Strawberry Saison recipe help

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benflath

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It's strawberry season! Plus my apartment is keeping pretty constantly in the low- to mid-70s, so I figure why not make a saison? Except I've never made a saison before, so a few hours spent on the recipe forum and here's what I've got. Thoughts? I tried to keep it simple.

Batch Size: 3 gal
Boil Size: 4 gal
Boil Time: 60 mins
Alcohol by Volume: 5.1%
IBU: 33.3
Color: 4.4 SRM
OG: 1.047
FG: 1.008

Grains/Fermentables
4 lbs (3.63 kg) Pilsner 2-Row (2 °L)
1.5 lbs (1.36 kg) Wheat (2 °L)
2 oz (0.06 kg) Crystal 30 (30 °L)

Hops
0.5 oz (21.26 g) Willamette Pellet 8.15% AA (Boil - 60 mins)
0.25 oz (7.09 g) Willamette Pellet 8.15% AA (Boil - 10 mins)

Miscellaneous
2.5 lbs (1.13 kg) Fresh Strawberries (Crushed, frozen, added to secondary)

Yeast
French Ale Yeast (Wyeast 3711)

Mash at 150 °F (66 °C) for 60 minutes
Sparge: 170 °F (77 °C)
Hold in primary fermentor for 14 days at 75 °F (24 °C)
Transfer to secondary fermentor for 7 days at 75 °F (24 °C)
Allow to carbonate and age for 14 days at 75 °F (24 °C)
 
Depending on how dry you like your Saisons, I would cut the crystal all together. If you want a bit of color add vienna or munich. I would also add a bit of sugar or honey to really dry this out. If you can start the fermentation a little lower and let the 3711 rise up to 75 it will give you some great character. Should be tasty though.
 
Thanks for the reply! I don't really want to go too dry, it's not cider. I had been on the fence about honey so I may add some because I like what it does to a beer.

As far as temperature control, that's basically "leave my windows open" or "don't leave my windows open", so I can try my best.
 
Just based on experiences tasting other people's strawberry beers, including a commercial brew with fresh strawberries, I'd say either mash the berries and add sulfites or mash and bring to >140 for a 20 min. Fresh strawberries, even when frozen can harbor wee beasties and end up tasting like band aids. Others may have had good luck with freezing, but I've never tasted a good raw strawberry beer.

As for 3711, it'll dry it out but will leave a good body and implied sweetness. My go-to saison strain!
 
Hm, that's something to think about. I've got a while until I add the strawberries, brew day is Sunday. Right now they're basically 2.5 lbs of FrozFruit pops in my freezer. I hope I don't eat them first...
 
Another thought: wouldn't 3711 bully any small amount of wild yeast into submission? I mean, it's a monster, right?
 
Maybe but not necessarily. Any wild yeast could still be active at the same time as 3711 when the strawberries are added. I dunno, I don't trust strawberries.

I wouldn't either. My current batch of wild beer was started with yeast I collected from a strawberry.
 
You can change your 2 oz of crystal to 1 lb, and it won't matter. The 3711 will eat right through it, and finish at 1.004.
 
At less than 1lb/gallon, don't expect a lot of strawberry flavor. I used 2lbs/gallon last time and get more strawberry aroma then flavor, more so the longer the beer ages.
 
Thanks, all!

Brewed yesterday. For my second batch in a row the efficiency was crazy low, even though I hit and sustained my mash temp for the full hour. Ended up at 1.040. I don't doubt it will still be a tasty beer, just frustrating.

I plan to pasteurize the strawberries and rack to secondary in about 2 weeks.
 
On to the strawberries in secondary!

strawberry saison.jpg
 
benflath said:
On to the strawberries in secondary!

Good call on the headspace. I'm not happy unless the carboy is so full the airlock gets clogged with fruit and makes a huge mess. It so it would seem from the number of times I've done it.
 
Just based on experiences tasting other people's strawberry beers, including a commercial brew with fresh strawberries, I'd say either mash the berries and add sulfites or mash and bring to >140 for a 20 min. Fresh strawberries, even when frozen can harbor wee beasties and end up tasting like band aids. Others may have had good luck with freezing, but I've never tasted a good raw strawberry beer.

I too don't trust just freezing my berries. I heat my berries up to about 120F and then let them cool back down and then add them to my secondary. I think heating the berries also breaks them down releasing more juices and flavor as well.

At less than 1lb/gallon, don't expect a lot of strawberry flavor. I used 2lbs/gallon last time and get more strawberry aroma then flavor, more so the longer the beer ages.

Depends on how fresh the strawberries are. I use fresh locally grown strawberries here in Ohio and have gotten plenty of strawberry flavor from using less than a lb/gal in my Strawberry Wheat recipe I make.
 
I did end up pasteurizing. Put the frozen berries in a plastic bag, removed all the air, brought them up to 140 in a water bath for 20 min, then added them to the sanitized carboy. Once they reached room temp, I racked on top.

Sidenote, woke up this morning to strawberry goo in the airlock (and the floor), so put in the blowoff tube. Not too worried about it causing problems, though, since the beer is already 5% ABV. In the 30 min before I left for work, pink foam was already filling the bucket. 3711 is not done yet!
 
Consider throwing Belma hops in to dry hop. I make mostly IPAs, and have not liked the strawberry flavor or aroma it adds (for an IPA). Someone mentioned using it in a Saison, which seems like the perfect match.
 
Hm, something to consider. The way I see it, I'll sample in a week or so, and if I don't like what I'm tasting I can dryhop a compatible hop for a few days. My LHBS doesn't have any Belma right now, though, so may have to go a different route (if necessary).
 
Hm, something to consider. The way I see it, I'll sample in a week or so, and if I don't like what I'm tasting I can dryhop a compatible hop for a few days. My LHBS doesn't have any Belma right now, though, so may have to go a different route (if necessary).

Yeah, I think Hops Direct is the breeder/grower/sole retailer atm, and they're out until this fall. If you rebrew this, or any other saisons, I say try them out! You might be able to find someone willing to give/sell/trade some of theirs.
 
Bottled yesterday. There was quite a bit of strawberry aroma, but not too much and of course the lovely pink color. Not too bitter and just a little hint of sweetness. It was a little more hot that I expected, but I think with the carbonation that won't be too noticeable. Forgot to check FG. More to come at the end of the month!
 
benflath said:
I did end up pasteurizing. Put the frozen berries in a plastic bag, removed all the air, brought them up to 140 in a water bath for 20 min, then added them to the sanitized carboy. Once they reached room temp, I racked on top.

Sidenote, woke up this morning to strawberry goo in the airlock (and the floor), so put in the blowoff tube. Not too worried about it causing problems, though, since the beer is already 5% ABV. In the 30 min before I left for work, pink foam was already filling the bucket. 3711 is not done yet!

I hate to say it guys but 120-140F is not proper pasteurization temp. In fact, you just brought the temp through a warm swing and cooled which is conductive to growing nasties. Pasteurizing temp is 155-170 for most food items. 120f is definitely not hot enough.

For strawberries I wash them with no rinse. Pare there leaves or spots with a sanitized knife. Spray chopped up strawberries with sanitizer, then freeze while they are moist. I just opened my partial mash strawberry Hefe with this method and it smells and tastes like beautiful fresh strawberries, but not overpowering.
 
So you're saying Louis Pasteur was wrong when he determined 50-60 C was the proper temperature for food pasteurization? Or the US FDA when they say 145 F is appropriate?
 
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