Saison #2 - AG78 (+ pics)

[jmc]

I've been wanting to do another saison for a while.
Experiment of previous Apricot Saison still in progress, so I just wanted one to sup this time.

No Belgian pilsner available unfortunately so using plain Lager malt.
In tradition of saisons I used grains I had to-hand with a high % of unmalted wheat and some rye too.
Yeast harvested from bottle of Saison Dupont. Stepped mash 40,50,62,69,76C

I've used a cautious estimate of efficiency as lots of unmalted wheat.
However thing FG may end lower, at about 1004, due to highly
attenuating yeast so should get 5%+ ABV

Saison #2 HTML version of recipe is here
Date: 23/3/13
Gyle Number: 78


Fermentable Colour lb: oz Grams Ratio
Lager Malt 2.5 EBC 4 lbs. 10.7 oz 2120 grams 43.1%
Flaked Wheat 0 EBC 2 lbs. 13.8 oz 1300 grams 26.4%
Flaked Rye 6 EBC 1 lbs. 1.6 oz 500 grams 10.2%
Acid Malt 2.5 EBC 0 lbs. 8.8 oz 250 grams 5.1%
Munich Malt 20 EBC 0 lbs. 8.8 oz 250 grams 5.1%
Oat Flakes 2.5 EBC 0 lbs. 7.0 oz 200 grams 4.1%
Sugar, Brown 65 EBC 0 lbs. 10.5 oz 300 grams 6.1%


Hop Variety Type Alpha Time lb: oz grams Ratio
Aramis Whole 8.9 % 90 mins 0 lbs. 0.4 oz 10 grams 16.7%
Northdown Whole 8.4 % 90 mins 0 lbs. 0.4 oz 10 grams 16.7%
Aramis Whole 8.9 % 20 mins 0 lbs. 0.7 oz 20 grams 33.3%
Aramis Whole 8.9 % 5 mins 0 lbs. 0.7 oz 20 grams 33.3%
Grains of Paradise Ground 5mins 10 grams


Final Volume: 23 Litres
Original Gravity: 1.049
Final Gravity: 1.009
Alcohol Content: 5.1% ABV
Total Liquor: 34.4 Litres
Mash Liquor: 16.2 Litres
Mash Efficiency: 75 %
Bitterness: 33.4 EBU
Colour: 13 EBC
Yeast
Saison Dupont
Starter 0.8 L

LIDL Boiler used as MT today. Great for stepped mashes.

Malt / grains (excluding Lager malt)

Insulated LIDL Boiler/MT, with recirculation pipes & solar pump.

Recirculation at 40C . Ratio 1.9:1. Really thick at this stage

No pic recirc at 50. This at ~ 62C. Final ratio 3.5:1. Almost clear at this stage

The 40C step breaks-down loads of the glucans from wheat & rye, so no need for oathusks / rice hulls.
Run off was fine.

~10g Grains of Paradise. Just cracked added 5mins from end of boil


Almost at end of pouring to FV. Quite a lot of trub, but I left for a couple of hours after cooling to 30C to settle.

Saison Dupont yeast after 2 steps to 800cc prior to adding to FV.

Into fermenting fridge at 22C with idea to let rise as high as it wants.

All going well until I discovered (in following morning) tube-heater had failed in fermenting fridge.
Fridge / FV now 14C. I replaced heater with temporary brewbelt-heater and was up at 22C by evening
3rd tube-heater I've had that's failed.

Anyway hopeful that this will be an interesting brew.

[seymour]

That looks like a truly delicious brew; can't wait to hear how it goes for you!
Did you take an OG reading to see what kind of mash efficiency you got?

[jmc]

That looks like a truly delicious brew; can't wait to hear how it goes for you!
Did you take an OG reading to see what kind of mash efficiency you got?

Cheers Seymour.
OG Saturday night was 1053 /13.5brix (23L)
Now (48hrs after pitching) down to 11.5brix at 23C, just raised to 24C.

Garage is only 2C so not sure how high I can raise temp but I'll raise as high as I can as I want this one to have lots of esters. Tasting a bit fruity already

[Morten]

Have you used the yeast before?

Just a heads up if you haven't brewed with it before. It loves heat and needs it to get the true Dupont aroma/taste/tartness. It will also seem to stall (mine stalled at 1.020) and will happily sit there for 5-8 days. You can either bump up the temperature to ~30º!!! or let it do its own thing.

[jmc]

Have you used the yeast before?

Just a heads up if you haven't brewed with it before. It loves heat and needs it to get the true Dupont aroma/taste/tartness. It will also seem to stall (mine stalled at 1.020) and will happily sit there for 5-8 days. You can either bump up the temperature to ~30º!!! or let it do its own thing.

