Simple Saison

[Brewbirds]

I'm sure they will keep the pipeline well stocked.

We've done a couple and will probably do more when it warms up here.

One was all Pacific Jade hops and its got an odd taste right now but that was the first time we used that hop so I'll have to use it in another batch to see if it was the batch or the hop.

Been enjoying your adventures.

[monsteroyd]

Ok For the next set, it is pretty much focused on hops, so... I just ordered some Sorachi Ace hops from Bell's (like the brewery - didn't realize that the place I got my stir plate was the same place as the brewery - That's cool).

Anyway this is about the first hop I've seen where the comments are something like '... good in Saisons...'

I did not get to brew last night as I am helping my wife with her crafts so we watched 'Captain Phillips' - good movie, and worked on her bullet shell craft lamp thingy.

So one of those last 4 SmaSH's is going to use Sorachi for sure.

Monty

[monsteroyd]

OK I got one brewed last night. This one has a lb of wheat dme, a lb of pale LME and 3/4 lb Munich LME. I boiled 1 oz of stryian goldings for 15 minutes. BS said 1.047 I got 1.048, close enough. Unfortunately, the hop bag came untied so the hops have gone commando on me. I also steeped 1 oz of roasted barley for color. Did not turn out very red, mostly brownish. Maybe I should have used the chocolate malt instead. BS shows this coming in at 1.004, which is based on an attenuation of 90-95%. That's the number I arrived at taking the last 9 batches of saisons, messing with the yeast attenuation to get the estimated to match the measured FG pretty much. So 1.004 should be a pretty good guess for this yeast. I think that gave something like 5.5% ABV, which would be perfect.

So this one does stryian (commando) and was the first attempt at red color. 1 oz of roasted barley isn't going to do it. Next I'll try 1 oz of chocolate malt. However, that little bit of roasted barley may be authentic if you figure a little burnt malt in the kilning on the farm.

I just got a seal a meal on the clearance rack at the grocery store, it was $25. I know that it is a cheapy, but OMG, how did I ever get along without it. It is great at resealing the DME bags, the hops bags, etc. Just so much quicker and easier that my other method of using a chip clip or paper clip or tape to hold the bags closed.

I re-hydrated my yeast using my new stir plate. That worked great too. I aerated with my paint stirrer and my old drill and basically turned the LBK into one big wort foam ball, then pitched my beautifully re-hydrated yeast into it. My only screw up was dumping the dang stir magnet into the LBK with the wort. Oops, won't be stirring much until I get a new one. - So that's what the extra magnet (keeper) is for. Huh...

So it was a nice relaxing evening, I think it took 2 hours start to finish. But me and Lucy (my brindle brew dog) just listened to my Pandora Santana channel and drank some really good Honey wheat ale I made from a BD wheat HME. (I didn't give Lucy any beer, she only gets what leaks from the bottling wand when we bottle and my back is turned. I know hops are poisonous for dogs, so I don't like her drinking beer)

LucyHappyDanceSmall.jpg (108.9 KiB) Viewed 692 times

Monty

[mashani]

FWIW, one of the 1.047 beers I made with that yeast over the summer went down to 1.000 or maybe even a fraction below 1.000. The 1.053 beer I made when down to 1.003 or there about. Both hit 78+ degrees at some point during fermentation though.

Oh and both were delicious.

[monsteroyd]

Yeah I am hoping for the same result. But this yeast is pretty fail safe, it just works. I just want some that I can drink and still walk reliably. The first bunch is going to be a real bear.

Monty

[BeerRust]

I really can't wait to attemp a Saison. Mostly because of this tread. I guess I will need to go Bach a few pages and reveiw your methods, before I make an attempt. Also I have two other brew waiting to be bottled first.
I have enough ingredients around too, except for yeast, which is the key to this style.

Are making 2.5 gal batches or 5 gals?

[monsteroyd]

I am doing a 1 gal boil with a pound of extract and usually a 20 minute hop boil (EDIT: Add 2 lbs extract at flame out) and then cooling it to about 100F and then pour over a gallon of cold refrigerated water and topping up to about 9 qts 2.25 gals. In a lbk. Aerate and pitch rehydrated Belle Saison dry yeast. Easy peasy.

EDIT: Forgot the rest of the malt extract. - Monty

[monsteroyd]

First let me explain how to get your stir bar out of an LBK when you forget the 'keeper' magnet and dump it in with the yeast. Take a strong magnet and move it around on the outside of the bottom of the LBK. Then move the magnet slowly up the side and continue until you have the magnet on the top of the lid. Unscrew the lid, get the stir bar from under it, sanitize the lid and put it back. Remember to use the keeper next time.

