Critique/Advice please - First saison hybrid

[TequilaMockingbird]

Hi all

To celebrate the birth of my daughter I have decided to brew a small batch experimental beer. I have decided to go for an Imperial Saison/Double IPA hybrid. Please can anyone let me know if they think I am shooting way wide of the mark? Just doing a 1 gallon batch

1.5Kg Munich 60m
2kg Marris Otter 60m
400g Crystal 60m
25g Torrified Wheat 60m

25g Chinook 30m
25g Topaz 30m
12g Simcoe 15m
25g Topaz 15m
25g Simcoe 5m
5g Sweet Orange Peel 5m

1x Whirlfloc 10m

37g Topaz Dry Hop

Danstar Belle Saison Yeast

Mash Volume 7.8L
Sparge Volume 3.9L

Mash in temp 72c
Rest temp 65c
Sparge temp 76c

Thanks for any advice/critique

 

[billl]

It's certainly not a traditional saison. Typically, you'd have pilsner and maybe some wheat or munich/vienna.

 

[WhamFish]

I'm thinking about something close to Tank 7 from your description.

What you have is for sure not "Wrong" by any means, but if I were doing this I'd do a couple things a bit different.

1) I like that you concentrate on late additions. I'd put something like galaxy or really any multi-use citrusy hop in around 60-45 to go to ~30 IBUs then go crazy on my late additions I guess I'm saying move some away from 30 if they take your actual IBU much past 45. I think you want to go bigger on hop nose than actually taste here. Your recipe reflects this already but I'd up the amount and I'd go for a more citrusy hop profile but the hops you have would work great too.

2) cut back on the specialty malts or drop them all together. They will take you closer to the IPA color but at the cost of the dryness that I would want out of this beer. That may just be me but in my mind this beer finishes dry.

3) I like white wheat here rather than torrified and the bit of marris otter is fine but you may want to switch to pilsner then add aromatic and or biscuit instead to accomplish the malt character.

Hope that is somehow helpful, In my mind I think I'm going more toward the Saison side then adding a hoppy aromatic profile. I suppose you could alternatively go more toward the DIPA direction and then add the saison yeast character but this seems less balanced and or appealing to me.

Anyway, hope it turns out great! and a big Congrats!!

 

[dcp27]

thats only a 1gal recipe?! I think you got some #s off then cuz that beer is going to be massive, plus thats way too much crystal, bitterness, etc

 

[TequilaMockingbird]

Thanks WhamFish

I have reigged the recipe. Removed the Crystal malt altogether, dropped the marris otter down to a token amount and put some Vienna in it's place. I've also popped in a small 60 minute Chinook addition.

Will let you know how it turns out,

Paul

 

[TequilaMockingbird]

Have just fined. ABV as it stands is 12.6 (Overshot target by about 1.6). Aroma is awesome and quick nip was very hoppy with lemons and herbs. Will update when it has been bottled for a week or so.