Post by cliffs on Dec 14, 2021 11:39:03 GMT -6
This style of beer has been my obsession for the pat 15 years, give or take. I love them. No style has frustrated me or brought me more pride than Saisons, and the more I dig, the more I realize I still dont know much. Some of the things I know I like:
Lower ABV. typically sub 5.5, with the extraordinary attenuation in this style, my SG are usually 1.045 or less
Malt bill is often 100%pils malt, Barke being my preferred. Sometimes I add rye/wheat/buckwheat to between 5 to 25% of the grain bill.
Mash is a step mash, usually 147-156-162-175, although I;ve also done single infusions at about 146. I get better attenuation, foam retnetion and clarity with a step mash though.
Bitterness: I usually aim for at least 30 ibus, sometimes much more, the bitterness makes it more refreshing, and I enjoy more aggressive bittering hops, Chinook>magnum. I'll often use finishing hops like Willamette, Liberty, and Edelweiss for my bittering addition to good effect.
Finishing hop flavor I can sometimes take or leave, I will add a 15 minute addition and even use my hop rocket during whirlpool, but I dont necessarily think I need it. I like Liberty, Edelweiss, Mt. Hood. I've used Cascade several times to nice effect.
Water: this is part of the style I always seem to battle. I like moderate sulfates, around 80ppm, but find the sulfate smack that accompanies larger additions to be distracting, sometimes even 80ppm seems to much. I have to brew with RO since my tap water is a blend that changes constantly, and my waters flavor profile never seems to match commercial examples that I enjoy the most. Could Bicarbonates be the answer?
I use Lactic acid to change mash PH in most of my saisons, so I would be using two conflicting substances if I was to add Baking soda, but I feel like the rough Bicarb character might be a source of some of the character I get from great commercial examples. I'm interested to hear what you think.
Yeast/fermentation. I am positive that high temps are not the answer to saison yeast character, in fact, excessively high temps (greater than about 75) give me an excessively estery taste in every yeast saison Ive made, however holding temps steady can make ferms horribly slow, I typically cool to about 68, oxygenate and pitch a large starter and allow a controlled free rise of around 2 degrees a day for 3 or 4 days.. I've settle on wyeast 3726/Imperial rustic for most of my saisons, as well as Bootleg biologys Saison parfait, but I find the acid produced by the saison parfait blend to be distracting.
The diastatic enzyme production in most saison yeast (french saison being a notable exception) is caused by the absence of simple sugars and the presence of oxygen. this is easily created by open fermentation for the first few days. Typically by the third day I am at around 80% AA. On day 5 I transfer to a keg to spund, Which takes about a week at room temp. After about two weeks in the keezer, 3 to 4 weeks after brew day, my saisons are ready to drink.
What are y'alls preferred saison making ways? And any tips on water would be appreciated.
Lower ABV. typically sub 5.5, with the extraordinary attenuation in this style, my SG are usually 1.045 or less
Malt bill is often 100%pils malt, Barke being my preferred. Sometimes I add rye/wheat/buckwheat to between 5 to 25% of the grain bill.
Mash is a step mash, usually 147-156-162-175, although I;ve also done single infusions at about 146. I get better attenuation, foam retnetion and clarity with a step mash though.
Bitterness: I usually aim for at least 30 ibus, sometimes much more, the bitterness makes it more refreshing, and I enjoy more aggressive bittering hops, Chinook>magnum. I'll often use finishing hops like Willamette, Liberty, and Edelweiss for my bittering addition to good effect.
Finishing hop flavor I can sometimes take or leave, I will add a 15 minute addition and even use my hop rocket during whirlpool, but I dont necessarily think I need it. I like Liberty, Edelweiss, Mt. Hood. I've used Cascade several times to nice effect.
Water: this is part of the style I always seem to battle. I like moderate sulfates, around 80ppm, but find the sulfate smack that accompanies larger additions to be distracting, sometimes even 80ppm seems to much. I have to brew with RO since my tap water is a blend that changes constantly, and my waters flavor profile never seems to match commercial examples that I enjoy the most. Could Bicarbonates be the answer?
I use Lactic acid to change mash PH in most of my saisons, so I would be using two conflicting substances if I was to add Baking soda, but I feel like the rough Bicarb character might be a source of some of the character I get from great commercial examples. I'm interested to hear what you think.Yeast/fermentation. I am positive that high temps are not the answer to saison yeast character, in fact, excessively high temps (greater than about 75) give me an excessively estery taste in every yeast saison Ive made, however holding temps steady can make ferms horribly slow, I typically cool to about 68, oxygenate and pitch a large starter and allow a controlled free rise of around 2 degrees a day for 3 or 4 days.. I've settle on wyeast 3726/Imperial rustic for most of my saisons, as well as Bootleg biologys Saison parfait, but I find the acid produced by the saison parfait blend to be distracting.
The diastatic enzyme production in most saison yeast (french saison being a notable exception) is caused by the absence of simple sugars and the presence of oxygen. this is easily created by open fermentation for the first few days. Typically by the third day I am at around 80% AA. On day 5 I transfer to a keg to spund, Which takes about a week at room temp. After about two weeks in the keezer, 3 to 4 weeks after brew day, my saisons are ready to drink.
What are y'alls preferred saison making ways? And any tips on water would be appreciated.
It totally sounds like my kind of beer but the yeast strains used creates flavors that I just can't work with and Jeebus knows I have tried. Many people have attempted to get me to try something claiming it's "clean" and when I taste it, I wince. I just can't get down with those Belgian yeast flavors. But this is good news because more Saison for you. 
