Saison Hi Nelson! Nelson Hopped Saison w/Hibiscus

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So yes color is no where close to the original next time I will go with real hybiscus to get that deep red color, but on the plus side using the tazo tea this is one incredible 9% beer so much that it's deadly lol, thank god it's for a brew fest or I would be drunk nightly lol

Has a really nice pink hue pic does no justice
View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1441237218.103145.jpg
 
I just kegged mine up. Yeah it has been somewhere near 5 weeks since brew day but I got busy. Had half a gallon left in the fermenter and damn is it good. Mine finished at .092. Damn, belle saison is a beast. I had an inch pour out of the gas side into a glass while filling. Combined with the half gallon left in the fermenter it looks like the same color as the picture by 1fast . Im drinking it all flat and warm and it is great.
 
Wow, I'm so glad I made this recipe. Very pleased with everything about it. Wonderfully balanced. I’ve never used Nelson Sauvin hops or 3711 yeast before. Wish I would have bottled a gallon before adding the hibiscus just to get a better idea of what the Nelson hops are like alone. Is the fruitiness from the Nelson or the hibiscus or from the combination?

Floral, juicy aroma. Taste of hibiscus tea. Slightly tart but not in the same way as a sour beer.
This was a really dry beer so the perceived sweetness must be for the hibiscus.
The taste lingers pleasantly for a very long time.

The alcohol content sneaks up on you. I wonder if I could make a lower abv version but retain everything wonderful about this beer.

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Every one at the live pouring event loved this beer to death came home with a kicked keg lol
 
So, I didn't get a batch of Hi Nelson brewed this year, but I had some dried hibiscus left...decided to make a Thanksgiving gose for our annual beach holiday. Calling it "There Gose Sea Breeze", because I'm shooting for a cranberry-like appearance and flavor and the hibiscus tea is standing in for the cranberries in this riff of a Sea Breeze cocktail, which is made with cranberry juice, grapefruit juice, and vodka. The beer has a little coriander, which is traditional for gose and evidently is commonly paired with cranberry. Grapefruit zest soaked in vodka, stored in the freezer is added in secondary to finish the cocktail riff. And there's sea salt. It's in secondary currently...hope to have it ready for Thanksgiving. Just thought I would point out that the hibiscus tea concentrate makes a nice mimic to cranberry...tart, a little citrusy, and definitely has the color. So, if you're looking for another use for the hibiscus or something you can use instead of cranberries, but no pectin from cooking...this might be an option. Now if it just carbs up in time and tastes good!

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Hi everyone, I've read through all the posts and have what may be a silly question. Has anyone added the tea directly to primary and not done a secondary?

Also this is my first saison and I was wondering if you maintain your high temps for secondary fermentation (in a carboy) or if you go cooler than primary was?

Thanks!
 
I put the tea in the keg with the dry hops. As for the temperature, you only really need the temperature control while fermenting is going on. After that go ahead and stick with your normal secondary procedures.
 
Was there anyone who decided not to do a secondary for this recipe and would you make the same decision again?

Also for a saison yeast with a temperature range 70-80 where many people like to ramp up much higher during fermentation, do you continue those high temperatures during secondary fermentation (already at FG or very close) or would mid 60s be okay? I just haven't used a saison yeast before, thanks!
 
bonarek said:
Was there anyone who decided not to do a secondary for this recipe and would you make the same decision again?

Also for a saison yeast with a temperature range 70-80 where many people like to ramp up much higher during fermentation, do you continue those high temperatures during secondary fermentation (already at FG or very close) or would mid 60s be okay? I just haven't used a saison yeast before, thanks!
Click to expand...

Yes. I primaried, then kegged on the dry hop and hibiscus tea. I would definitely do it again too.

I fermented at 75 F and it was amazing. During secondary the temp does not matter as much. Though a lot of saisons are brewed with temperature control the first day or so and then let to rise naturally. Secondary tends to be at the highest point of a brew (after the D rest) so you should be good either way. I would say to treat the secondary as you would end of primary. or not. It doesnt much matter at that point.
 
