Need a Pale, Summery Beer that Ages Well

[tennesseean_87]

I should have reason to celebrate around June of next year. I want to brew a beer soon to age until then. I need to choose a style. The criteria:

• good for aging 7 months to 2 years
• not too heavy or malty for summer consumption
• not too average in character--this is for celebration!

I think a Belgian of some sort might fit the bill--light and refreshing, but still big enough to be a special beer. I could do a Trippel, BGSA, or big Saison. I have Chimay and Du Pont yeast. I could possibly even do some kettle souring or blend in a kettle soured beer for a little tartness.

Another option is a Maibock, possibly even a little bit higher strength (more in doppelbock territory). I have lager yeast and the ferm chamber to do it.

A weizenbock could be done (I have 3068), but is that too malty/thick? Does it age well? I want it to peak around 7 months after brewing, but be good for another year or two after that.

What styles am I missing? What special tweaks might I do to the above styles?

 

[Bosh]

For extended aging I'd go with something along the lines of a biere de garde (strong French aged farmhouse beer pretty similar to a saison). Big saisons and similar beers are summery and age well.

Alternatively an aged IPA: bhttp://www.bear-flavored.com/2013/01/brew-day-and-recipe-1800s-ipa-india.html but that's pretty experimental. The IPAs that were actually sent to India were aged up to a year before they were ever put on the boat which really flies in the face of how we think about modern IPAs. Apparently having some brett in with the beer makes a difference when you really age it.

 

[saltymirv]

Brett saison for a lively, summery beer that requires 6+ months of aging

 

[rouge_brewer]

This fits your requirements, I really enjoy it and will brew again. Comes out pale, light and crisp with lots of flavour, bready, sour, English IPA, cheery pie can all be picked out at times. Light and tasty, I'll happily drink this for a session or for simple enjoyment.

Old English IPA 70ibu
5526 Brettanomyces lambicus and Danstar Windsor no starter
80/20 marris otter/flaked barley
Challenger bittering
Fuggles 20min
EKG 10min

Fermentat for 6mths if you can, I bottled in 4, it worked but the gravity was still a bit high I suspect.
Fermented with 15g French oak - boiled drained the added for 1mth
Dry hopped with EKG 4oz

I Don't notice the oak so perhaps more time... Idk it's good as is.

 

[tennesseean_87]

I haven't played with sours yet other than kettle souring with lacto. I do have some old racking stuff, but no spare better bottles for aging with bugs. Maybe I'll look into that. I'll also read up more on Biere de Garde. Thanks for the replies!

 

[Qhrumphf]

Aged beers tend to be maltier, EXCEPT for sours. Even beers that are lighter and crisper are going to pick up malty sweetness with age. Again, except for sours. Point is, I'd go the sour route. Brett Saison sounds like a good bet for your goals. An English stock ale would also be a good plan if you work Brett into the mix. I did an Ordinary Bitter that was aged a year in the fermenter with Brett C, and came out delightfully. Plenty light and summery.

 

[tennesseean_87]

I think I need to try a biere de garde. They sound interesting. I'm also thinking about winging it with a big, pale, dry, but malty saison, a little lacto, and some citrus zest additions to the priming solution so that will be fresh after aging. If the yeast character tones down with aging it will be a little more biere de gardeish in character.

 

[tennesseean_87]

Aged beers tend to be maltier, EXCEPT for sours. Even beers that are lighter and crisper are going to pick up malty sweetness with age. Again, except for sours. Point is, I'd go the sour route. Brett Saison sounds like a good bet for your goals. An English stock ale would also be a good plan if you work Brett into the mix. I did an Ordinary Bitter that was aged a year in the fermenter with Brett C, and came out delightfully. Plenty light and summery.

I made my last post before reading yours. Some brett may be in order, but I'm a bit nervous about making that jump. I don't want to age this beer for so long and then wind up with dumpers. I also am nervous from what I've read about cross-contamination. Advice? Your sig suggests you might like a sour beer now and again.

 

[Qhrumphf]

Keep a separate set of cold side gear and don't ever cross them. That's all. Anything prior to the boil kettle is fine to share. Wild yeast and bacteria are absolutely everywhere. As long as you keep the cold side gear separate and clean/sanitize how you're supposed to, you'll be fine. Just watch the oxygen access with Brett- Brett + oxygen tends to produce acetic acid. Rack it to a secondary (in this case I'd use glass, easier to clean than plastic afterwards and less permeable during) with minimal headspace, pitch a Brett vial (unless you want bacterial stuff too, in which case bottle dregs might be better), and seal her up, and then keep an eye on the airlock and don't let it dry out. You'll likely never see a bubble but I find it can evaporate a bit over long aging periods.

 

[jerbrew]

Brett saison.

 

[Bosh]

I made my last post before reading yours. Some brett may be in order, but I'm a bit nervous about making that jump. I don't want to age this beer for so long and then wind up with dumpers. I also am nervous from what I've read about cross-contamination. Advice? Your sig suggests you might like a sour beer now and again.

Sounds good, in my experience saison yeast character does mellow with age. I've also had more success mixing different strains together rather than using a pure strain. Some of the commercial strains are mixed or you can just throw in some Mangrove Jack French Saison and Bella Saison together which worked well for me.

I'd avoid crystal malt in a saison but was pleasantly surprised with how well light (Weyermann) munich worked.

 

[bigplunkett]

I made a lime saison last year that aged well 7.5 fairly dry and just the right amount of lime let me know ill give u the bill for it

 

[tennesseean_87]

I made a lime saison last year that aged well 7.5 fairly dry and just the right amount of lime let me know ill give u the bill for it

I'd be interested. I've done lime-zest in a saison before. I have the Dupont Strain on hand, so I'll use that one if I do a Saison. I'm still leery of using Brett...