[Recipe] Dregs of the Harvest Saison

[ophillium]

Hey all, I've been working on a recipe and thought I'd share it with the forum for share karma and to open it to critiques, suggestions, and discussion.

This came out of a conversation in this forum about a Petite Farmhouse recipe in mid-october. Using thoughts from that thread and others I came up with my recently-coined Dregs of the Harvest Saison featuring dregs harvested from Bellwoods' barrel-aged Farmhouse Saison and Mikkeller's It's Alive!.

The recipe:

Yeast: WY3724 (Belgian Saison)
Malts: 75% (7.5lb) pilsner, 15% (1.5lb vienna), and 10% (1lb) wheat.
Hops: 2oz Willamette (60mins), 1oz Saaz (15 mins), 1oz Saaz (5 mins)

Mash at 158 to give the slower bugs something to chew on.
OG 1.048ish, FG 1.000ish (depending how long you can bare to wait).


I did a 5.5 gallon batch at the end of October using a starter built up from the Belgian Saison yeast and harvest dregs. Decanted once and then I ran out of time and had to brew with it. She bubbled away dependably as she do, til she didn't no mo'.

After 3ish weeks (i.e. last week) I racked her into a smaller carboy, wrapped her up, and found her a dark, quiet home behind my gf's couch (proof that love is possible, says I). Gravity reading showed 1.020, which is about right for a brew mashed at that temperature. Amazingly, she's been holding a small krausen and bubbling away steadily ever since. Aroused by the movement or oxygen, I suppose.

Currently I'm working on another Dregs Saison recipe with 90% pilsner or pale malt and 10% wheat. More on that when it comes though. In the meantime I'll post updates to this thread when something notable happens.

Cheers folks

 

[BGBC]

Cross-posting/following! Sounds great.

I was up in Toronto earlier this year for work, but didn't manage to try any Bellwoods. You're making me regret that now.

 

[sweetcell]

sounds interesting!

Gravity reading showed 1.020, which is about right for a brew mashed at that temperature.

i've never gotten 3724 to get me below 1.030, regardless of mash temp, temp ramping, sugar, etc. admittedly i've never gone longer than 3 or 4 weeks.

 

[ophillium]

i've never gotten 3724 to get me below 1.030, regardless of mash temp, temp ramping, sugar, etc. admittedly i've never gone longer than 3 or 4 weeks.

Average fermentation temp is about 21 C -- not sure if that's different for you.
I'm not sure what the difference would be otherwise. Do you use a starter?
I'd love to point to the brett, but it's unlikely it would have had that much of an impact that fast.

 

[sweetcell]

yup, did a starter, plenty of aeration, etc etc etc... 3724 is notorious for stalling in the 1.030's. there are several threads here dedicated to this tendency, here's the main one: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=131071

but, whatever, let's not derail too much. back to talking about your dregs saison

 

[ophillium]

yup, did a starter, plenty of aeration, etc etc etc... 3724 is notorious for stalling in the 1.030's. there are several threads here dedicated to this fact, here's the main one: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=131071

but, whatever, let's not derail too much. back to talking about your dregs saison

Ah, that's super interesting. And exactly the type of derailment I want

 

[ophillium]

2 months in, not a lot to say. Dammit time, hurry up!

 

[ophillium]

After months of next-to-no-activity, she filled the room with a thick floral scent for one day this week. I wonder if it's a new "form" of activity, like another sugar broken down, corresponding with the warmer weather we're moving into where I live (also known as Spring).

 

[ophillium]

Thieved a sample last night to mark the 5-month point -- strong funk on the nose, lightly bodied with a mild sweetness that unfortunately (for now) gave way to the buttery notes of diacetyl. Brett will clean that up in due time, hopefully adding some otherwise-absent acidity. All things considered though, I'm really happy with this in its current state. All signs point to greatness by the fall's end.

Edit: Should have taken a gravity reading! Mental note for next time.