Agreed, it is such an open style it’s really fun to experiment with different ingredients since it’s really yeast driven.
+2. It’s not necessarily easy to brew a great saison, but it’s pretty easy to brew a good one. And not rigid in terms of style guidelines like most other beers.
I’ve used belle saison the last 3 times and like it very much. Not much to say other than it seems to balance traits I Like in a saison: dryness and tartness are both there but not too much. I suppose if you used more than a little sugar it would go too dry.
I finally have decent temp control after converting my fermentation chamber to a son of fermentation just in time for it starting to warm up. What temp do you like to run Belle Saison at?
So far so good in mid seventies for a few days then up to 80 plus. It attenuates fast but I still keep it in primary for 3 weeks or so.
Brewed this last Monday.
Pitched yeast at 65* and, after 3 days, let it free rise. Today it is at 81*.
OG = 1.052 Today = 1.010 80% attentuation. Going to let it ride another week just to see if it will get any lower.
Nice orange color to the brew. Faint fruity aroma. Spicy taste. Want to say pepper but this might be the power of suggestion. Not as much of the hallertau blanc presence as I was looking for. Maybe dry hop an ounce or so before bottling. No off-flavors or fusel I can taste.
Looking forward to what this ends up like once carbed.
Sounds good !
Forgot to add that I used the “open fermentation” method for the primary Drew mentioned in an earlier post.
A Guide to Saisons and Saison Yeasts – Maltose Falcons
“Avoiding the saison stall”
Used a piece of aluminum foil sanitized with star san over the fermenter.
Give it time btw, you should go well under 1.010 with that yeast- the last few points are pretty slow to move. It’ll be worth it. And I like the idea of dry hopping a little Blanc. Cheers !
I was going to say you want to let this ride to get the last 3 or 4 points and clean up so why not dry hop if you feel the HB isn’t coming through.
Speaking of saison, I’m sitting inthe airport waiting to fly to LA to brew saison with Drew and John Palmer…clam chowder saison…yes, it’s true. We’ll be serving it at our talk at NHC.
whatwhatwhat??? Tell me there are no clams in the beer and something else driving the chowda designation.
Ummm…interesting (?).
Potato flakes, herbs and spices and clam juice…God knows what else Drew has planned for it!
no worries about clam juice spoiling or otherwise shortening the shelf life?
Who the hell knows? I don’t think so, but it’s uncharted territory.
fair enough. just thinking clam juice would have a shelf life to consider. have fun!
AB packages bud light with clamato. Never had it, but I see it often at grocery stores.
got to be some preservatives in that though?
Hopefully we won’t spread botulism throughout NHC!