Simple Saison

[monsteroyd]

LOL

Ok the black Saison started at 1.090 and the FG is 1.000 on the button. My god, this yeast is amazing. Eats everything, and doesn't care what the temp is. The sample tastes kind of like a chocolate saison, interestingly, it's not too bad! But at 12% ABV, this one may sit a while. OMG.

Monty

[monsteroyd]

OK, another Saison got bottled. This one a pretty straight forward Saison:

Code: Select all

1 lbs                 Amber Dry Extract (12.5 SRM)             Dry Extract   1        23.5 %        
1 lbs                 Wheat Dry Extract (8.0 SRM)              Dry Extract   2        23.5 %        
1.00 oz               Cascade [6.70 %] - Boil 25.0 min         Hop           3        22.2 IBUs     
0.50 Items            Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 mins)        Fining        4        -             
2.25 mg               Fermcap-S (Boil 0.0 mins)                Other         5        -             
1.0 pkg               Belle Saison  (Lallemand #)              Yeast         6        -             
2.00 tsp              Yeast Nutrient (Primary 3.0 days)        Other         7        -             
2 lbs                 Pale Liquid Extract (8.0 SRM)            Extract       8        47.1 %        
4.0 oz                Honey (1.0 SRM)                          Sugar         9        5.9 %         

But of course:

Measured Original Gravity: 1.084 SG
Measured Final Gravity: 1.006 SG
Actual Alcohol by Vol: 10.3 %

Sample Tasted Great, real peppery spicy citrus saisony - did not need the honey.

Monty

[mashani]

Your a madman. I thought I brewed a lot of Belgians and Saisons. But your on a roll...

[monsteroyd]

Your a madman. I thought I brewed a lot of Belgians and Saisons. But your on a roll...

Well once the fermentation chamber got set for 75F, I really have to do all of the 9 LBK's in there at that temp. So I did 9 variations of a saison. It was/is fun. I really like them and actually plan on doing another round of them with 3lbs total of malt instead of 4lbs. These batches are all slightly different too, some have Munich, some have Wheat, some are just barley malt, and I did do that Chocolate Saison too. I can't wait to start drinking them to learn what I like, and don't like. I have been learning a ton doing this. I got BeerSmith dialed in doing this, I have been doing hop boils and trying different hops to get a feel for them. I have some Citra on the way I'd like to try with the saison yeast, etc. I harvested some trub from the batch last night, so I am messing around with harvesting yeast too. So maybe not a madman, maybe just a nut. Also remember my 9 LBKs are about 4.5 5 gallon batches, so I'm not making THAT much beer (OK maybe a little), just a lot of different batches.

I still got 3 more batches to bottle.

Monty

[monsteroyd]

Bottled the Orange Saison last night, 10% ABV, but the sample tasted good. Silghtly orangy, but not as much as when I used zest. So probably the can of orange juice concentrate is not a go forward tactic. I think I'd do the juice and zest from some oranges if I was to do it based on what the sample tasted like. However, I did get some good bittering out of the 20 min hop boil this one has. BS says this one is 26 IBU, and the sample definitely had some bitter to it.

We'll see in a month.
Monsaisonsteroyd

[mashani]

Out of curiosity: When did you add the orange juice concentrate?

[monsteroyd]

I put it in the gallon of 'spring' water (from Publix). I added to the LBK to absorb the thermal shock of the cooled-ish (100F) wort. I didn't boil it, but used it as ice to cool things down, as it was still frozen.

Monty

[mashani]

As an experiment you could try to add something like that more like a "dry hop" later in the process. It can help to preserve more of the character.

[monsteroyd]

Hmm. Like a few days after fermentation has started? I guess I could since it's pasteurized. I hate opening the LBK tho.

Monty

[mashani]

Yeah, or even a week after. The idea is that less of the volatile flavor/aroma compounds will get blown out your vents during the really active part of the primary fermentation. I don't brew a lot of fruit beers, but I've found that the fruit tends to come through more when done this way when I do.

As long as you sanitize everything the few seconds the lid is off isn't going to cause disaster. You gotta take the lid off to dry hop too. Just don't stick your face down in there and take a big whiff, unless you want to brew with nose yeast LOL.

[monsteroyd]

Yep, gotta stay away from the nose yeast. Uck!

Well I am getting ready to start round 2 of saisons (can't have enough saison, ya know)

This set of batches will be using up the end of my Munich LME and wheat DME. So the first couple will have wheat, then the next few will have Golden Light DME and Munich LME, and then I am going straight Golden Light DME, and doing some SMaSH Saisons. I want to do the last 4 trying out Citra, Tetanger, Saaz, and Hallertau, or whatever strikes my fancy, I got a bunch of 1 oz packets coming from Austin from their sale last week. These last four may also have a little (2 oz) chocolate or roasted barley cold steeped to try to get a red Saison. Hopefully this set will be more in the 5% ABV range. I think with this Belle Saison Dry yeast, I'll only need about 2.5 lbs of malt to do it, maybe even less. I've had to really ramp up the attenuation in the Belle Saison yeast definition I had to create (since it doesn't exist) in BeerSmith to get the FG estimates to match what I am getting. I think I have currently it set for 80-90% and I think it may be higher than that. I need to remember to mess with this in BS to get it estimating correctly.

I've also been messing with washing yeast and making starters on my new stir plate. I plan on harvesting some yeast from this set of batches to try in round 3 (Again, ya just can't have too much Saison, ya know)

I hope to start tonight. I really like this small 1 gal hop boil I'm doing. I can get a complete brew done in 1.5 hours if I don't mess up.

Monsaisonsteroyd AKA 'The Mad Saisonist'

[Brewbirds]

I wish we could get you on a live brewhaus cam. You're having way to much fun over there for us not to be able to watch.

[monsteroyd]

I wish we could get you on a live brewhaus cam. You're having way to much fun over there for us not to be able to watch.

Ohh.. Hmm.. I just happen to have a camera or 2. Maybe I should record it and edit it up and .... Naw.. that would take too much time away from brewing saisons. Besides when I screw up (and I will), you all would be watching and laughing at me.

Monty

[Brewbirds]

I wish we could get you on a live brewhaus cam. You're having way to much fun over there for us not to be able to watch.

Ohh.. Hmm.. I just happen to have a camera or 2. Maybe I should record it and edit it up and .... Naw.. that would take too much time away from brewing saisons. Besides when I screw up (and I will), you all would be watching and laughing at me.

Monty

My point exactly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You're over there brewing away on camera while we sit back with a cold one watching and waiting for something unexpected to happen.

Edit to add: Oh and why do I have the feeling you wear a lab coat and hum while you brew? (binoculars emoticon)

[monsteroyd]

LOL No lab coat, although half the fun of brewing is all the lab equipment. I do usually hum while I listen to rock N roll, but I drink home brew while I am doing it, so it is really interesting at times. Actually it's pretty amazing I've not been more infected if you think about it. I probably succeed because I am pretty sloppy with the one-step, and if it moves funny, I squirt it with StarSan.

The Saison thing is just a fad right now with me. I've never had it before I made it and I really like it. I am sure that I'll start on trying to make other kinds of beer too some day, after I get over this Saisobsession.

Monty