Petite Saison d'Été

5 gallon extract (Northern Brewer)

0.5 lbs Belgian Cara 20

3.15 lbs Pilsen LME
1 lb Pilsen DME
1 lb Wheat DME

1 oz UK Kent Goldings (60 min.)
0.25 oz Styrian Goldings (Celeia) (10 min.)
0.25 oz. Saaz (10 min.)
0.75 oz Styrian Goldings (Celeia) (2 min.)
0.75 oz. Saaz (2 min.)

Wyeast 3711 French Saison

Pitched: 7/4/14 SG 1.040
Secondary: 7/19/14 SG 1.005
Kegged: 8/11/14 SG 1.005

Notes: I was up at dawn on July 4th to get this one going, with the aim of ensuring that we could actually drink some of it during the eponymous season. By 10:30 a.m. the yeast was pitched, and bubbled very nicely for a full week before starting to taper off.

Saison

Saison
(5 gallons)
10/3/2013

10.0 lbs Valley Malt pilsner malt
3.0 lbs Valley Malt rye malt
0.5 lbs Valley Malt Special B

1.25 oz styrian aurora (60 min)
1.25 oz styrian aurora (15 min)
1.0 oz french strisselspalt (2 min)

yeast:
wyeats 3711 french saison

1.5 qt/lb single infusion
water at 167, mash start at 147
Infusion mash 147 for 90 min
60 min boil

1.045 OG on 10/3
1.010 keg on 10/25

Saison

Saison
(10 gallons)
5/15/2013

16.0 lbs Valley Malt pilsner malt
2 lbs wheat malt
1 lbs rye malt
1 lbs crystal special B

1.0 oz Columbus (60 min)
2.0 oz Styrian Aurora (15 min)
2.0 oz Styrian Aurora (5 min)

yeast:
Lallemand Belle Saison
Infusion mash 150 for 60 min
60 min boil

1.035 OG on 5/13
1.009 keg on 5/19
1.009 kep on 5/30
53% efficiency

Saison

Saison
(5 gallons)
3/24/2013

10.0 lbs Valley Malt pilsner malt
1 lb Wheat Malt
4 oz toasted whole oats

0.5 oz Columbus (60 min)
1.0 oz Mt Hood (15 min)

yeast:
Saflager T-58
Infusion mash 150 for 60 min
60 min boil

1.040 OG on 3/24
1.012 secondary on 3/30

Saison

Saison
(10 gallons)
9/30/2012

12.0 lbs Belgian Pale Malt
8.0 lbs Franco-Belgian Pilsner Malt
1.0 lbs Fawcett Crystal Rye Malt
1.0 lbs Fawcett Optic Malt

4.0 oz German Tradition (60 min)
1.0 oz Kent Golding (15 min)
1.0 oz Styrian (2 min)

yeast:
Wyeast 3724 Belgian Saison
Wyeast 3711 French Saison (carboy)
Infusion mash 152 for 60 min
60 min boil

1.055 OG on 9/30
1.040 secondary on 10/7
1.040 secondary on 10/14
(pitched additional yeast)
1.015 FG on 10/20
1.009 FG on 11/7
74% mash efficiency

Saison

Saison
(10 gallons)
3/11/2012

2.0 lbs franco-belgs pilsner malt
1.25 lbs simsons golden naked oats
1.25 lbs weyermann aciduated malt
1.25 lbs belgian aromatic malt
12 lbs pilsen malt syrup

1.0 oz styrian goldings (first wort)
1.0 oz columbus (60 min)
3.0 oz styrian goldings (0 min)

yeast:
wyeast 3522 belgian ardennes
Partial mash recipe
Steep grains with 2 gallons at 165 for 60 min
Sparged with 1.5 gallons at 150
60 min boil

Partial mash version of all-grain saison:
http://scbrew.blogspot.com/2011/05/saison.html

