Dark Sour Saison with Cherries

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Braufessor

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Joined
Dec 27, 2011
Messages
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Location
NE Iowa
Recipe Type
All Grain
Yeast
Omega Lacto Blend + Bootleg Biology Mad Fermentationist Saison Blend
Yeast Starter
Yes - 500-1000ml for both 18-24 hours in advance. Pitch the whole thing
Batch Size (Gallons)
6 gallons
Original Gravity
1.055
Final Gravity
1.006
Boiling Time (Minutes)
15 for kettle sour, 60 for regular boil
IBU
10-12
Color
26 SRM
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp)
30 days Free rise from 66-75
Tasting Notes
Dark, slightly roasty, tart cherry - dry, but nice richness from roast malts. Refreshing and enjoyable dark beer for winter months... or summer for that matter.
Grain Bill:
Shoot for a 1.055-1.060 OG

40% Weyermann Pilsner
25% Munich
20% Wheat
8.5% Flaked Oats
4% Carafa III
2.5% Black Prinz

Hops:
1 ounce of something like US Sazz or Tettnang with 30 minutes left in boil. 10-12 IBU's

Water:
100% RO water
1.5 grams of CaCl and 1.5 grams of Gypsum per 5 gallons of both mash and sparge water.

** If you don’t have a scale, a heaping ¼ tsp = "close enough" to 1.5 grams for either gypsum or CaCl

This will give you a water profile that will come in around 50ppm for calcium, sulfate and chloride. And a mash pH in the 5.35-5.40 range which is fine for this beer.


Process:

· Day 1 = make a 500-750ml starter with the lacto blend and for the saison blend

* Day 2 = Mash day/lacto pitch
o Conduct 60 minute mash as normal using above grain and water
o Collect enough wort that you will end up with your desired amount for preboil/post boil volumes
o Bring wort to a boil
o Boil for 15 minutes.
o Chill to 95-100 degrees.
o IF YOU CAN….. bubble CO2 through the wort with an air stone. DO NOT OXYGENATE. Ideally, purge O2 Out of wort with CO2. I do this for 2-3 minutes. I start the next step while bubbling CO2 into wort.
o Cover boil kettle with saran wrap.
o Before kettle is completely covered, pitch the lacto…. Full starter. Just dump it in.
o Finish covering kettle with saran wrap and remove CO2
o Put lid on kettle over the saran wrap
o Walk away – let sit 12-18 hours. That will be enough to drop pH into 3.3-3.7 range

· Day 3 = boil day
o After 12-18 hours, turn flame on for your kettle
o Bring it up to boil
o Boil for 60 minutes
o Add hops with 30 minutes to go
o Finish boil, add irish moss and yeast nutrient if that is something you do
o Chill
o Move to fermenter
o Oxygenate at this point if you want
o Pitch yeast
o I usually start at 66/68 degreees and let it free rise to 75 or so…. Just using ambient temps. I don’t ferment this “hot.”
o Let it go for 7-10 days or so

· Add cherries around day 7-10 when main fermentation is dying down – you will have to figure out what will work best for you, what is available. I used tart cherries from my back yard that I picked….. About .75-1lb per gallon. You could also use cherry purree, or tart cherry concentrate, or dried cherries, etc.

· Let cherries sit in the beer for another 2-3 weeks or so.

· Around 4 weeks from brew day I bottled…. Primed the beer to around 2.8-3 volumes and bottled in heavy glass 750 ml bottles. I do this by racking beer onto priming sugar solution in a keg and then using a beer gun and CO2 pressure to fill bottles and cap. A full 5 gallon keg will get you 2 x12 packs of 750ml bottles and probably some stray smaller bottles in addition. Use whatever method works best for your set up.


***** One other possibility that can be used if a person does not want to do a 2 day kettle sour would be to just do a normal brew day, cut the hops back to a ½ ounce with 10 minutes to go in boil (IBU’s will imparct lactic bacteria). You could either pitch only the saison blend from bootleg (which has some lacto in it) or you could pitch both the lacto blend and the saison together into primary.) Personally, I like the kettle sour because I can then boil to kill it, and the IBU’s from the hops in the boil with hold down the lacto that is in the saison blend.
 
Last edited:
Brewed this back in December, just opening first bottles now. I used 4.5 lbs frozen tart cherry and 1 lb of frozen dark sweet cherry.

Its good, really good, for my first sour! Smooth, crisp, and layers of flavor. Very subtle Saison, Cherry is much more subdued than I expected, but is present. Next time I might add some dried cherry as well to make it "pop".

I primed a corny keg full to carbonate under pressure. Will see if the Brett develops different flavors under these conditions.

Thanks for the recipe Braufessor!
 
Quick questions:

Do you have the recipe by weight for 6 gallons that worked well for you? Also, did you make one big starter with both yeast cultures or two separate ones?
 
Quick questions:

Do you have the recipe by weight for 6 gallons that worked well for you? Also, did you make one big starter with both yeast cultures or two separate ones?

I don't have the weights handy..... but, it would be something similar to this I would guess:
6lbs 40% Weyermann Pilsner
3 lbs 25% Munich
3lbs 20% Wheat
1 lb 8.5% Flaked Oats
1/2lb 4% Carafa III
2-4 ounces 2.5% Black Prinz

In regard to starter..... they are separate because you use them at separate times. The lacto blend is used in an overnight kettle sour process. the next day, you bring the wort to a boil - killing the lacto. From there it is a "normal" beer - boil, chill and pitch the other saison yeast for the actual fermentation process.
 
I don't have the weights handy..... but, it would be something similar to this I would guess:
6lbs 40% Weyermann Pilsner
3 lbs 25% Munich
3lbs 20% Wheat
1 lb 8.5% Flaked Oats
1/2lb 4% Carafa III
2-4 ounces 2.5% Black Prinz

In regard to starter..... they are separate because you use them at separate times. The lacto blend is used in an overnight kettle sour process. the next day, you bring the wort to a boil - killing the lacto. From there it is a "normal" beer - boil, chill and pitch the other saison yeast for the actual fermentation process.

Thank you! I figured that was the answer but wanted to be sure. I am looking to do either a kettle sour blonde or something like this for the summer.
 
Ever since moving to the PNW I am intrigued by the idea of a cherry Saison. Braufessor do you have a pic of this beer?

What are your thoughts on skipping the sour portion of it and just making it a cherry Saison?
 
Ever since moving to the PNW I am intrigued by the idea of a cherry Saison. Braufessor do you have a pic of this beer?

What are your thoughts on skipping the sour portion of it and just making it a cherry Saison?
I don't have a picture..... But, it was basically like a schwarzbier in regard to color. It was black.... hold it up to the light and it was clear and had red highlights looking through it.

Could definitely pull it off without the souring I would think...... also would depend on the sourness of the cherries and quantity in regard to tartness it would impart.

May or may not want to watch the dark malts a bit more if not souring as the roast might come through a bit more without the souring.

Kind of reminds me I should brew this again ..... I am all out, and it is nice to brew it now so it is ready for fall/winter.
 
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