AG#09 - Saison de Joshua

[Gricey]

As per here I'm having a crack at a Saison based on Jamil's Saison recipe. I'm brewing it as its my mates birthday and Saison is his favourite kind of beer. Aren't I nice!

Doughed in now, doing the protein rest. Mashed really thick so that I can pull the temp back up with boiling infusions.

Brew Length 23L
Total Grain: 4822g
Target OG: 1.060
Target IBU: 39.8
Brewhouse Efficiency: 80 %
Wort Boil Time: 60 minutes

Grain Bill
77.4% 9.00 lbs. Floor Malted German Pilsner Malt
6.5% 0.75 lbs. Pale Wheat Malt
6.5% 0.75 lbs. Munich Malt
1.1% 0.13 lbs. CaraMunich I
8.6% 1.00 lbs. Sugar

Hop Schedule
70g. Hallertauer Mittelfruh Leaf 4.20% @ 60 min.
30g. Hallertauer Mittelfruh Leaf 4.20% @ Flameout.

Extras
Protafloc @ 15m
Servomyces @ 10m

Yeast
Whitelabs WLP565 Saison Ale Yeast
Built up to a 1.25l starter with wheat DME

Mash Schedule
Mash Type: Multi Step
Protein Rest: 30m @ 55C
Saccharification Rest: 90m @ 63.5C
Mash-out Rest: 20m @ 77C
Sparge: 77C

Still looking for the best way to ferment this bad boy, I know it's gonna get hot...

Pics to follow.

[Gricey]

Took 6.1l of boiling water to get it up to saccharification temp, wrapped up and tapping my foot now.

Had a play with one of my new pumps in the interim, they dont half squeal if you do it wrong. Definitely need to build some sort of splash guard for them, it looks a bit too deadly

[Gricey]

Boil about halfway done, how slowly this has crawled. Step mashes take longer!

In other news I seem to have possibly perforated my eardrum which is nice. Maybe I can get a pun about that into the name of the beer.

Hospital first thing, grrrrr

[lancsSteve]

Good luck - stepped infusions take a lot longer than you expect hey!

Got a good size starter and a brew belt ready?

[Gricey]

Yeah, 1.25l which has been going since Thursday on a stir plate. I have a temp controlled (ATC-800+) cupboard, just wondering what to do with the temps, should read up while its chilling. Just finishing boil now, flameout hops about to go in.

[lancsSteve]

Will take a look in my Farmrhouse ales/saison book - give us a tick!

OK so you're using WLP565 Saison Dupont?

"It can exhibit sluggish tbehavious at temperatures below 75F, and ferment rapidly and cleanly at blood-warm temperatures (upper 80s to 95F). Other times it can suddenly and inexplicably shut down as if hitting a wall, slowing to a frustrating snail's pace of fermentation. At this point (in spite of higher temperatures and with plenty of yeast visibly in suspension) it can work excruciatingly slowly, sometimes taking weeks to finish fermentation if you let it (I think it's worth the wait)."

Phil Markowski - Famrhouse Ales, p168-169: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Farmhouse-Ales- ... 37381845/2 (good book! Not quite as good as the other recent Brewers Publications ones on brewing with wheat / like monks / wild brews but still very good and readable/inspiring.)

So DEF above 24c (75F) and better in the range 29.5C (85F) up to 35c (95F) yup, HEAT it up - it's Saison time!!!! (Or do what The Mumbler did - brew belt on in the middle of a heat wave, worked a treat! Must have been over 35C, came out more like a spritzy fizzy white wine than a beer.)

See Barley Water's comments in this thread: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=33595&p=361255&hili ... on#p361255 for more experience on the CRANK THE HEAT UP if that's weirding you out as much as it did me...

[Gricey]

Question is, do I set the cupboard to say 24, then raise it to 30-35 after, or chuck the thing in right away at 35!?

Its resting now before transfer to FV, so its crunch time soon. Cupboard is set to 24 but easily changed...

[196osh]

I would raise it up from 24C, mabye a degree a day. The rise in temperature should increase the activity of the yeast and help to dry the beer out at the end.

[Gricey]

Right, hit 1.058 OG, and in the cupboard. It's currently sat at 26, but I've programmed it to raise it to 30.

Can decide whether to ramp to say, 35 tomorrow.

You better believe it, blowoff tube fitted

196osh, I saw with this one you are meant to have it very warm at the beginning and drop it at the end, after primary fermentation is mostly done, e.g. a week, then leave it a bit lower for a couple of weeks for it to finish.

Happy to change it later anyway, its 30 for now and I need to go to bed, early to hospital tomorrow!

Gricey.

[Gricey]

Well, at 30 I can tell you its definitely bubbling away like a champ

[lancsSteve]

nice - any pics forthcoming? (Like the temp controller!)

[Gricey]

Uploading them now, expect them shortly (after dinner), opened the cupboard and yeah, warm and with a giant waft of spices. Love it. Might take it to 35, what do you reckon?

Took a couple of the fridge, you can see how its set up pretty simply from the ones I've just taken now.

Yeah, my house is a tip

[Gricey]

Grain Shot by The Grice is Right, on Flickr

Hops by The Grice is Right, on Flickr

Ghetto Recirc Pt1 by The Grice is Right, on Flickr

Ghetto Recirc Pt2 by The Grice is Right, on Flickr

First runnings by The Grice is Right, on Flickr

Batch 1 into kettle by The Grice is Right, on Flickr

60m hops by The Grice is Right, on Flickr

Flame out hops by The Grice is Right, on Flickr

Nice head by The Grice is Right, on Flickr

1.058 by The Grice is Right, on Flickr

Standard background by The Grice is Right, on Flickr

Brew fridge 18 hours later by The Grice is Right, on Flickr

Brew fridge 18 hours later by The Grice is Right, on Flickr

[TheMumbler]

Looks like it went well. Let us know how it turns out. I'd be interested in how best to ferment a Saison as mine had some off phenolic notes according to the judge at the NCBA meet and I guess that could be fixed with more control over fermentation.

[Gricey]

It blew some liquid in the blowout tube, im glad I fixed that now. I've held it at 30, reckon I should raise it more?