It's that time of year: SAHTI 2012!!!

Man I've been looking forward to brewing this beer for months. The juniper around the Truckee Meadows usually produce the best berries around February... but I ended up waiting until now because we got hosed in the snow department.

I've got my branches littered with berries ready to go for 4 gallons of goodness. Tomorrow is going to be warm so that's when we will brew. I'll be taking plenty of photos along the way.

The Recipe:

5# US 2-row
2# Rye Malt
1# Munich Malt
0.75# Crystal 120L

0.5oz Cascade (6.9%) 60min
0.25oz Juniper Berries 60min
0.25oz Juniper Berries 15min
0.25oz Grains of Paradise 5min

1.5L starter of Wyeast 1272 Am. Ale II


The Process:

- Go to the hills and collect a backpack full of juniper branches

- Boil the majority of the branches with some berries in cheese cloth in your mash liquor... 15-30 minutes is sufficient

- Dough-in with the juniper liquor, mash 60min

- Take a couple extra branches and push them down onto the SS braid manifold so you lauter through the branches as tradition dictates

- Sparge with juniper liquor

- Follow 60 min boil schedule

This year I won't be doing salt additions and just letting the juniper liquor chemistry dictate the balance.



Sour Sahti

To make this rendition of Sahti even more experimental and awesome I will be pulling 1 gallon of the beer when it's almost at final gravity and adding wild yeast I will harvest from the juniper berries.

Juniper branches from a tree that was just loaded with berries.

Reno_eNVy said:

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(for when you send me some)

Very cool. Looking forward to pictures.

Wow very quick responses! I'll be sure to provide plenty of viewing awesomeness!

Cool deal. This is one of those beers that I've been putting on the backburner.

Teromous said:

Cool deal. This is one of those beers that I've been putting on the backburner.

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DO IT! You won't regret it.

Does juniper grow in Virginia?

Why do you use Wyeast 1272? Authentic sahti has a very distinct yeasty, banana/banana bread flavor that would be hard to duplicate with 1272. Not criticizing your recipe or anything, just curious

Sounds fantastic...good luck!

AllHopAbandon said:

Why do you use Wyeast 1272? Authentic sahti has a very distinct yeasty, banana/banana bread flavor that would be hard to duplicate with 1272. Not criticizing your recipe or anything, just curious

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Yeah I've had it with bread yeast... but I feel that the rye, juniper and grains of paradise go so well together that I want neutral yeast that will highlight that flavor combination.

Plus I have some washed 1272 so it's free. Actually I spent $10 on supplies for this brew this year :rockin:

Reno_eNVy said:

DO IT! You won't regret it.

Does juniper grow in Virginia?

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Oh yeah. There's a lot of different juniper species that grow in various parts of the US. I wonder if there are any noticeable variations in taste, similar to hop varieties...

The juniper we get out here in the Truckee Meadows is spicy, earthy, and piney.... like the most intense Cascadian hop ever times 10.

Picked berries, boiling branches

Second runnings ran through fresh branches

Currently making the starter for harvesting the yeast from the juniper berries. I used a small handful of hops to discourage other microorganisms.

SWMBO pointed out that the airlock is playing a reggae beat... man I love that woman.

As per the "under appreciated beer styles thread" I am very interested in this style. You harvest the wild yeast right from the berries? That is awesome. I guess it would be best to head to the mountains and harvest some of the juniper berries and branches myself for the most authentic Sahti... Though there is a good chance there is still a few feet of snow on them so I would need to wait until summer for this one.

Have you tried this recipe using dried juniper and ale yeast?

I've never used dried juniper. I wonder if it would make a difference. And it would probably be crazy expensive to get enough to boil with the mash liquor.


As for the yeast, the entire batch has been fermented with Wyeast 1272 American Ale II. I'm kegging it this week but I'm taking a gallon off, adding brown sugar solution, and drying it out with the juniper yeast (as I've heard it ferments rather dry.)

I can get dried juniper for around $7 per 100 grams but the branches and pine would be difficult without hitting the back country or a garden center... Which would be pretty lame compared to hiking for the ingredients. In all seriousness its a great excuse to adventure into the Kananaskis for some back country hiking/camping this summer.

That aside your recipe only calls for a couple ounces of juniper so I don't think it would be too expensive unless you miss a lot from the pine and branches.

Can't wait to hear how yours turns out!

subscribed to follow

Bradinator said:

I can get dried juniper for around $7 per 100 grams but the branches and pine would be difficult without hitting the back country or a garden center... Which would be pretty lame compared to hiking for the ingredients. In all seriousness its a great excuse to adventure into the Kananaskis for some back country hiking/camping this summer.

