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**Saccharomyces** · 05-18-2009, 03:54 PM

I'm feeling inspired by the descriptions of historical saison provision beers. Unlike the sweet stuff we are drinking today these would be very dry and sour from lactic bacteria and brett.

Which got me to thinking... Why not brew like a special Saison, but toss in some bugs for secondary fermentation. I present ...

Saison de Provision
16E - Belgian Specialty Ale - An attempt at recreating a historical Wallonian Biere de Garde

OG 1.060, FG ??? (1.002-ish expected), 35 IBU.

81% Belgian Pils
9% Vienna
7% Flaked Wheat
3% Belgian Aromatic

Mash 158*F for 60 minutes. Boil 90.

Hops:
2 oz Goldings 90
.5 oz Goldings 20
.5 oz Goldings 2

Yeast:
WLP565 1L starter (primary, 2 weeks, pitch @66*F raise to 80*F)
Wyeast 3763 Roeselare Blend (secondary, 6 months)

**Saccharomyces** · 05-18-2009, 04:03 PM

If I feel adventuresome I may turbid mash this beer since that is almost certainly how it would have been done historically; back then, they didn't have thermometers so they kept infusing boiling water as well as returning some runnings to the mash after boiling them and running the remainder to the kettle. This would have ramped the temperature through the various protein rest, beta rest, and alpha rest temp ranges without them knowing what they were really doing. It also would have left some unconverted starches in the boil which are beneficial for the souring organisms.

If I do so I would start around 131*F since our malt today is fully modified. The books I have read claim the acrosphire would have been about half the length of the grain when it was malted in those days which is severely undermodified and would have required a very long protein rest.

saq · 05-18-2009, 04:56 PM

Looks good! I'm interested in seeing how this works. Could you do a turbid mash by draining some of the wort out of your MLT during the mashing stage? Seems like that would be the same as putting a sieve into the top of the mash and trying to scoop it out there...

**Saccharomyces** · 05-18-2009, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by saq

Looks good! I'm interested in seeing how this works. Could you do a turbid mash by draining some of the wort out of your MLT during the mashing stage? Seems like that would be the same as putting a sieve into the top of the mash and trying to scoop it out there...

That's what I'm thinking. Infuse, draw off the liquid, boil that, while that is heating infuse the next round, etc etc.

saq · 05-18-2009, 06:05 PM

I've been doing mashouts like that for a while because I like to fill my MLT up pretty full so I can't add more water

Been getting nice efficiency.

**gwood** · 05-18-2009, 06:13 PM

Looks tasty. I've been wanting to do another Saison and have been wondering about using some bugs.

How long would you plan to age this one?

**Saccharomyces** · 05-18-2009, 06:14 PM

Typically the beers would have been aged 4-6 months before tapping the cask so I think I'm going to stick pretty close to that, though some of them may have been aged an extra year (!) and would have been pretty funky after that long.

**gwood** · 05-18-2009, 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Saccharomyces

Typically the beers would have been aged 4-6 months before tapping the cask so I think I'm going to stick pretty close to that, though some of them may have been aged an extra year (!) and would have been pretty funky after that long.

I've aged a few beers in kegs for up to a couple months in the winter and spring but I wonder about my garage now with the summer temps getting pretty high (90+F). My last Saison fermented at 80F to 85F but it then the temps cooled down and I was able to age in a keg at +/- 70F.

Do you worry much about temp control for the kegs once the beer has been transferred?

**Saccharomyces** · 05-18-2009, 06:32 PM

I age kegs in my closet which is a constant 66*F - 72*F all year. Currently the 999 is sitting in there, soon to be joined by some RIS.

ChrisKennedy · 05-18-2009, 07:01 PM

Why the spices? WHY MAN WHY?????

Such a beautiful recipe, and then those dirty dirty spices make their way in!