AG102 Elderflower Saison

[jmc]

Planning this for the weekend.

I picked a load of elderflowers last weekend. All stems (bitter) cut off to leave florets.
I froze 220g for this and the rest (1100g) to make an elderflower syrup / cordial and 25L Elderflower Fizz
see Elderflower Fizz & Cordial (+ lots pics)

I'll step mash at 40C ( reduce glucans) then 64C
Elderflowers added (not-defrosted) at flame out and left for 20 mins.

I think its likely to go below 1008 due to Saison yeast (est 1004).
I'll brew warm for esters ~27C

Any suggested improvements gratefully received.

HTML version of recipe here

Elderflower Saison #1 - 24L
Date: 8/6/14
Gyle Number: 102
Fermentable Colour lb: oz Grams Ratio
Lager Malt 2.5 EBC 4 lbs. 6.5 oz 2000 grams 49.4%
Flaked Wheat 0 EBC 3 lbs. 4.9 oz 1500 grams 37%
Sugar, Brown 65 EBC 0 lbs. 7.0 oz 200 grams 4.9%
Munich Malt 20 EBC 0 lbs. 7.0 oz 200 grams 4.9%
Acid Malt 2.5 EBC 0 lbs. 5.3 oz 150 grams 3.7%


Hop Variety Type Alpha Time lb: oz grams Ratio
Aramis Whole 8.9 % 90 mins 0 lbs. 0.7 oz 20 grams 7.4%
Aramis Whole 8.9 % 20 mins 0 lbs. 0.7 oz 20 grams 7.4%
Aramis Whole 8.9 % 5 mins 0 lbs. 0.4 oz 10 grams 3.7%
Elderflower Fresh/Frozen Whole 0 % 0 mins 0 lbs. 7.7 oz 220 grams 81.5%


Final Volume: 24 Litres
Original Gravity: 1.040
Final Gravity: 1.008
Alcohol Content: 4.1% ABV
Total Liquor: 34.7 Litres
Mash Liquor: 13.5 Litres
Mash Efficiency: 78 %
Bitterness: 33.4 EBU
Colour: 8 EBC
Yeast: TMM / NBS Saison Starter 500 cc

[Swoonara]

220g sounds like a lot of elderflower to me. I put 50g in an elderflower ale a couple of years ago and the flavour was very strong. Almost too much for me, although my wife liked it. I added it at 10min rather than as a steep, so I probably got a more intense hit, but I'd still be tempted to cut back a bit.

10g in a wit was lovely though

[Jocky]

I used elderflower in a saison last year, but added the elderflower tea at bottling time. It made it subtle, but added a really nice complexity.

[leedsbrew]

well you can't go wrong with that saison recipe! I've just done a BPA with Aramis and Spalt Select, fermented with Wyeast belgian wheat. Was thinking of dry 'eldering' it in a DJ before bottling! either that or elderflower tea like Jocky!

[jmc]

well you can't go wrong with that saison recipe! I've just done a BPA with Aramis and Spalt Select, fermented with Wyeast belgian wheat. Was thinking of dry 'eldering' it in a DJ before bottling! either that or elderflower tea like Jocky!

Thanks for your replies.

I'm liking Saison more and more.
Just started sampling the the Apricot Saison I started the end of March and its going downa treat.

I may reduce FO elderflowers to 100g and then dry hop in secondary or in corny if it needs more elderflower.
Hopefully freezing for a week will have killed or at least reduced amount of wild yeast in elderflowers.

I just use a Blichmann beer gun for the first time recently and I may use it for this, i.e. brew, clear, force carb and fill fizzy wine bottles using beer gun. That way SWMBO can help herself rather than me having to decant into a jug first.

Cheers