That aside your recipe only calls for a couple ounces of juniper so I don't think it would be too expensive unless you miss a lot from the pine and branches.

Can't wait to hear how yours turns out!

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You would miss a LOT without boiling branches in the liquor first. That's most definitely where most of the flavor comes from.

I've never had a real Sahti, but I'm half Finnish and I've read about Sahti. I made my first version last year. My employer has juniper surrounding the building- so on days when we are closed I go and cut what I need.

I love rye and juniper. I'm glad to see other people making Sahti and I may try a version of this recipe just to see what other versions taste like. Wish I could find a real Sahti to try.

Man I wish juniper grew around here...best of luck!

Good to know. I usually go hiking several times during the summer so I will just make sure to keep an eye and nose out for juniper bushes. Once I collect one I can make a batch!

NICE! And like I said I collect roughly a backpack full of branches (which seems to be just the right amount for the flavor I want), some loaded with berries some not. It's just a standard sized Jansport backpack that you can find anywhere. It'd say at full capacity it has a volume of roughly 1.25 - 1.5 gallons.

Reno_eNVy said:

Currently making the starter for harvesting the yeast from the juniper berries. I used a small handful of hops to discourage other microorganisms.

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How was the barrel aged Rasputin?

maxam said:

How was the barrel aged Rasputin?

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Oh good lord it was heavenly.

And Total Wine sold it for an incredibly reasonable price, about $7

Update!

Kegged the sahti up yesterday. Hydrometer sample was delicious and right on the button for the FG I wanted (1.014)

Sad news is that I didn't get any viable yeast from the juniper berries. I took a gravity sample of the "starter" after pulling off a gallon of the main batch. Oh well, I guess I'll wait until we brew our wit and throw some of that yeast in there with some extra sugar. Should be interesting.

Hey Reno, I didn't realize what you were making until it came up in a story I was researching..so cool you're brewing this. How many times have you made it before?

Here's the post I wrote that links to a full story where the museum did the same thing. You may enjoy reading some of the backstory for this beer.

http://www.brewgeeks.com/1/post/2012/03/how-the-vikings-did-it.html

Thanks for the article! Sadly I don't have a hollowed out log for a lauter tun.... but I guarantee when I have room I will make one! By hand even, the way it used to be. Maybe then I'll use bread yeast

Though I did lay fresh branches on the manifold during 2nd runnings to try to get a similar effect.

This is our third go at it and I can say, even before it's completely carbonated, that it's our best batch yet.

Can't wait to see some pics of this beer in its final form!

I absolutely love sahti. Keep us posted!

I need to find me some juniper and do this

BOOYA! It's probably fully carbed now, even with having to move it from my busted kegerator to a ferm chamber turned keezer pro tempore.


Tasting Notes:

Appearance:
The color in photo #1 is accurate, as is the haziness. There is no way this guy is going to clear out considering all of the sappy, barky goodness the juniper added to the water. Head and lacing don't last long, as you can see in photo #2.

Aroma: Intense aroma of juniper but with plenty of malty, nutty, breadiness to accompany (man I love Wyeast 1272.) Zero hop aroma.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, no bite from alcohol or CO2 since I'm going low-carb.

Taste: Initially as you're sipping you get the blast of juniper aroma, but then as soon as you take a sip you get a good amount of spiciness from the rye malt and grains of paradise. At mid-palate there is a fantastic chewy malt flavor. And finally, you're refreshed with a bit of juniper at the end. Not at all like drinking a Christmas tree (like people associate with gin and other juniper stuff.)

I think the key really is to boil the juniper in the brew liquor. The Finnish had it right :rockin:

I entered this into a local competition. We'll see how it fared on Saturday!

Good luck! What category did you enter it under?

Bradinator said:

Good luck! What category did you enter it under?

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23 seemed the best choice. It's even listed in "historic or local" varieties on BJCP guidelines

UPDATE:

Sadly, SWMBO and I were not able to go to the actual competition event because SWMBO was sick but the results were posted:

WE GOT THE GOLD IN CATEGORY 23! On top of that we got 2nd place in "Best In Show"! First medal ever!

Yeah I'm going to have to post this one in the recipe database now :rockin:

Wow! That is impressive, especially the Silver in BOS. Congratulations.

Thank you much! Gold in the weird beer category is very cool. But 2nd best of all beers, including established and popular styles? Never would have guessed.

Seriously, I'm buzzing with happiness right now.