I've read about it but not used it before. I was going to raise temp slowly to avoid a blow-out but maybe I should set up the temp at 30 to max out temp I can get in fermenting fridge..

[Morten]

Have you used the yeast before?

Just a heads up if you haven't brewed with it before. It loves heat and needs it to get the true Dupont aroma/taste/tartness. It will also seem to stall (mine stalled at 1.020) and will happily sit there for 5-8 days. You can either bump up the temperature to ~30º!!! or let it do its own thing.

I've read about it but not used it before. I was going to raise temp slowly to avoid a blow-out but maybe I should set up the temp at 30 to max out temp I can get in fermenting fridge..

I didn't raise the temp, and it still fermented down to 1.006 and was nice and tart, but it didn't have the Dupont aroma.
It took about 4 weeks to finish.

[jmc]

Thanks for the feedback Morten.
I've just raised temp on STC-1000 controller from 24C to 30C.

We'll see how high fermenting fridge can go in garage.

[far9410]

You'll have to forgive my ignorance and almost virgin like inexperience, but i dont think I've ever tasted a saison, this recipe looks delicious so maybe I should! So go on recommend a bottle to try, and then I can try and make one ( maybe in the summer, if we get one, when the temps are a bit more forgiving)

[seymour]

jmc cultured his yeast from a bottle of Saison DuPont. That is a beautiful beer, and completely defines the style. You've surely had something in the ballpark, though. Imagine a grainy, spicy, peppery, spritzy, golden Belgian farmhouse ale. Like Duvel but much more complex. Like Orval, but huskier and rougher-around-the-edges. Mmmm....

[far9410]

Yeah I guess I have, what actually defines a saison?

[jmc]

You'll have to forgive my ignorance and almost virgin like inexperience, but i dont think I've ever tasted a saison, this recipe looks delicious so maybe I should! So go on recommend a bottle to try, and then I can try and make one ( maybe in the summer, if we get one, when the temps are a bit more forgiving)

jmc cultured his yeast from a bottle of Saison DuPont. That is a beautiful beer, and completely defines the style. You've surely had something in the ballpark, though. Imagine a grainy, spicy, peppery, spritzy, golden Belgian farmhouse ale. Like Duvel but much more complex. Like Orval, but huskier and rougher-around-the-edges. Mmmm....

If I get half of that I'll be happy.

Beermerchants have a few saisons here
Saison dupont, as Seymour says is the flagship brew. La Chouffe is available in some places over here too
Quote from Beermerchants

Saison (French, "season") is the name originally given to low-alcohol pale ales brewed seasonally in farmhouses in Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium, for farm workers during harvest season. Modern-day saisons are also brewed in other countries, particularly the USA, and are generally bottle conditioned, with an average range of 5% to 8% abv, though saisons at the more traditional 3.5% strength can still be found. Although saison has been described as an endangered style, there has been a rise in interest in this style in recent years.

Historically, saisons did not share identifiable characteristics to pin them down as a style, but rather were a group of refreshing summer ales. Each farm brewer would make his own distinctive version. Modern saisons brewed in the USA tend to copy the yeast used by Brasserie Dupont, which ferments better at warmer temperatures—29 to 35 °C (84 to 95 °F)—than the standard 18 to 24 °C (64 to 75 °F) fermenting temperature used by other Belgian saison brewers.

A good book for more info on saison is Farmhouse Ales

quote from 1 of the reviews

Farmhouse Ales focuses on the Biere de Garde of northern France and the Saison ales of Belgium. Neither of these styles is a single type of beer, but rather a category of ales made locally with various brewing methods and array of ingredients, including spices.

[seymour]

Yeah I guess I have, what actually defines a saison?

From the BJCP Style Guidelines:

16C. Saison

Aroma: High fruitiness with low to moderate hop aroma and moderate to no herb, spice and alcohol aroma. Fruity esters dominate the aroma and are often reminiscent of citrus fruits such as oranges or lemons. A low to medium-high spicy or floral hop aroma is usually present. A moderate spice aroma (from actual spice additions and/or yeast-derived phenols) complements the other aromatics. When phenolics are present they tend to be peppery rather than clove-like. A low to moderate sourness or acidity may be present, but should not overwhelm other characteristics. Spice, hop and sour aromatics typically increase with the strength of the beer. Alcohols are soft, spicy and low in intensity, and should not be hot or solventy. The malt character is light. No diacetyl.

Appearance: Often a distinctive pale orange but may be golden or amber in color. There is no correlation between strength and color. Long-lasting, dense, rocky white to ivory head resulting in characteristic “Belgian lace” on the glass as it fades. Clarity is poor to good though haze is not unexpected in this type of unfiltered farmhouse beer. Effervescent.

