Farmhouse Ale Suggestions/Critique

[jdgapc]

my next batch is going to be a Saison/Farmhouse Ale, i have some cascades that i want to get rid of and this is my first time using the French Saison yeast, so i do not want to use too many different ingredients and let the yeast characteristics come through:
3 lbs Pilsen DME
3 lbs Wheat DME
1 lb Corn Sugar
1 oz Cascade 60 minutes
1 oz Cascade 10 minutes
3711 Wyeast French Saison

i also have Apollo hops but am hesitant to use them since they will keep longer than the cascade. and suggestions to make this recipe better?

 

[jdgapc]

Anyone

 

[BradleyBrew]

I would make 1lb of homemade candi sugar. Its very easy to do. Also maybe 1/2lb of carapils might help with some body and head retention because the french saison yeast will finish pretty dry and it doesnt really add any flavor. I have used the yeast a few times... I would pitch at *70 and allow the yeast to rise to about 78 over the course of 4 or 5 days. You can always use some bitter orange peel... it plays nicely with the yeasts esters.

 

[DoWBrewer]

I am drinking my saison as we speak. I would reduce the wheat and keep it mostly pilsner. You might consider a nobel hop or Northern Brewer or some other neutral bittering hop. I think the cascades or Apollo at flame out (or dry hopped) would be a good addition. The citrus flavors are nice additions to a saison.

I have never used the yeast you are planning to use, but I usually start my saisons much lower around 65. I let them go for two days and let them free rise from there. It all depends on if you are a fan of the phenolics and spicey notes. I am not a huge fan, so I want them more subtle.

 

[stpug]

I see nothing wrong with your recipe

Go for it and adjust next time

 

[DoWBrewer]

I see nothing wrong with your recipe

Go for it and adjust next time

Or what he said.

 

[BradleyBrew]

I'm not suggesting that your recipe is wrong. I feel Saison's are one of my "stronger" beer styles that I brew so I was just relaying what works for me.

 

[jdgapc]

Thanks for all the tips everyone, I do have a ton of apollo hops my logic is use up the cascades since they don't keep as long as the higher alpha apollos

 

[oach]

You will get plenty of character from the yeast. In fact you can make a solid saison with just pilsner and a pitch of healthy yeast that has enough cells. The point being that the yeast character is the center of the style.

You do not need carapils to add body. In spite of saison yeast drying out the beer it produces a chemical (been drinking and can't remember the name of it) that humans perceive as body/mouth feel. It is one yeast that gives off the most. That is why a beer that finishes at 1.002 still has a nice body.

I am brewing a petite saison right now (1.038 starting gravity) with some ecy that should be fantastic and seasonable due to the yeast

 

[BradleyBrew]

Good luck