4.3% ABV Saison Recipe from August, 20, 2021

Here is a recipe for a on-the-light-side Saison. No sugar. No wheat. Just a British malt. Strange? Yes, perhaps it is. I’ve yet to drink it but I’m hoping it is something that could be consumed by the liter while leaving you head clear enough to have a decent conversation.

Beer is about people.

Summer Saison
4.3% / 11.3 °P

BIAB (No sparge)
70% efficiency

Batch Volume: 5.25 gal
Boil Time: 0 min

Vitals
Original Gravity: 1.045 / 11.3 °P

Final Gravity: 1.012 / 3.1 °P

IBU (Tinseth): 23

*( this is based on a boil time of 60 minutes. I am unsure how to calculate IBUs for a no chill beer with the hops left in the wort.)

Mash
Temperature — 70 °C — 30 min

Malt
9 lb (100%) — Thomas Fawcett Pale Malt, Golden Promise — Grain — 2.8 °L

Hop
14.9 g (23 IBU) — Magnum 12% — Boil — 60 min

Yeast
1 pkg — Wyeast Labs 3726 Farmhouse Ale 79%
Fermentation
Primary — 21 °C

Notes and how things really turned out

I failed to measure the OG. The total volume after heating to just past 80 C was shy of 5 gallons. I added a gallon of distilled water prior to yeast pitch.

Fermentation is off to a good start after 12 hours. I love Saison.

The hopping on this beer is strange. I added bagged hops (15 grams Magnum) to the kettle while I waited for the wort to achieve a temperature just slightly greater than 80 degrees Celsius. After it hit 80, I transferred to the fermentor along with the hops. All was cooled to about 70 degrees F over a period of about 22 hours. Yeast was pitched and now its off to the races.

I will monitor and hope it may be ready in time for my cousin’s birthday. This is unlikely. But one can hope.

The malt is listed at Simpsons Golden Promise. I really used Maris Otter. I’m not suggesting that you can substitute these two. I don’t have enough experience with either to say.

The fermentation was a bit rocky. It peaked out at 25.5 C. Higher than I anticipated. It also finished fermenting 4 days after pitching. I had it kegged and in my glass in 6 days total. Pretty fast. Maybe too fast.

Tasting and Other Thoughts

Light and a bit thin. Not distracting. The Maris Otter shines through first with a malty show. This is followed by a bitterness that’s notable but is clean and not to the level of a Czech Pilsner.

The Yeast should be the star of the show in a Saison and this one does not disappoint. I can’t put my finger on it but this strain feels like it’s missing something when compared to the Dupont strain.

Overall, wouldn’t brew again as is. I’d either try adding some Munich malt and get rid of the Maris Otter in favor of a Pilsner malt. Also, could try some light dry hopping in hopes of boosting the mouthfeel, something I’ve heard helps but have no personal experience with.

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