Flavor: Combination of fruity and spicy flavors supported by a soft malt character, a low to moderate alcohol presence and tart sourness. Extremely high attenuation gives a characteristic dry finish. The fruitiness is frequently citrusy (orange- or lemon-like). The addition of one of more spices serve to add complexity, but shouldn’t dominate in the balance. Low peppery yeast-derived phenols may be present instead of or in addition to spice additions; phenols tend to be lower than in many other Belgian beers, and complement the bitterness. Hop flavor is low to moderate, and is generally spicy or earthy in character. Hop bitterness may be moderate to high, but should not overwhelm fruity esters, spices, and malt. Malt character is light but provides a sufficient background for the other flavors. A low to moderate tart sourness may be present, but should not overwhelm other flavors. Spices, hop bitterness and flavor, and sourness commonly increase with the strength of the beer while sweetness decreases. No hot alcohol or solventy character. High carbonation, moderately sulfate water, and high attenuation give a very dry finish with a long, bitter, sometimes spicy aftertaste. The perceived bitterness is often higher than the IBU level would suggest. No diacetyl.

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body. Alcohol level can be medium to medium-high, though the warming character is low to medium. No hot alcohol or solventy character. Very high carbonation with an effervescent quality. There is enough prickly acidity on the tongue to balance the very dry finish. A low to moderate tart character may be present but should be refreshing and not to the point of puckering.

Overall Impression: A refreshing, medium to strong fruity/spicy ale with a distinctive yellow-orange color, highly carbonated, well hopped, and dry with a quenching acidity.

Comments: Varying strength examples exist (table beers of about 5% strength, typical export beers of about 6.5%, and stronger versions of 8%+). Strong versions (6.5%-9.5%) and darker versions (copper to dark brown/black) should be entered as Belgian Specialty Ales (16E). Sweetness decreases and spice, hop and sour character increases with strength. Herb and spice additions often reflect the indigenous varieties available at the brewery. High carbonation and extreme attenuation (85-95%) helps bring out the many flavors and to increase the perception of a dry finish. All of these beers share somewhat higher levels of acidity than other Belgian styles while the optional sour flavor is often a variable house character of a particular brewery.

History: A seasonal summer style produced in Wallonia, the French-speaking part of Belgium. Originally brewed at the end of the cool season to last through the warmer months before refrigeration was common. It had to be sturdy enough to last for months but not too strong to be quenching and refreshing in the summer. It is now brewed year-round in tiny, artisanal breweries whose buildings reflect their origins as farmhouses.

Ingredients: Pilsner malt dominates the grist though a portion of Vienna and/or Munich malt contributes color and complexity. Sometimes contains other grains such as wheat and spelt. Adjuncts such as sugar and honey can also serve to add complexity and thin the body. Hop bitterness and flavor may be more noticeable than in many other Belgian styles. A saison is sometimes dry-hopped. Noble hops, Styrian or East Kent Goldings are commonly used. A wide variety of herbs and spices are often used to add complexity and uniqueness in the stronger versions, but should always meld well with the yeast and hop character. Varying degrees of acidity and/or sourness can be created by the use of gypsum, acidulated malt, a sour mash or Lactobacillus. Hard water, common to most of Wallonia, can accentuate the bitterness and dry finish.

Vital Statistics:
OG: 1.048 – 1.065
FG: 1.002 – 1.012
ABV: 5 – 7%
IBUs: 20 – 35
SRM: 5 – 14

Commercial Examples: Saison Dupont Vieille Provision; Fantôme Saison D’Erezée - Printemps; Saison de Pipaix; Saison Regal; Saison Voisin; Lefebvre Saison 1900; Ellezelloise Saison 2000; Saison Silly; Southampton Saison; New Belgium Saison; Pizza Port SPF 45; Lost Abbey Red Barn Ale; Ommegang Hennepin

[Lugsy]

Saisons are great and one of the few pale styles I can manage with my hard water. I brewed 5 last year using WLP566, this is a cracking yeast that ferments down low at a large range of temperatures and still gives off good esters even at 20C. I've got a starter on the go now ready for brewing this weekend - with a bit of luck the weather might warm up enough to enjoy it as it should be drunk, nice and cold sat outside on a hot sunny day

If you've not tried the style then definitely go for a Saison Dupont, if you can get a 750ml bottle then it's much nicer than the small 330's for some reason. Other uses of this type of yeast include Flying Dog "Wildeman" farmhouse IPA and Ilkley Brewery "Siberia" which has rhubarb in it! Both are delicious.

[far9410]

wow, looks like thats made its way on to the ever growing to do list

[barney]

I have put this style in my diary for high summer when the temperature may eventually reach 24 °c.