What fruit to add to secondary to take some of the harsh edge off a saison?

[JoePro]

I brewed a Fantome Saison clone, and after tasting it (it hit final gravity after a week), it's really, really spicy and dry and a little hot. I assume that most of this will mellow out in time, since they really need conditioned for a few months, but I was wondering--

What fruit do you guys recommend that could take the edge of some of the spice? What's worked for you in the past?

 

[dwarven_stout]

Just give it some time. Don't try to judge a beer before you even carb it up.

How much spice did you add to it?

 

[JoePro]

1 packet of coriander and 1 packet of paradise seed.

 

[dwarven_stout]

That's what, 1oz of coriander? That's a fair bit. Did you grind it, crush it, or toss it in whole? How long did you boil the spices?

 

[JoePro]

Cracked it. Boiled it for 15.

 

[JoePro]

To be honest though it seems like the spice is coming from the yeast and not the botanicals.

 

[dwarven_stout]

Yeah, cracked coriander shouldn't be too overpowering. Grinding it to powder is a bad way to go though. Some of the saison yeasts *are* pretty spicy.

 

[JoePro]

Well, time is on my side. Suppose I'll either sit on it or blend it later.

Should I rack onto any fruits?

 

[ozzy1038]

I think blackberry might be good. Nice and ripe and sweet.

 

[JoePro]

Will the fruit add some sweetness to it?

 

[dwarven_stout]

No. The fruit will ferment pretty much completely.

Mind posting the full recipe to your brew?

 

[JoePro]

8.5 lbs belgian pale
.5 lb Belgian Aromatic
1.25 lb belgian white wheat

Yeast: WLP 568

90 minute mash @ 149
90 minute boil

60 min: 3/4 oz hersbrucker
1.75 oz EKG

@15 min .5 oz EKG
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 oz orange peel
2 g paradise seed

@5 min:
1/4 tsp coriander

 

[emjay]

Blueberry. If you REALLY must.

 

[JoePro]

Blueberry. If you REALLY must.

See, I don't know if I REALLY must. It's just really spicy. It's got this earthen, clove phenol character to it that I find hard to enjoy. I know it'll mellow out with time, but I want to be able to share this brew with friends and they definitely won't go for it =\

 

[passedpawn]

I've been there. I used a yeast (Wyeast 3711) that fermented my Saison down way further than I expected. I had added sugar, too, and it ended up hot. I still have some of it left.

You might try ginger. It might mask the hot alcohol burn. Getting rid of the spiciness is probably not gonna happen.

I'll be following this thread. Hopefully there's a great answer out there and I'll know what to do next time.

 

[dwarven_stout]

See, I don't know if I REALLY must. It's just really spicy. It's got this earthen, clove phenol character to it that I find hard to enjoy. I know it'll mellow out with time, but I want to be able to share this brew with friends and they definitely won't go for it =\

Clove/phenol sounds like the WLP568. It should mellow somewhat with time.

I don't know a good fruit to add to a spicy/clove beer.

 

[emjay]

I don't know a good fruit to add to a spicy/clove beer.

Pumpkin!

 

[harrydrez]

Spicy and dry sounds like a saison to me.

 

[JoePro]

Spicy and dry sounds like a saison to me.

Yeah, it's a Saison all right, but it's pretty miserable on the drinkability side.

Who wants undrinkable beer?

But I could just be unfamiliar with this kind of style. Are spicy, bitter, dry beers better when served in a colder climate? Are some saisons drinkable when it's cold? This beer has some heat to it, but I suppose that's because the alchohol has yet to mellow. It's only a week old, anyhow.

 

[JoePro]

What would some Brett/Lacto do to this beer?

 

[JoePro]

Also, lactose could sweeten it before bottling. Any more thoughts on the brett/lactobacillus?

 

[eastoak]

i would leave it alone. adding fruit or whatever will muddy the waters even more; spicy blueberry? i have a saison that i'm not 100% happy with but i'm going to let it sit for a few months and if it's still not to my liking i'll dump it. it is kind of verboten to dump beer on these boards but i'm not going to choke down a bad tasting beer, or any other food for that matter.

 

[JoePro]

i would leave it alone. adding fruit or whatever will muddy the waters even more; spicy blueberry? i have a saison that i'm not 100% happy with but i'm going to let it sit for a few months and if it's still not to my liking i'll dump it. it is kind of verboten to dump beer on these boards but i'm not going to choke down a bad tasting beer, or any other food for that matter.

This beer could be blended, I'm sure, and really make something fantastic. I'm not sure with what, though.

 

[ocluke]

So, after 2 years, has this saison come around?

In all seriousness, it would be nice to hear what became of it, what you did with it (fruit, brett, bacteria), etc.

 

[mttfrog13]

Pumpkin!

there was a pumpkin saison recipe on an episode of the brew session that sounded really good. I'm thinking about trying it out.