way too cold and uninspiring. Might just be a winter thing I guess, I'm sure come the first hot humid day I'll be stinging for a cold blonde ale or something.

Just turn the fridge off and serve at ambient. Still get that warm and fuzzy feeling of pulling yourself (a beer).

 

[mje1980]

Turned the heat belt off and left for a few days. Was going to bottle today but I just checked and it's hit 1.007. Hmmm. Really don't want to keg it but I found mold in the bottom of some of my champas bottles. I know it can be cleaned off, but it don't like the thought. Might keg it instead

 

[hwall95]

Just playing with a extract recipe at the moment. Would try an All-Grain one but currently don't have the time to put my system together unfortunately..

My current idea is:

2kg LDME
0.5kg Wheat Malt
0.5kg Candi Sugar, Clear
Magnum - 60min boil for 22 IBU
Wyeast 3724: Belgian Saison.

My current think is that the added the candi sugar will help lower FG since extract is at a stuck fermentability and for a bit of a belgian complexity as well. I wanted mainly to display the yeast esters, so i decided just to use magnum for bittering as I've found that late additions can sometimes overpower the esters produced by the yeast. Being a saison, I would just ferment at ambient, which is currently between 18-26 in Brisbane would should give it some nice esters. Any advice would is welcomed. Cheers

 

[mje1980]

Go for it mate. Be aware 3724 can take up to 6 weeks to finish. It should still finish quite low though. And let it age in the bottle for a while. Try to keep it around 20 the first 24 hrs or so then let it come up.

 

[seehuusen]

hey guys,

what sort of carbonation levels do you suggest for this style of beer?
I've read about 2.0 to 2.5 are good levels?

cheers
Martin

 

[mje1980]

I like high carbonation in champagne bottles. I target 4 vols but again, I use champagne bottles.

 

[chubbytaxman]

I have tried to make one of these recently - was my first crack at a Saison.

Recipe below ...

Expected OG 1.060
Expected FG 1.015
Expected ABV 5.89%
IBU 25
SRM 4

23 Litre batch

Pilsner - 5.44kg
Vienna - 0.455kg
Wheat Malt - 0.455kg

EKG - 4.7 %AA 28g @ 60 mins
EKG - 4.7 %AA 28g @ 30 mins
Strisselspalt - 2.0 %AA 28g @ 0 mins

Lemon peel from about 4 lemons
I had infused these with about a half a cup of Vodka for about 3 months prior (intending to make a cheesecake .... but ... beer called) .. Lol

Wyeast 3711 - French Saison

Mash @ 66*C for 60 mins (I overshot and went 75 mins as I misread my trusty recipe ... DOH !!!

Boil for 60 mins

Ferment @ 20*C (adding the vodka and priming sugar when completed - I was bottling at the time ... )


Add one more fault to this mix - I threw in the lemon zest to the secondary fermenter and didn't take it out until bottling day.

The only fault I could taste in the beer was the zest - I should have taken it out way earlier as I felt it had gone ...... Mildewy (is there such a word ???) from being in the fermenter too long ... If I were to do it again, I would certainly take it out before fermenting.

Came out a bit higher in ABV at 6.5% and finished at 1.006 after a measured OG at 1.056

 

[chubbytaxman]

hey guys,

what sort of carbonation levels do you suggest for this style of beer?
I've read about 2.0 to 2.5 are good levels?

cheers
Martin

I aimed for 2.4 volumes for this one

Ray

 

[seehuusen]

Thanks, I'll up the priming sugar a little when I bottle it up then
Sounds good with the zest, I'd probably chuck it into secondary during the last two or three days of cold crashing.
It'd probably also be very important to not have anything but the zest (no white stuff/pit)