Need feedback on my Saison recipe

[tvanek29]

I have created a Saison recipe and would like some feedback. This is my first time designing one so need all the help I can get. My grain bill is as follows.
80% German Pils
10% Munich
6% Crystal 20
4% Rye

Hop additions are as follows.
90 min. .50 oz Simcoe
10 min. .24 oz Citra
05 min. .25 oz Citra

I will be using Wyeast 3711 for my yeast and will fermenting around 78 F.

 

[shanecb]

It looks nice! The munich and crystal should lend to it a nice color. I haven't used rye much (maybe once ever), but I'm not sure if only using 4% is really worth it, it seems pretty low. I'd almost think that's not enough to really even notice that you'd used it. I'd, personally, not use the rye and just put that toward the pils malt. Or if you really want some of that character, up the percentage some. But hopefully someone with more experience using rye can chime in!

 

[JF_HBrews]

It looks good overall though I would cut out the crystal. Maybe replace that with another pound of rye, if you like rye beers. If the crystal is for color then you could change the Munich to Dark Munich (aka Munich II) but not CaraMunich anything. You really want a dryer beer with a saison and the crystal/cara malts will leave some residual sweetness. Another option would be a 1/2 pound to a pound of darker candi sugar or syrup. It ferments out and helps dry out a beer but should give a small bump in color. I also like to adjust the ph with about 1-2% acidulated malt.

Fermenting at 78 seems slightly high to start, I usually start at 68-70 and let it rise, often above 78, on its own. It's probably fine though with the 3711 yeast.

 

[jkcolo]

I'd ditch the rye and crystal and use a pound of wheat malt and a pound of honey or sugar. That 3711 is an awesome yeast, one of my faves. You'll love it.

 

[tvanek29]

I switched the grain bill to this
88.5% Pills
10.5% Munich
1% Acid Malt

 

[JLump]

I agree with some of the others about adding wheat. That's just my tastes though.

 

[HausBrauerei_Harvey]

I worked on my saison recipe for the last year over 6 batches and arrived at something I really like for my taste:

71% pils
11% wheat malt
5% munich 2
5% oats
5% rye
2% melanoiden

The last thing I tweaked was to sub in that 5% rye for base malt, that added just a little hint of rye tarty/twang which I really like.

It's a great style to play around with enjoy!

Also FWIW if you do 10 gallon batches as I do i'm often looking for something different to do with the other 5G, I've found kolsch yeast (2565) fermented at 60F makes an awesome beer from this wort as well. Since the grist is so far from a kolsch I call it my 'blasphemy kolsch'

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

The style is historically about using what is around and making beer from it the judging guidelines say there needs to be something other than barley. I made one with wheat and rye (around 10% as I recall on the rye) give flavor, but not overwhelming.