Saison Saison Dew

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newkirk

Active Member
Joined
Jul 2, 2016
Messages
29
Reaction score
11
Recipe Type
All Grain
Yeast
Wyeast 3711
Yeast Starter
750ml
Batch Size (Gallons)
4.5
Original Gravity
1.055
Final Gravity
1.006
Boiling Time (Minutes)
60
IBU
22
Color
7.5
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp)
14days @68F ambient
Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp)
14days @68F ambient
Tasting Notes
slightly malty, grassy/herbal, slight fruit
My first two saisons came out tasty, similar recipes to this but extract with adjuncts. This recipe substituted Pilsner and Wheat malts (6.5:1 ratio) for the extracts in a simple BIAB.

9.5lb Pilsner malt
24oz red wheat malt
20oz Carahell (13SRM caramel malt)
20oz Belgian Abbey malt
4oz flaked wheat

Mashed ~153F for 75mins (targeted lower but these yeasts don't care so much anyway)

added 6-7 drops Fermcap-s, brought to boil.

Added 14g (16.5 IBU) Mosaic, boiled 55 mins.

Added 35g (2.5 IBU) Wai'iti, 21g (0.5 IBU) Strisselspalt, and 8.5g (2 IBU) Mosaic for final 5mins boil.

Pulled hopsack, stirred in 1tsp yeast nutrient and cooled (icebath).

4.5 gallons about 1.055 O.G. Pitched Wyeast 3711 - grew up 1500ml starter, cold-crashed and decanted then pitched 1/2 and archived 1/2 in jar in fridge, used for next batch. BS2 calculator says I pitched about 175 billion cells, with about 190 billion optimal.

Ambient temp throughout fermentation stayed between 66F and 69F, I did not add any heat to fermenter.

Bottled & kegged about 5 weeks later, 1.006 F.G. (was out of town)

4 months later, multiple tasters have said they like it better than Dupont, which I take as high praise but with a huge grain of salt, since they're talking to me and not Dupont at the time. (not blind taste test) One named it his 'desert-island brew' and asked how much money would be needed to set up a micro-brewery to produce it full time commercially.


I've since rebrewed 2.5gallon to almost the same recipe (lacked Mosaic so used Rakau), split among three 1-gallon fermenters - one with WY3711, one with OYL-057 Hothead, and one with OYL-500 Saisonstein's Monster. Still early days of comparison, after one head-to-head-to-head tasting I'm still on the fence as to whether I prefer 3711 or OYL-500. (I thought 3711 was a beast until I fermented with OYL-500 - Saisonstein took off faster, attenuated further, and was already clarifying by the third day post-pitch, dramatic visible difference from the other two that were still completely opaque and roiling)

The Hothead is interesting but I didn't enjoy it as much in that first tasting - I'm undecided between the other two but am leaning toward staying with the 3711. (If you're in a position of fermenting without temp controls in the 80s-90s I'd definitely consider Hothead) 3711 hit 1.008 in the 3-way, Hothead ended at 1.010, while Saisonstein made it to 1.006. I like the Saisonstein but it didn't quite taste like 'my' saison.

Next split comparison batch will be partly warmed targeting 78F-80F wort temp with 3711 throughout fermentation, with a 'control' fermenter with 3711 at my usual ~68F ambient and freerise, and warmed OYL-500 in the third jug, possibly an un-warmed OYL-500 in a fourth jug.

j
 
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