Ma petite bière belge

The idea was to brew a smaller Saison that was light and refreshing that really lets the 3711 yeast shine. Also this one can go from grain to glass in 3 - 4 weeks which is always nice. The following quantities are based on 80% efficiency so you'll want to adjust the ingredient amounts based on your efficiency.

I get all my ingredients from Northern Brewer:

Malt:
6.5 lbs. Belgian Pilsner
1.25 lbs. Belgian Caravienne
1 lb. Flaked Wheat

Hops:
1.5 oz. Hallertau (3% - 5% AA) 60 mins.
1.0 oz. Hersbrucker (1.5% - 3.5% AA) 10 mins.

Mash @ 149 for 90 mins. Pitch Wyeast 3711 French Saison at 68 degrees and slowly ramp up temp. to 78 or 80 then, after primary fermentation is complete, let it sit another couple of weeks at 80. I say the starter is optional because many brewers like to under-pitch Belgian yeast in order to slightly stress it and get more esters out of it and considering that this beer is less than 1.050, one smack pack pitched straight in to the wort does the job.

Bottle it up and when it's ready you'll have a fine, refreshing Saison that's just perfect for a hot summer afternoon.

What you're describing, and what you brewed, is very much what saisons were historically. The trend toward high OGs with saisons is a very recent development, like within the last 20 years.

Nateo said:

What you're describing, and what you brewed, is very much what saisons were historically. The trend toward high OGs with saisons is a very recent development, like within the last 20 years.

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Yeah, I really like that about it. I am really interested in brewing beers that come as close to the original style as possible. This is my first recipe and I think it turned out really well. I've been doing a lot of research on the Porters of Great Britain from the 1600s so that's my next goal, stay tuned.

I hope everybody enjoys this Saison!