Saison

Saison
(10 gallons)
7/25/2011

9.0 lbs belgian pilsner malt
5.25 lbs german vienna malt
1.5 lbs torrefied wheat

2.0 oz east kent goldings (60 min)
0.5 oz styrian goldings (10 min)
0.5 oz saaz (10 min)
1.5 oz styrian goldings (2 min)
1.5 oz saaz (2 min)

yeast:
Safbrew T-58

Infusion mash at 150 for 60 min
60 min boil

1.036 OG on 7/25
1.012 secondary on 7/31
1.012 keg on 7/31

Saison

Saison
(10 gallons)
5/15/2011

17.5 lbs franco-belgs pilsner malt
1.25 lbs simsons golden naked oats
1.25 lbs weyermann aciduated malt
1.25 lbs belgian aromatic malt

1.0 oz styrian goldings (first wort)
1.0 oz columbus (60 min)
3.0 oz styrian goldings (0 min)

yeast:
wyeast 3522 belgian ardennes - plastic
whitelabs wlp550 belgian ale yeast - glass

Infusion mash at 150 for 60 min
60 min boil

1.060 OG on 5/15
1.015 secondary on 5/25

Patersbier

Patersbier
(5 gallons)
12/13/2009

9.0 lbs dingermans pils

1.0 oz german tradition (60 min)
1.0 oz saaz (10 min)

yeast:
Wyeast 3787 trappist high gravity

Infusion mash at 147 for 60 min
60 min boil

1.038 OG on 12/13
1.018 secondary on 12/21
1.010 keg on 12/30

Saison

Saison v7
(10 gallons)
4/4/2009

17.5 lbs belgian pilsner
2.5 lb munich
1.5 lb malted rye
2 t gypsum
4.7 SRM

4 oz hallertauer (60 min)
1 oz kent golding (15 min)
1 oz styrian (2 min)
34.8 IBU

Infusion mash 155 for 90 min

Yeast:
WLP565 Saison
WLP568 Belgian Saison

Batch A
1.055 OG on 4/4
1.032 secondary on 4/11
1.0 keg on

Batch B
?? OG on 4/4
1.035 secondary on 4/11
1.0 keg on

Gareth's Saison v3

Saison v3 (Saison Dupont clone)
(5 gallon)

.5 lb Vienna malt
5.75 lbs Munton's extra light dry malt extract
1 lb wheat dry malt extract
1 lb Belgian light candi sugar

1.4 oz East Kent Goldings 4.8% (60 min)
.5 oz East Kent Goldings 4.8% (15 min)
.5 oz dried orange peel (Penzey's) (15 min)
.25 oz Liberty 4.8% (5 min)

60 min boil

yeast: WLP 550 Belgian Ale Yeast

Pitched 8/14/08, SG 1.062
Kegged 8/24/08, FG 1.015

The final gravity is lower than was previously the case for this beer: perhaps the warm weather meant the yeast worked more efficiently.

Saison Noire II

Saison Noire
(5 gallons)
7/4/2008

10.0 lbs Belgian Pilsner
0.25 lbs CaraFa II
0.75 lbs Malted Rye
0.25 lbs Smoked Malt
1 t gypsum
14.0 SRM

2 oz Hallertaur (60 min)
0.5 oz Kent Golding (15 min)
0.5 oz Styrian Golding(2 min)
42.3 IBU

Yeast: WLP565 Saison

Infusion mash 155 degrees for 90 minutes

1.050 OG on 7/4
1.020 secondary on 7/11
1.019 keg on 7/31

Cut back the CaraFa II malt to make it a bit less Noire. Added in some rye and smoked malt to see if that adds any malt complexity. Brew store had the 565 saison yeast back this time as well, interested to see if that makes a significant difference.

Saison Noire

Saison Noire
(5 gallons)
5/4/2008

10.0 lbs Belgian Pilsner
0.5 lbs CaraFa II
1 t gypsum
20.8 SRM

2 oz Liberty (60 min)
1 oz Willamette (15 min)
0.5 oz Willamette (2 min)
46.2 IBU

Yeast: WLP570 Belgian Golden with starter

Infusion mash 150 degrees for 90 minutes

1.055 OG on 5/4
1.015 secondary on 5/10
1.008 keg on 6/9

Gareth's Saison v2

Saison v2 (Saison Dupont clone)
(5 gallon)

.5 lb Vienna malt
5.75 lbs Munton's extra light dry malt extract
1 lb wheat dry malt extract
1 lb Belgian light candi sugar

