Red-Brown Saison experiment

Threw this recipe together and brewing it today:

8.5 lb Maris Otter
0.75lb Wheat malt
7 oz chocolate wheat

Target OG: 1.048
~19 SRM

22 IBU Organic Hallertau Tradition (7.1%) at 60 mins, just one addition.

I'm pitching some slurry from a batch fermented with half 3711 and 3724, hoping to pitch at about 66f and raise it to 75f over a week.

Let you know how it turns out.

Bump

Any updates?

Yeah, I'm on my last few pints of this, but it was an interesting experiment. Thanks for bumping this.

I believe the original gravity was about 1.050. Finished at 1.006. Ferment started at 68f, and finished in the mid 70s. About 6% abv.

The beer was pretty brown; so brown that it appears black from the side, though noticeably browner than a porter or stout. The head poured pretty well, then dissipated over about 2 minutes into a thin layer of small bubbles and a nice bit of lace. This is what I expected from the small grain bill. Not an ugly beer by any means.

In the aroma I get some nice stone fruit esters, with toasted wheat flour. Something from the chocolate malt puts me off--it seems empty. There is some pepperyness as well, as well as that indescribable esteryness that 3711 gives.

The flavor is quite complex. Muddy even. The bitterness feels carbonic, not from hops. It's very tart. There's a tartness that feels like it's running up your nose. It's a malic acid kind of tartness; not lactic or acetic. Then there's the nuttyness from the chocolate wheat. It seems like an empty nuttyness though; more like a roux, if you've ever made Creole/Cajun cuisine. It seems like it's clashing with the peppery yeast flavors. It sticks out, unsupported by anything, and feels lacking. Underneath the chocolate wheat flavor is a muddy biscuit malty soup; probably the Maris Otter playing with bready yeast. After a sip, I get a dry, tart roastiness. The tart feeling stays through to the finish. It's not sour though. I don't suspect an infection.

In the mouthfeel I get something very close to a German pilsner, though slightly more oily. I think it's a mix of 3711 and 3724. Seems pretty thin.

In sum: I think it was an interesting experiment, but it's definitely lacking. It's thin, feels light yet not quaffable. Lots of alcohol for such a light beer. It has muddy, clashing flavors. Strange from such a simple malt bill! I have the feeling it's from the chocolate wheat clashing loudly with 3711.

Directions I might go in the next iteration are way more hops, maybe a pilsner backbone, maybe some caramunich or special B, and roast barley or dehusked carafa instead of chocolate wheat.

Hi Prionburger - I do like the way you brew! In the spirit of the brown saison, here is a recipe I borrowed from the The Mad Fermentationist when he posted the McKenzie's collaborative effort.

Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
78.9 11.00 lbs. Pilsener Belgium 1.037 2
10.8 1.50 lbs. Munich Malt Germany 1.037 8
7.2 1.00 lbs. Turbinado Sugar Generic 1.046 0
1.8 0.25 lbs. CaraMunich 60 France 1.034 60
1.4 0.19 lbs. Black Malt De-Bittered Belgium 1.030 500

Mashed in 1.5 quarts/pound grain. Held @ 148 for 90 minutes.

Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.00 oz. Northern Brewer Pellet 8.60 33.3 60 min.
1.00 oz. Styrian Goldings Pellet 3.80 2.9 10 min.
Pinch of fresh rosemary at 2 minutes left in boil.

Pitched 3724 @ 68F and plan to ramp up to 78/80 over the next 10 days.

I just built a brown saison from my original yellow saison, it was a part mash, to establish if the style was worth brewing, and holy jeebus it is good!

I kept the dark malt bill simple, with a light malt bill to make it nice and complex. Full Recipe on My Blog

I'll be re-tasting in a couple of days and I'll chuck it up on HBT in a few days, when I've got a picture, asnd will post a link in this thread for you.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f71/code-brown-brown-saison-391822/#post4927288

Heres my recipe