Hi everyone,
I have been lurking on HBT over the past few weeks and have learned a ton. Thanks to everyone on here! You are great.
My first batch is hanging out in the primary and I can't wait to move on. Here is the kit I used--> Homebrewers Outpost IPA.
I plan to bottle it this weekend (it will have been sitting for 2 weeks 5 days in the primary) and get another brew up and running. I'm especially excited to take a crack at this Saison Dupont from Clone Brews --> Saison Dupont Clone Recipe. But before I jump in I have a few questions for you all.
1. I plan on fermenting this beer in my basement which maintains a temperature around 73 degrees. The recipe says the fermenting temp should be between 70-75 degrees, however, I have read elsewhere on the forums that a Saison style beer should have a fermentation temperature in the mid 80s. So... should I hold off until warmer weather before attempting this recipe?
2. I'm a bit confused about the first part of this recipe. It says to take 1/2 lb German Viana malt and to "crush and steep in 1/2 Gallon of water for 20 minutes at 150 degrees". It then goes on to say to "strain the grain water into your brew pot. Sparge the grains with 1/2 gallon water at 150 degrees." I don't get it. I thought sparging was something you did with all grain. Is this the same process as the IPA kit where I put the specialty grains in a muslin sack and let them steep until the water temp hit 150 degrees? Am I supposed to keep a 1/2 gallon at 150 degrees for 20 minutes while I steep and then add a gallon of water? Or is this a 2 step process with the grains that I am just not getting? Any translation, advice, or help with this step would be huge.
3. The IPA kit instructed me to use muslin bags to keep most of the hop pellets out of the wort. Should I do it again for this Saison recipe? What about the Irish moss and orange peels? Should/Can they be placed in bags?
4. The recipe says to "remove the pot from the stove, and cool for 15 minutes." By "cool" do they mean give your kettle an ice batch for 15 minutes? Or is this simply taking it off the heat enough for this style.
5. How much yeast? The Mr Malty Calculator says I should use 2.3 liquid yeast packs without a starter (only one if I have a starter). Is this overkill? And is Wyeast 12214 the best strain for a Saison?
6. The recipe instructs to prime with 1 1/4 cup extra light DME. Do I need to boil the DME until there is a hot break or just dissolve it into boiling water? Is DME even a good primer for this style?
7. The recipe doesn't give any clues about how to handle the beer after it is in the fermentor. I plan to allow the beer three weeks in the primary before bottling, and allow at least 3 weeks for conditioning before cracking into them. Does this sound about right?
I think that is all I got... for now. Thanks for putting up with all of my noob questions.
I have been lurking on HBT over the past few weeks and have learned a ton. Thanks to everyone on here! You are great.
My first batch is hanging out in the primary and I can't wait to move on. Here is the kit I used--> Homebrewers Outpost IPA.
I plan to bottle it this weekend (it will have been sitting for 2 weeks 5 days in the primary) and get another brew up and running. I'm especially excited to take a crack at this Saison Dupont from Clone Brews --> Saison Dupont Clone Recipe. But before I jump in I have a few questions for you all.
1. I plan on fermenting this beer in my basement which maintains a temperature around 73 degrees. The recipe says the fermenting temp should be between 70-75 degrees, however, I have read elsewhere on the forums that a Saison style beer should have a fermentation temperature in the mid 80s. So... should I hold off until warmer weather before attempting this recipe?
2. I'm a bit confused about the first part of this recipe. It says to take 1/2 lb German Viana malt and to "crush and steep in 1/2 Gallon of water for 20 minutes at 150 degrees". It then goes on to say to "strain the grain water into your brew pot. Sparge the grains with 1/2 gallon water at 150 degrees." I don't get it. I thought sparging was something you did with all grain. Is this the same process as the IPA kit where I put the specialty grains in a muslin sack and let them steep until the water temp hit 150 degrees? Am I supposed to keep a 1/2 gallon at 150 degrees for 20 minutes while I steep and then add a gallon of water? Or is this a 2 step process with the grains that I am just not getting? Any translation, advice, or help with this step would be huge.
3. The IPA kit instructed me to use muslin bags to keep most of the hop pellets out of the wort. Should I do it again for this Saison recipe? What about the Irish moss and orange peels? Should/Can they be placed in bags?
4. The recipe says to "remove the pot from the stove, and cool for 15 minutes." By "cool" do they mean give your kettle an ice batch for 15 minutes? Or is this simply taking it off the heat enough for this style.
5. How much yeast? The Mr Malty Calculator says I should use 2.3 liquid yeast packs without a starter (only one if I have a starter). Is this overkill? And is Wyeast 12214 the best strain for a Saison?
6. The recipe instructs to prime with 1 1/4 cup extra light DME. Do I need to boil the DME until there is a hot break or just dissolve it into boiling water? Is DME even a good primer for this style?
7. The recipe doesn't give any clues about how to handle the beer after it is in the fermentor. I plan to allow the beer three weeks in the primary before bottling, and allow at least 3 weeks for conditioning before cracking into them. Does this sound about right?
I think that is all I got... for now. Thanks for putting up with all of my noob questions.