Rhubarb Saison

[ericbw]

I started this brew about 3 weeks ago, and last night I added the rhubarb. It immediately sank to the bottom, but was floating by morning. So far, no additional fermentation. I am hoping that it doesn't just add a vegetal flavor to the beer.

5 lbs pilsner malt
1.25 lbs wheat malt
.5 lbs sugar

.75 oz Willamette @ 60 minutes
.5 oz US Saaz @ 30 minutes

I have a yeast that was harvested from a bottle of Ommegang a few years ago, and I use it for my Belgian style beers (saison and patersbier).

I fermented high (80 degrees) for a couple of weeks, and it went quiet, then kicked back up again for a few days. I've only ever had that happen with S-33 before, and I am thinking I might need to culture up a new batch of this yeast. Maybe the mutations have caught up after several generations.

It's now starting to clear, so I dropped the temp to 62 and added 2 lbs of rhubarb (picked from the neighborhood garden, chopped it up, blanched it, then refrigerator overnight).

The plan is to let it sit for a week (assuming no additional fermentation from the fruit) and then keg it. I wanted to have it ready for July 4th, but that's a little bit of a rush.

I'm hoping for a yeasty saison with a hint of rhubarb. Could be totally gross - we'll find out.

Anyone else have any experience with adding rhubarb to secondary? (And note that I don't really move it to secondary, just add it to the primary fermenter.)

 

[xpops]

i made a strawberry rhubarb blonde last summer. turned out really well and a lot of people loved it!
i added 3lbs of strawberries, and 1.5lb of rhubarb and let it sit for 2 weeks. only difference is i didnt blanch my fruit, and i froze them rather than refrigerated.

no vegetal taste/flavour at all. the rhubarb over powered the strawberries, but it was a very nice fresh tart rhubarb taste. as the beer warmed up and you got lower in the glass, the strawberry aroma and taste started coming through. very nice easy summer drinker for sure!

i think your rhubarb will go nicely with the saison - let us know how it turns out!

 

[ericbw]

Ok, good to hear that. I had a strawberry saison from Pyramid before at their brewery. We have access to a lot of rhubarb, so that's the essence of a farmhouse beer - use what you have.

I'll let it sit a week to a week and a half.

I'll report back!

 

[UncleMalty]

I've aged saisons on rhubarb before too. Like xpops, I froze the rhubarb - no blanching. No vegetal flavors, just nice and tart especially in the finish.

 

[ericbw]

Why did I blanch??!?! I didn't want any wild yeast. Prob the wrong thing.

 

[xpops]

i've added lots of diff fruits to secondary, and i've never worried about blanching/sanitizing. i always just freeze (or roast, if something like coconut flakes or jalepeno), and rack the beer ontop. i've never had a non-incidental infection. *knock on wood*

 

[ericbw]

By the time you're adding to secondary, it's prob overpowered by the main yeast.

 

[xpops]

true, but if you think of making sour beers...its those other yeasties and bacterias (brett, lacto, pedio) that go after the sugars that the main yeasts aren't capable of consuming. i'm sure the alcohol content would fend off any wild bacteria or yeast, but the guys we use for sours are more tolerent to alcohol.

i've kinda just been taking my chances at this point, mostly because i dont think it would be too bad if i accidentally ended up with sour blueberry blonde ale? lol

cheers,

 

[ericbw]

I don't like sours. Reassure me! Just kidding!

 

[ericbw]

Kegged this tonight. 9 days with the rhubarb. I got some chunks in the keg, so I hope it doesn't clog the dip tube.

It finished at 1.006, so it's 6.15% abv. Pretty respectable.

I didn't really taste the fruit in the sample. Either it needs a lot more or maybe its just not worth the effort to add rhubarb. It tastes good, just not rhubarb.

 

[MaryB]

I was thinking of a rhubarb ale, blend the rhubarb then cover with dextrose and let it sit and break down in the fridge a day or two(it will give off a lot of liquid). Strain, freeze that liquid until kegging time and use it as the priming sugar.

 

[jtratcliff]

I do a rhubarb rye ale
.. I find that 3 lbs of chopped, frozen, then thawed rhubarb is the right amount for my 5 gallon brew...

More than that, I get a vegetal taste that I blame on the rhubarb... But 3.5 lb gives plenty of up front rhubarb without overpowering the rye ale...

 

[JKaranka]

The only rhubarb Saison I've had is by Ilkley, and it's great:
http://www.ilkleybrewery.co.uk/our-beers/item/siberia1

 

[ericbw]

This is a 3 gallon batch, so the amount should be right. Adding sugar and using it to probe would be a great idea!

If this comes out labs, I'll add some dry hops to the keg.

 

[rhys333]

I brewed a 6 gallon saison using Wyeast 3726 (great yeast, btw), and I'm thinking about racking half of if onto rhubarb for a two-week secondary. Based on what I'm reading above, 1 to 1.5 lbs for 3 gallons sounds about right.

 

[hrb47]

I have also been thinking of making a rhubarb saison, since i have enough in my yard. What are your thoughts about adding some to the grain when mashing and then adding some more to the secondary for more flavor.

 

[rhys333]

I have also been thinking of making a rhubarb saison, since i have enough in my yard. What are your thoughts about adding some to the grain when mashing and then adding some more to the secondary for more flavor.

I think the acidity would throw your mash pH out of whack, assuming you monitor pH. I just put mine directly into primary as fermentation slowed down.

Also, it doesn't add much in terms of flavor. Combining it with some strawberry or a small amount of raspberry wouldn't hurt.

 

[hrb47]

Thanks for the input, how long do you leave it in the primary?
The strawberry's sound like a good idea.

 

[rhys333]

Thanks for the input, how long do you leave it in the primary?
The strawberry's sound like a good idea.

I don't have my notes, but I think one week.