Suddenly! Saison

[FedoraDave]

I brewed this when I got back from the AHA Convention in Philadelphia. In the Bag O' Spiffs they provided, there was a packet of Danstar Saison yeast, so I figured I was obligated to make one; a new experience for me.

Tonight was my first taste after 3-2-2 and two days in the fridge.

A pleasant golden color, with a full white head (although that quickly dissipated).

Aroma has both floral/fruit and spiciness (pepper? cinnamon? not sure, it's so subtle. But it's nice).

Taste is tangy up front; almost citrus, but finishes a little dry. Not unpleasant in the least.

I'm not schooled in saisons as a style. It's not the first thing I'd look for when picking out a beer, honestly. But this is a very pleasant drinking experience. I foresee more saisons in my future, especially to tide me over during the summer months when it's too hot in the basement even for ale fermenting.

[swenocha]

I love me some saisons (there are some great ones out there)...

I also love the ones I brew. Probably my favorite of what I brew. Glad to hear you're getting into the style.

Questions:

What temps did you ferment at? I get mine up to 85-90 to get the full effect of the yeast flavors. They certainly are advantageous for summer brewing.
How is the dry Saison yeast? I've been curious to pick one of these up. What was your experience? Good attenuation? Active/quick?

[mashani]

Ha, you have been assimilated.

@Swen, Bella Saison has gone 95%+ attenuation for me every time, even in extract beers. It tastes to me just like Wyeast French Saison. I think it is the same yeast, just dry.

[Inkleg]

Ok Swen and mashani, just getting into these myself. Had a Saison Dupont over the weekend and loved it. Haven't brewed one yet, but LHBS had a yeast I'd not seen before and picked it up. Wyeast 3725-PC Biere de Garde, they said it only comes out once a year and is a good yeast.
Have been doing research on recipes. Have a few, but like Dave don't know squat. Any help would greatly be appreciated with a recipe and pitching temps. Do you pitch at a lower temp and ramp it up or pitch at a higher temp? Don't have the recipes handy, but one is in Brewing Classic Styles under that style thought I'd just go with that and see. Thank You in advance for any information.

[FedoraDave]

Swen, I fermented in the mid-80s, just because that's the temperature my basement was at. Turned out okay, I'd say.

As far as your yeast question, it's tough to answer, because I have nothing to compare it to. It attenuated well, I'd say. I can't speak to how quickly it worked; I kind of just set it and forget it mostly. As with all my other beers, it went 3-2-2, and was just fine gravity-wise.

I wouldn't say I'd make a saison every other batch, but I'll definitely be making one or two batches as the weather warms up each year. Great to have in the pipeline with the warm weather still around.

[swenocha]

- I pitch at normal temps and ramp up.
- the Brewing Classic Styles recipe is a great start
- the great thing about saisons, imho, is that the yeast makes the beer. You can take your normal pale ale/wheat/belgian/scrap/whatever recipe, do it with the saison yeast, and get a tasty saison. A lot of people add spices/fruit/etc., but I've always just let the yeast give me the flavors. Either way is fine and good... just my preference. Again, that's the great thing about saisons... they can come in many shapes and sizes.
- My favorite farmhouse/saisons right now are from Fantôme. Dany is a great brewer and I haven't had one yet from him that I didn't like. Seek them out... Saint Somewhere, Hill Farmstead, Prairie Artisan Ales, Pretty Things, and Jolly Pumpkin saisons are also favorites of mine. Of course, saisons by Dupont, Goose Island, Boulevard, Lost Abbey, Ommegang, and Coors/Blue Moon(! yes, I went there...) are great as well. Oh, and Yazoo is the beez kneez... Their rye saison is their spring/summer seasonal, and they often play with the yeast, dropping it in a barrel with the Dos Perros mexican brown for a nice sessionable dark saison, or dropping some brett into a barrel of the rye saison.

[swenocha]

Here's a nice extract one I did with one of the old Mr. B (i.e., Brew Demon) extracts and some add-on ingredients:

Ingredients

Amount Item Type % or IBU
1.00 lb Extra Light Dry Extract (3.0 SRM) Dry Extract 26.11 %
1.21 lb Classic American Blonde Ale (6.0 SRM) Extract 31.59 %
0.30 oz Nugget [13.00 %] (20 min) Hops 14.5 IBU
0.30 oz Goldings, East Kent [4.70 %] (5 min) Hops 1.7 IBU
1.62 lb Booster (0.0 SRM) Sugar 42.30 %
1 Pkgs Belgian Saison I Ale (White Labs #WLP565) Yeast-Ale


Beer Profile

Measured Original Gravity: 1.066 SG
Measured Final Gravity: 1.019 SG
Actual Alcohol by Vol: 6.14 %
Bitterness: 27.2 IBU
Calories: 300 cal/pint
Est Color: 4.0 SRM

[swenocha]

And here's an AG one that I particularly liked as well:

Ingredients

Amount Item Type % or IBU
4.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 61.45 %
0.75 lb Vienna Malt (4.0 SRM) Grain 12.29 %
0.50 lb Honey (1.0 SRM) Adjunct 8.19 %
0.50 lb Wheat, Flaked (1.6 SRM) Grain 8.19 %
0.30 lb Sugar, Table (Sucrose) (1.0 SRM) Sugar 4.75 %
0.25 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 4.10 %
0.06 lb Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 1.02 %
0.15 oz Goldings, East Kent [4.80 %] (Dry Hop 3 days) Hops -
0.90 oz Williamette [5.00 %] (100 min) Hops 31.2 IBU
0.30 oz Goldings, East Kent [4.75 %] (5 min) Hops 1.8 IBU
0.02 oz Irish Moss (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
1 Pkgs Belgian Saison I Ale (White Labs #WLP565) Yeast-Ale (reharvested from prev recipe)

Beer Profile

Measured Original Gravity: 1.056 SG
Measured Final Gravity: 1.008 SG
Actual Alcohol by Vol: 6.26 %
Bitterness: 33.1 IBU
Calories: 246 cal/pint
Est Color: 9.4 SRM

[Inkleg]

Thanks Swen, I'll use the Biere De Garde recipe in BCSs to start with.
What is the temperature ramp up time frame. Pitch at 68* and ramp up 2* each day till at X* or pitch at 68* and let it free rise a few days the ramp up. I have a controlled fridge with a heat pad so temperature control is easy.

[Inkleg]

What OG do you like best on these?

[swenocha]

If you can ramp it gradually, then I'd do that. I didn't really have a good way to do it, so mine was more of a free rise. I let mine get to 85 or higher (depending on the yeast), but that's more a product of the temps outside and the temps in my fermenting closet and not anything I really control...

[swenocha]

What OG do you like best on these?

A traditional, old-school farmhouse would be real sessionable... like 3-3.5%. I've done 'em that small, but mostly I hit where my normal pales hit, something in the 1.04-1.06 range. YMMV

[Wings_Fan_In_KC]

Love your signature!

LOL

[Inkleg]

Crap, Wings is still hanging around.

Thanks Swen.

[Foothiller]

Another yeast to add to the list: Wyeast 3522 Belgian Ardennes. I know it's maybe not considered a saison yeast, but I am brewing a couple other saisons in a couple of weeks, so I used this in what was a saison recipe to try it as a Belgian Blond, reusing the yeast from a session Belgian Pale Ale. When I bottled the new one last night, it was down from OG = 1.059 to FG = 1.005. So, it seems like it's a variation of a nice saison.