1.25 oz Willamette 5.8% (60 min)
.5 oz Liberty 4.0% (15 min)
.5 oz dried orange peel (Penzey's)
.25 oz Liberty 4.0% (5 min)

60 min boil

yeast: WLP 565 Saison 1

Pitched 2/3/08, SG 1.060
Secondary 2/16/08, SG 1.024
Kegged 2/25/08, SG 1/024

Grisette

Grisette
(10 gallons)
1/27/2008

13.5 lbs German pilsner
4.5 lbs wheat malt
3.2 SRM

3 oz Liberty (60 min)
1 oz Willamette (15 min)
1 oz Kent Goldings (2 min)
34.6 IBU

Yeast: WLP565 Saison with starter

Infusion mash 150 degrees for 90 minutes

1.050 OG on 1/27

Somewhere between a wit and saison style. I'm using the saison yeast so I'm anticipating this will taste more like a saison.

Saison

Saison v7
(10 gallons)
9/9/2007

18.0 lbs belgian pilsner
2.5 lb munich
1.5 lb malted rye
2 t gypsum
4.7 SRM

4 oz hallertauer (60 min)
1 oz kent golding (15 min)
1 oz styrian (2 min)
34.8 IBU

Infusion mash 150 for 90 min

Yeast:
WLP565 Saison (made starter for 10 gallons)

Batch A
1.050 OG on 9/9
1.022 secondary on 9/16
1.022 keg on 9/22

Batch B
?? OG on 9/9
1.022 secondary on 9/16

Farmhouse Ale

Rating: 2

Smuttynose Brewing Co.

Portsmouth, NH

Style: Saison

ABV: 7.4%
22 oz bottle

Classic saison fruitiness and sourness. This has to be very close to the White Labs saison yeast I've used in most of my saisons. Light body, moderate hoppiness, somewhat sweet finish. Great saison interpretation except a) it's a little sweeter than I would prefer, I like the dry finishing saison for their drinkability, and b) the alchohol content makes it less of a session beer.

As a side note, the brewers' notes on their website are great from a homebrewer perspective, with details of malt, hops, and yeast. I definitely have to try some of the other "Big Barrel" series.

Hennepin

Rating: 2

Brewery Ommegang

Cooperstown, New York

Style: Saison

ABV: 7.7%

750 ml corked bottle

Ommegang's Hennepin, one of their flagship beers, pours with a huge, intense head, that dissipates very slowly, forming strange and - if you've had enough to drink - compelling shapes in the glass. The color is a surprisingly light gold, even yellow. There's an immediate spicy quality to the aroma - coriander is perhaps in here, but it's not that specific. There's also an underlying fruitiness. The flavour is a very balanced mix between the spicy notes, a floral quality, and a malty sweetness on the tongue; an extremely palatable, enjoyable beer to drink. There's also a zesty quality, like that from a lemon peel.

The beer is a perfect pairing with a rustic French cheese such as Comte Le Fort, with a mellow, earthy flavour.

Heavy Seas - Red Sky at Night

Rating: 3

Clipper City Brewing Company

Baltimore, Maryland

Style: Saison

ABV: 7.5%

12 fl oz bottle

This was an extremely pleasant surprise (though we've had other Clipper City beers recently, and enjoyed them): a saison available as a six-pack, on a seasonal (summer) basis.

The beer pours a light golden/straw colour with a small head. It has a yeasty (even bready), fruity smell, with sweet apples especially notable. The same qualities emerge in the taste, with a slight tart/sour quality on the tongue, along with the usual saison earthiness. Red Sky at Night pairs very well with good quality cheese.

Gareth's Saison v1

Saison v1 (Saison Dupont clone)
(5 gallon)

.5 lb German Vienna malt
5.75 lbs Munton's extra light dry malt extract
1 lb wheat dry malt extract
1 lb Belgian clear candi sugar

1.4 oz Styrian Goldings 4.3% (60 min)
.5 oz Kent Goldings 4.2% (15 min)
.5 oz bitter orange peel (15 min)
.25 oz Kent Goldings (5 min)

60 min boil

yeast: WLP Saison Yeast