saison thats not overly saison-ish?

[vahunter1819]

Ha oxymoron right? so i am warming up to this style and really wanna try my hand a brewing one. only problem is saisons w the OVERLY peppery, spicy, yeasty flavors dont suit me. Anyone have any recommendations for a yeast or a recipe that will give me a flavorful beer but just not overly spicy? extra points if its a black saison - had one this past weekend and it was incredible. Thanks guys!

 

[m00ps]

saisons are ALL about the yeast you use. There are a wide variety of saison strains to choose from. I would pick one based on your preferences. Heres what I have experience with off the top of my head

WLP565/WY3724 - Dupont strain, classic saison character probably too peppery for you
WY3711 - lemony and super dry, not much spice
WLP566 - more bubblegum and almost hefe-like than most
WLP585 - super tart for a sacch strain, my personal favorite
WY3726 - pretty well rounded, does have notable spice though
danstar belle saison - similar to WY3711 but bit more spice
YB wallonian farmhouse - makes a more malty saison IME, but get pretty dry
YB belgian dry ale - super dry, apple and pear esters. not necessarily a saison strain
Omega saisonstein - hybrid of WY3724 and WY3711, has characteristics of both



also keep in mind that fermentation temperature affects the yeast character. Generally, higher temps will be more fruity and less peppery

I have a thread that may be able to help you pick a strain too
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?p=7272363#post7272363

PM me if you want a black saison recipe and technique

 

[wzd]

I did a winter and summer brew with WLP566 Belgian Saison II Yeast and the winter one came out fruitier, the summer spicier (I've heard mixed comments on the temperature/fruity/spicy relationship, maybe yeast specific?). Minimal temperature control, heading pad in the winter to keep the temps up in the low end of the yeast range, water and wet towel for cooling in the summer. It is said to be a fruitier yeast, might be worth looking at. Some wine drinker friends loved it.

Also more info on yeast as m00ps mentions is in https://beerbrew.com/survey-of-saison-strains-2015/

 

[m00ps]

Id just warn that getting into farmhouse brewing is a slippery slope. Pretty easy to get addicted...

I just compared my descriptions vs the ones on that link and I think I may have a problem

 

[JKaranka]

You could give another yeast (S04?) a head start and pitch saison yeast on day 2. Ferment at the cool end of the spectrum.

Or split into two fermenters, pitch two different yeasts and blend back together to reduce the saison character.