Recipe critique please

[BleuChien]

Going for a Saison

.5 lb vienna (steep)

5.75 lb x-light DME
1 lb wheat DME
1 lb clear candi sugar
0.50 oz Tettnang (60 min)
0.50 oz Styrian Goldings (60 min)
0.50 oz Sorachi Ace (15 min)
0.50 oz Sorachi Ace (5 min)
2.00 oz fresh ginger (15 min)
2 stalks lemongrass (5 min)
Wyeast 1214

 

[PT Ray]

It's been years since I've used fresh ginger but it can be awesome. It looks like you want the ginger and lemongrass upfront so I would just use a bittering hop addition and skip the rest. I don't know that I would use an Abbey yeast, like the later hop additions you don't want flavors competing with each other. I might leave the Vienna out but if you don't it needs to be mashed and not steeped.

I would cut out the candi sugar or just use a half pound. Wouldn't even waste the dime on candi and would just with cane. All this just loose advice as I'm trying to invision a good base for ginger and lemongrass, cider really comes to mind.

I can see going clean, light and dry or a caramel sweeter version.

 

[BleuChien]

The intent is do to something that would be refreshing during the Summer, and wanted to try a Saison. I found a couple of Saison recipes on here and I tried mixing them to try to get something close to my goal. Should I ditch the Saison approach and go another angle?

 

[PT Ray]

A ginger/lemongrass beer should make an awesome summer beverage. I think a Wit, Am. Wheat or a Blonde would make a good base.

 

[BleuChien]

What if I change the yeast to nottingham, bring it back to an ale? Something similar to the Spicoli Smash recipe.

 

[PT Ray]

I think the light and/or wheat dme would work just fine. Use a clean hop to bitter and keep it low. Tettang or Goldings should do, something like a Fuggles would be ideal. Nottingham yeast sounds like a good choice. Fresh ginger can be intense and probably can support a little more malt/hops than I'm suggesting but I always (try to) start conservative on a pilot batch.

With the Spicoli recipe, it calls for citrusy hops which I'd shy away from along with the later hop additions. Pils malt should be ok, think it will work with the spiciness of the ginger.

You used to be able to find a Jamaican ginger beer soda in the ethnic section of the grocery store, that's what ginger is about. If you can find it buy one. That should give you an idea what your looking at.

 

[BleuChien]

Thats too much ginger than what Im wanting. The ginger beer sodas Ive had tend to be pretty spicy. I was just looking for a good crisp summer beer with the hint of ginger taste with citrus'.