I am going to list out exactly what I've been doing with these Saisons. For starters this is my first experience in hop boils, so my method is basically what happens after an all grain recipe mash is done. Well except that I do a small 1 gallon boil and usually a 20 min hop boil, since I do NOT like bitter, I keep my IBUs down.

1) Fill 8 qt pot with 1 gal of spring water
2) boil 200ml of water for rehydrating yeast, set aside covered and let it cool. I use a small one liter electric tea kettle for this.
3) Add 2 drops FermCap-S to the gallon. this really helps with the foam during boil
4) Add malt extract, usually about 1 lb of LME or DME. If LME add before heat to avoid scorching.
5) Add hops (I do First Wort Hopping for a smoother bitter)
6) turn on heat and bring to a boil
7) watch and when at boil, start the hop timer.
8) boil for hop length
9) 10-15 before flame out, add 1/2 tab whirlfloc
10) at flame out add the remaining extracts and 2 tsp yeast energizer (food grade urea) Probably don't need this, but it's cheap and I have some.
11) Cool pot with wort in an ice water bath in sink to about 100F
12) check yeast water and when about 95F, put yeast in, cover, and set on stir plate, set to stir slowly
13) add 1 gallon of refrigerated spring water to LBK
14) add wort to LBK and stir
15) take gravity (sanitize tube and hydro)
16) return sample to LBK, aerate the wort (I use a StarSan sanitized paint stirrer in an old drill - works great)
17) Pitch rehydrated Belle Saison yeast
18) Put LBK in fermentation chamber
19) bottle in 3 weeks.

That's about what I do. Oh I usually am drinking a homebrew of course, and listening to music or watching football or a movie while all this is going on. And I think that is one thing that has really helped my sanitation. I use oneStep mostly with spot StarSan spraying, and since oneStep takes time, all this music / tv listening / watching helps slow me down so the oneStep gets time to work. The beer helps there too as towards the end I may forget what I was doing

Monty

[BeerRust]

Nice explanation.

Have you done any grain steeps with these?

[Brewbirds]

Great description of your process Monty.

I was hoping you'd tell how you got the stir bar.

[monsteroyd]

Yes, and partial mashes too, I do them before I start so I'm putting in some steep tea like stuff right at the beginning when you turn on the heat.

Monty

[BeerRust]

Nice, I might have to get to the LHBS today to get some yeast. But I have 2 batches that I need to bottle first. So maybe next weekend I will be brewing.

[monsteroyd]

Ok I got another Saison in the Fermentator last night. I am still trying for red, so this time I did 1 lb 1 oz pale LME, 1lb Munich LME, and 12 oz Rye LME with a steep of 2 oz of chocolate malt. The sample was brownish, not red, so unless fermentation is going to change the color, this one does not look like it will be red. Oh and I got my Sorachi Ace hops, so I did a 11 minute boil with .5 oz of them. BeerSmith says 24 IBU. I'm hoping that the rye, the Sorachi Ace hops, and the Saison yeast make a tasty combo. But I still want Red, so maybe I'll have to get some CaraRed and try that. Interestingly, the Breiss Rye Malt has some crystal I think in it, and boy did it look dark red. Nailed the OG at 1.046, right what BS was predicting. If the yeast attenuates like it should, this will be a little over 5% ABV.

The next one I do, is going to be Pale LME, Munich LME, about 1.34 lb each, maybe a little sugar or honey, and a 11 minute boil of Citra. Or maybe I should make it just like the one I did last night, but just change the hop. Hmm...

Monty

[monsteroyd]

OK I bottled up the last LBK of the first set of saisons. It came in at 1.006, so about 9% ABV. Whew, it sure is easy making a high gravity beer with this yeast. I may never be able to drink more than one of them at a time though

The sample tasted great. This one had a can of raspberry lemonade thrown in for good measure. I did not taste raspberry or lemon however. Probably should have put it in later in the ferment.

Got some CaraRed ordered, so when that gets here, I may try it with some hibiscus flowers and make a Hibiscus Saison. I will get a red beer, dang it. Food coloring is not out of the question, but I'd rather not.

Monty

[Brewbirds]

I may never be able to drink more than one of them at a time though

Wish I'd thought of that before my wing got busted, you won't have to worry about pipeline decline disease for a while at this rate.