Spice/Fruit Ideas for Saison

[LibertyCallBeer]

Im looking to brew either a Saison or Cream Ale after my current batch(witbier) finishes bottle conditioning.

I want to go a little out of the ordinary with the spice addition. I want to use something I normally wouldn't think of.

I keep thinking about these exotic(to me at least) fruits that a Jamaican woman I work with told me about, in the soapberry family

Rambutan
Lychee
Longan

Rambutan tastes like grapes to me and I think it would be interesting in a beer.

Give me some inspiration please

 

[TheMadKing]

I'm currently making the syrup for a sangria Saison.

Brewed a Saison and aged with oak, red wine, and brandy added. Syrup has orange, lemon, mango, kiwi, ginger, and grape juice concentrate

 

[TandemTails]

Thai inspired beers seem to be getting a little popular around here. Lemongrass, ginger, very small amounts of anise, etc.

Could pair really well with the spiciness of a saison.

 

[rhys333]

I can't speak to spices, but fruits and flavorings that don't rely on sugars for flavor seem to do really well in saison. Raspberry, rhubarb and ginger are three that come to mind.

 

[TheMadKing]

My sangria syrup has turned out spectacular. It's fruity but still tastes like beer and has a nice 7% abv punch on account of the brandy and wine in it

 

[popsicleian]

Pink peppercorn is by far my favorite saison spice

 

[Revvy]

I use a withbier as a bases for a lot of my fruit and spice experiments, and also my Belgian Blonde Ale Base Recipe....

So basically anything I've done with those will work in a saison....

My latest is Hibiscus, Blood Orange & Sichuan Peppercorn Witbier

Another of my popular witbiers is to take the base wit and take 3 quarts of Pom brand pomegranate juice, bring it to a boil and reduce by half to concentrate the flaver and add that in the last 15 minutes of the boil.

I've also done my Belgian Blonde with mesquite smoked pineapple... I talk about it here.

You can also do Chinese 5 spice powder which tastes great... to do that google a 5 spice powder blend, but use whole, toasted and lightly crushed spices- you can either add them in a hop sack to your boil in the last 45 minutes or, do an infusion into vodka and add that post fermentation, or int he keg or bottling bucket (you could if you're bottling just flavor your priming solution with the spice blend, and strain with a sanitized strainer into the bottling bucket)

You could google various gin botanicals and add them along with juniper berries the same way I described above.

In the hibiscus thread I posted I talk about how to determine interesting flavor pairings using molecular gastronomy foodpairing apps and website to come up with interesting blends....

The trick is figuring out how to infuse your flavors into your beers.... One of the ways I've utilized is Nitrogen Cavitation.... I talk about it and include links to a podcast I did demonstrating it, https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?p=7543997&highlight=cavitation#post7543997

Have fun...

Hope this helps.

 

[triethylborane]

Lychee hibiscus saison