Using this saison recipe for a fruit saison?

[berndawg84]

So I'm interested in making a saison with fruit. I recently had Blackberry Farms' Classic Saison and loved it. I found a clone recipe from Beer and Brewing mag. Do people think that this recipe would work if adding fruit? Not sure if I'd need to change the recipe to accommodate fruit better...

Also, what fruits have people found work well in a saison? I was thinking of doing blackberries. Is one pound of fruit per gallon still the rule of thumb? I know it may depend on what type of fruit.

Recipe


8.5 lb (3.9 kg) Pilsner malt
1 lb (454 g) Munich malt
1 lb (454 g) wheat malt
4 oz (113 g) Cara-Pils Malt

HOPS AND ADDITIONS SCHEDULE
1 oz (28 g) EKG [5% AA] at 60 minutes
0.5 oz (14 g) each EKG [5% AA] and Saaz [3% AA] at 30 minutes
0.5 oz (14 g) each EKG and Saaz at flameout

YEAST
1 packet of White Labs WLP565 Belgian Saison

 

[berndawg84]

Also, if using a purée, is 8oz per gallon a good ratio to use? I'd like there to be the taste of fruit but not overly sweet or cloying.

 

[brewstergalVT]

I've used apricot puree in a Saison and it went over very well at a wedding. I used one 3lb can in a 5 gallon batch. It does depend on the fruit and how strong a flavor you want. I once made a blueberry wheat with 5lb fruit to 3 gallons and though it was a beautiful color, no one could pick the fruit out in a tasting. Raspberries on the other hand are very strong and likely 3lb in a 5 gallon batch is plenty. The fruit sugar should ferment out so adding fruit shouldn't make it cloying, instead usually the opposite is true with it being tart. Of course a Saison shouldn't be sweet so tart is fine.

Your recipe will certainly work but just beware of WLP565 if you haven't used it before as it can stall out. I prefer WLP566 Saison II as it ferments out well and if fermented on the cool side (high 60's) it gives nice citrus and pepper without clove. Also, I personally don't like Munich in my Saison so I'd replace that with either Vienna or just do Pilsner instead. Also, I only use carapils in small beer but I'm a minimalist when it comes to ingredients - don't add it unless you know it's going to really add something. We all brew differently and so just my opinions.

Also, I'm guessing you've used fruit in beer before but if not, just a few tips: add it into the secondary or for those like me who don't use a secondary, add it into the primary near the end of fermentation. Note that you won't be wanting to harvest the yeast if you do it this way and you want to make sure you'll have enough headroom to do this. Puree is easy, nothing you have to do to it. If you use fruit, you want to heat it to about 140F gently and slowly then let it cool to room temp and then add it. I hope that helps.

 

[berndawg84]

Ok thanks I may try 566 then. Yea maybe I'll do the Vienna instead, good idea. Munich may make it too malty and sweet.

I've never done a fruit beer before so we'll see how it goes. I may do a split batch of half fruit and half without.

Any other thoughts on how much purée or fruit? Those 3 pound vintner purée cans seem like a good amount for a 5gal batch