No problem. And, well, your dry hop time is your secondary time. I think the dry hops do something nice for it though aren't strictly necessary. Go ahead and throw the dry hops in the primary bucket or carboy or what have you for 4-5 days before transferring onto the hibiscus tea and priming sugar in the bottling bucket. Be careful with the tea as IT. WILL. STAIN. I used 8 oz of dried hibiscus and think I could probably cut that down by 25-50% and still get a beautiful red color.

Your mileage may vary, but I pretty much have done away with secondary. Then again I do not really bottle much anymore (the last couple times I did so were a S-Show) but even when I did i just added my dry hop or what have you to primary for the duration.
 
I used 5 oz of hibiscus in a 5 gallon batch of my Thanksgiving gose, and it was pretty, but a little light in color compared to my Hi Nelson.
 
I brewed this today. I mashed at 150F and missed my target OG by 5 points but depending on what this Belle Saison yeast can do I figure it'll still be in the upper 7% range.
 
Just curious when you guys saw peak flavor if you bottled? Mine is green still but I am excited to see where it goes!
 
bonarek said:
Just curious when you guys saw peak flavor if you bottled? Mine is green still but I am excited to see where it goes!
Click to expand...

I feel like mine has just gotten better and better. Bottled on 8/1/15 last year and just had a bottle last night. The dry hop aroma has fallen off over the 6 months, but I think I like it better this way, and I was pretty happy when I posted my tasting notes 6 weeks after bottling.
 
Brewed this 1.31.16 except kettle soured and got p.h to 3.6 also boiled with hibiscus,crushed coriander,0.25 Nelson hops got ibus up to 8 dry hoping with 0.75 oz Nelson hops
 
I entered mine (brewed in 7/2015) in the War of the Worts (big mid-Atlantic competition) and took gold in category 30a spiced/herb/vegetable beer. This recipe is a hit.
 
This is going to be my second brew, was worried about finding the hibiscus flowers yet my Wegmans has an amazing bulk leaf tea section.. Realized I only got a 1/4 lb so will need to go back.

I am new so pardon the ignorant questions..

1) I have 4lbs of Sparkling Amber DME and to that I was going to go to LHBS and buy the remaining Pilsen.. Is this a smart idea?

2) I was thinking of steeping the Munich before boil can I replace the flaked portions with 1 lb of Rye malt and steep that also?

Thanks for being patient 🍺
 
Today, after a month in the primary, I took a gravity reading and started the dry hop. My refractometer showed 5.8 brix which converts to 0.997 gravity! I didn't believe it so I used my hydrometer as well, which showed just hair under 1.000. Pretty impressive! I tasted the sample and it's very good. Dry with nice fruity white wine notes and a bit of belgian funk. I plan on adding the hibiscus tea when I keg. Curious to see how it changes the beer.
 
Kegged it today. I added about 1.5 quarts of hibiscus tea made from steeping 8 oz hibiscus flowers in hot water for 20 minutes. It is carbing now but I am curious to see if I get the bright pink color I've seen in some of the pictures posted here.
 
If I am going to make my saison more sessionable, say 5-6% should I use less of the 1/2 gallon - 1/2 lb hibiscus tea?
 
My take is that the amount of hibiscus you use is mainly for color. if you make a 2.5 gallon instead of 5 gallon batch you would half it. Lowering the alcohol in my opinion would not really affect the color much.
 
I'll be brewing something similar this weekend, only with Citra/Galaxy instead of Nelson. Keep y'all posted.
 
Can't wait to brew this! All these comments about how awesome it is can't be wrong, right? lol
 
Brew it, It is amazing. No one I have shared with has had a single complaint. Plus its pretty. The only 'bad' comment was someone calling me fruity because of what it is.
"Oh Hibiscus, huh? Aint you fancy"
 

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