My friends are getting married at the end of April, and they've asked me to brew the beer. I picked four of the five brews based on their preferences, but the fifth one is completely up to me. I don't often dabble in mushy/cheesy type things, but I figured I'd give a go at traditional/symbolic ingredients for my "brewmaster's choice". As such, I want to do a traditional saison with honey and rosemary. Honey has the traditional "honeymoon" connotations, while Wikipedia says of rosemary:
On to the recipe:
BREW-IN-A-BAG, NO-CHILL, efficiency 75%+
6 lb. Belgian Pilsner
4 lb. German Wheat Malt
.5 lb. Aromatic Malt
1 lb. Honey
1.5 oz. Cascade FWH (calculated as a 30 min addition)
1 sprig of rosemary, leaves only (flameout)
Saison yeast (not sure which one)
OG: 1.066
FG: 1.010
ABV: 6.7%
IBU: 21.7
SRM: 6.7
Three questions: 1.) FWH contributes flavor, but will it be enough grapefruit from the cascades to help balance the pine from the rosemary? 2.) More, less, or just right rosemary? 3.) Will the honey flavor come through, do I need more, or do I need something like honey malt?
Thanks in advance for your feedback!
In the Middle Ages, rosemary was associated with wedding ceremonies - the bride would wear a rosemary headpiece and the groom and wedding guests would all wear a sprig of rosemary, and from this association with weddings, rosemary evolved into a love charm. Newlywed couples would plant a branch of rosemary on their wedding day. If the branch grew, it was a good omen for the union and family. In ‘A Modern Herbal’, Mrs Grieves says “A rosemary branch, richly gilded and tied with silken ribands of all colours, was also presented to wedding guests, as a symbol of love and loyalty.” If a young person would tap another with a rosemary sprig and if the sprig contained an open flower, it was said that the couple would fall in love.
On to the recipe:
BREW-IN-A-BAG, NO-CHILL, efficiency 75%+
6 lb. Belgian Pilsner
4 lb. German Wheat Malt
.5 lb. Aromatic Malt
1 lb. Honey
1.5 oz. Cascade FWH (calculated as a 30 min addition)
1 sprig of rosemary, leaves only (flameout)
Saison yeast (not sure which one)
OG: 1.066
FG: 1.010
ABV: 6.7%
IBU: 21.7
SRM: 6.7
Three questions: 1.) FWH contributes flavor, but will it be enough grapefruit from the cascades to help balance the pine from the rosemary? 2.) More, less, or just right rosemary? 3.) Will the honey flavor come through, do I need more, or do I need something like honey malt?
Thanks in advance for your feedback!