Is this a Blond or Saison?

Beer Recipes
1

I want to get some input as to what this beer would be classified as based on the recipe.  I’ve brewed this before and called it a Belgian Blond.  I’m getting ready to brew it again this weekend but the recipe generator on Brewer’s Friend indicated the recipe would fit better under Saison or Belgian Specialty Ale.  It tasted really good the first time I brewed it.  I thought it tasted like a Saison but it I don’t know if I’ve tasted a good example of a Belgian Blond.  I’ve had Leffe and Grimbergen but it has been a while. I’m aware many blond ales and saisons are just Pilsener malt and sugar but I’ve seen variations.  Like I said, it tasted good so I don’t necessarily care about brewing to style this time because of this.  I’m just wanting to educate myself and get some feedback for future recipes.  Thanks.

OG: 1.056
FG: 1.006 after 3 weeks in primary only.
Boil: 90 mins.

Mash: 149 F target but my notes from July indicate it only reached 145 F.

10.5 # Belgian Pilsener
  0.5# Belgian Aromatic
  .25# CaraPils
1.5# Cane Sugar

1.5 oz. Hallertau Mittlefruh @ 60 mins.

Wyeast 3522 Belgian Ardennes 2L Starter, Fermented around 73F

2

Looks like a blonde to me.  Particularly with that yeast.

IME, the saison yeasts have a very different character to them.  There’s a spiciness that you won’t get from Ardennes.

3

Use 3711/3724 = Saison

Use 3522/3787/1214/etc = blond

4

Just changing the yeast makes it a Saison?  Would I also need a later hop addition?

5

T-58 can make a saison (or so I’m told).

Lallemand also has a dry saison yeast.

Yes.  You get a tremendous amount of character from these yeasts.  You might could hop a saison more aggressively than a blonde.

6

I agree with all of the above.

I think also that brewers friend my have labeled this a saison because of the very low final gravity. AFAIK, blondes usually finish in the 1.010-1.014 range.

7

Saison has a very specific yeast character. Also, saisoins should be highly attenuated. Belgian strains are very attenuative but saison strains in particular are even more so. All that said, saison is probably the loosest style on the planet.

8

If you think of saison as a style, then you really need one of the strains that produces the saison character. You also need some more hop character in there as that it fairly common to the style.

If you think of saison as a technique or broad idea about brewing, then any reasonable beer strain is fair game but I think it needs the refreshing character that any decent Belgian strain can offer and some late hop character.

You won’t go wrong using 3711 or one of the Dupont variants available but delicious saisons can be made with abbey/trappist or wit strains. I’ve tasted a few British strains that could make for an interesting saison with some fruity esters.

9

Good point - A good Saison will be drier than a blonde. Depends on gravity, but with Saison you’re looking for 1.008 and below.