Recipe Assistance First Time Brett Saison

[St00]

Greetings from the UK

I'm a long time amused lurker and leecher of this forums knowledge, but this is only my second post (essentially because it’s a rather expensive recipe and if I cock it up I may be in marital strife).

I've brewed saisons before but never with any brett, or honey, or orange zest. I feel I may have bitten off more than even my massive mouth can chew.

Anyway, how does this recipe look to you chaps?

Batch Size: 25.00 l
Style: Saison (16C)
Boil Size: 29.97 l Style Guide: BJCP 2008
Color: 6.9 EBC Equipment: 40l Boiler
Bitterness: 29.4 IBUs Boil Time: 60 min
Est OG: 1.055 (13.4° P) Mash Profile: Single Infusion, Light Body, No Mash Out
Est FG: 1.007 SG (1.7° P) Fermentation: Bottle Conditioning
ABV: 6.3%

4.00 kg Pilsner (2 Row) UK (2.0 EBC)
500.0 g Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L (19.7 EBC)
500.0 g Wheat Malt, Ger (3.9 EBC)
200.0 g Barley, Torrefied (3.3 EBC)
100.0 g Rye, Flaked (3.9 EBC)

15.0 g Mandarina Bavaria [8.5%] (Boil 60 min)
12.0 g Galena [12.5%] (Boil 60 min)
1.00 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10 min)
7.00 g Orange Peel, Sweet (Boil 5 min)
1.32 tsp Yeast Nutrient (Boil 5 min)
750.0 g Orange Blossom Honey (2.0 EBC) (Boil 5 min)
50.0 g Mandarina Bavaria [8.5%] (Steep 15 min)

2 pkgs Saison/Brettanomyces Blend (The Yeast Bay #WLP4626) Yeast

45.0 g Mandarina Bavaria [8.5%] (Dry Hop 5 days)
7.00 g Orange Peel, Fresh (Secondary 5 days)

I've got an immersion aquarium heater ready should I need to raise the temperature, I'll probably pitch the yeast at IRO 20 deg C.

I'm hoping the dryness of the brett is balanced out by the honey in the finish, with the orange flavours a subtle addition.

Any pointers, suggestions, criticism, swearing, attention (negative or otherwise) will be gratefully received.

 

[m00ps]

Ive made probably 20 or so saisons and have used honey, citrus zest, and experimented a bit with brett. So you are co-pitching the brett with sacch in a blend?

I always add honey into the fermentor to preserve its character best. It also gives the yeast a little boost of fuel.

I'd take out the caramel malt though and just add mroe base malt. I like my saisons dry as can be, so I've never added crystal malts to them. I usually stick with Vienna, Munich, or something like aromatic or honey malt. Along the same note, what temp are you mashing at? I always stay under 150F (or whatever that is in sensible measuring units)

What I've mostly tooled around with it the treatment of the yeast. This is key IME for a saison since they are so yeast driven. I've tried about all the saisons yeasts available to homebrewers and I've always got best results from pitching in the mid 60s (again fahrenheit). I let it free rise with a warm jacket around it for 1-2 days. It usually gets near 80. Then I push it past 90 in a tub with an aquarium heater

 

[Buckeye_Phil]

I've heard a lot about pitching only Brett and getting a cleaner fermentation character than desired. Thinking is the characteristic Brett flavors result from working in a stressful environment (lack of simple sugars). Putting them straight into wort may just result in a subdued profile.

Additionally, if you want it to still be a saison, you should probably start with a saison strain. You could co-pitch with Brett, or you could ferment out with sacch and then pitch Brett in secondary. This method would take more time to develop funky flavors, but would be more likely to produce a beer that you'd recognize as a sour saison.

As far as malt / hops, I like it as is. If you co pitch yeast + Brett, you may want to leave the caramel malt out (less likely to ferment out residual dextrins and leave sweetness you don't want). If you pitch Brett in secondary, the dextrins from caramel malt will provide some ammo for the Brett to create some funk.

 

[St00]

m00ps -

"I always add honey into the fermentor to preserve its character best. It also gives the yeast a little boost of fuel.'

I'll try it at flame out then and hope that that should kill any major nasties.

"I'd take out the caramel malt though and just add more base malt"

I've seen a few similar comments with regards to crystal malts in saisons, I'll take it out and bump the pilsner.

With regards to pitching and primary I'll be attempting to follow the guidlines in this cracking article that Istumbled across.

http://www.milkthefunk.com/2015/01/...es-general-thoughts-brewing-overview/#more-65

Unfortunately, I'll be limited by using my limited temperature control cabinet (my bedroom wardrobe) along with my immersion heater.

Buckeye_Phil

This is the yeast I'll be attempting to use:

http://www.theyeastbay.com/brewers-yeast-products/saison-blend-i

I'm not using a starter as it's not recommended, given that it may upset the balance of the yeast and bacteria, which is why I'm using 2 vials.

Hopefully, the saison character will dominate, but I'm just going to fly by the seat of my trousers and see how it turns out.

Many thanks to you both gents for taking the time to reply with such supportive and informed comments

 

[Buckeye_Phil]

Interested to hear how it turns out. You planning to keg or bottle?

 

[St00]

It'll be bottle as our houses are a tad pokey in the UK (Smallest in Europe in fact). Kegs aren't really a practical option for me. Still it adds an extra layer of insulation to the garage having the (mostly) full bottles lining the walls.

 

[Buckeye_Phil]

Genius. They should update the building code. It's like a ginger bread house, but with walls made of beer!

 

[masonsjax]

I have used that strain a lot. I like it, although it's more of a fruity brett character with only mild funk. I like it more when relatively young, 1-3 months is good. Longer and it seems to thin out and lose some of it's aromatics. YMMV