What I learned about Saisons

[ktblunden]

I've got a mash soured saison bottle conditioning right now that I'm chomping at the bit to try. The gravity sample before bottling tasted amazing, the lacto tartness from the sour mash really works well with the yeast. I used WLP566 because I was nervous about the fact that even White Labs says the WLP565 has a tendency to stall. Went all the way from 1.064 to 1.004 for a 7.9% monster.

 

[passedpawn]

I've got a mash soured saison bottle conditioning right now that I'm chomping at the bit to try. The gravity sample before bottling tasted amazing, the lacto tartness from the sour mash really works well with the yeast. I used WLP566 because I was nervous about the fact that even White Labs says the WLP565 has a tendency to stall. Went all the way from 1.064 to 1.004 for a 7.9% monster.

For me, the higher the ABV goes, the less I like these beers. I try to keep them under 6%.

 

[ReverseApacheMaster]

I haven't come close to trying so many examples of the style. I'll have to look for a few of those, and sample them.

You should be able to find Jester King's regular offerings in El Paso. The specialty beers are hard to find. Even big accounts usually only get a few bottles. The Central Market I stopped at last night only had three bottles of Boxer's Revenge and two were already being held for other people. We just happened to be there at the right time with the right employee working the beer and wine area. He is a sour fan and had the bottles hidden in the back. Some of their beers I like (Le Petit Prince and Noble King) and some I dislike thoroughly (Drinkin the Sunbelt).

Collette was a summer seasonal so you may be able to find a few six packs around town.

Le Merle should be available in El Paso as should Saison Dupont and one of Dupont's organic saisons, Foret. If you can't find Saison Dupont in the bottle BJ's usually carries it in their bottle selection for a reasonable price.

I'm not sure if Funkwerks distributes to New Mexico but if they do, they would be good ones to find. Not all their saisons are complex or over the top but they make a great, straight forward saison on the higher end of ABV (Saison) and a session version (Casper) and some other interesting options (like Tropic King, White and Scepter) but unfortunately they make a lot of phenomenal offerings that never go beyond the tap room.

 

[Stauffbier]

So it turns out my White Pepper Saison is really good with tacos! But.... everything goes good with tacos!

 

[moti_mo]

Maybe you'd like some funky versions, which I tend to prefer:

Saison Brett by Boulevard
Saison Rue by Bruery
Sofie by Goose Island (get one of these and age it 1 yr or more, you won't be sorry)

There are more, but those 3 are my favorites. Saison is my favorite style, I could drink it all night. Keep trying some, it may grow on you.

Also, +1 to Funkwerks, they make some great saisons

 

[twilbrew247]

There was actually two patty's involved, but I'll give you credit.

I actually haven't tried a lot of commercial versions of saison, so for a short time I was thinking I screwed up my batch. It turns out, it came out great, and I'm just not a huge fan of the style. I know, I know... you shouldn't brew something you haven't really tried before, but I needed "hot fermentation" options. My house is an oven this time of year, so I just decided to go for the saison in spite of my lack of experience with them... One or two is good. After that I gotta move on to something else!

I brewed Petite Saison from NB because I wanted a hot weather beer. I've never had one before. I screwed up and had a large boil over at the beginning of the boil losing about 2 gallons! Since I didn't know if I should add water (my first all grain) I ended up with about 2.5 gallons in the keg. It's been carbing for a week now and I tasted today.......it's OK, but I've nothing to compare since I committed a brewing sin by brewing a style I've never had. The ABV was up near 7% which was a little high for a petite saison and it is very bitter. Definitely only going to be able to drink one or two in a sitting.

 

[ReverseApacheMaster]

Maybe you'd like some funky versions, which I tend to prefer:

Saison Brett by Boulevard
Saison Rue by Bruery
Sofie by Goose Island (get one of these and age it 1 yr or more, you won't be sorry)

There are more, but those 3 are my favorites. Saison is my favorite style, I could drink it all night. Keep trying some, it may grow on you.

Also, +1 to Funkwerks, they make some great saisons

I have a 2009 bottle of boulevard brett-saison I'm cellaring. It's an excellent beer.

 

[moti_mo]

Yeah, that beer is amazing. Wish I had a 2009 version in my cellar!

 

[bphelan]

That sounds interesting Revvy. I have a holiday recipe I call Pfeffernusse ale that uses cardamom along with a few other spices. It was good after 2 or 3 months, but after 10 months it was even better. That's the good thing about homebrew. If you don't like it now, then just sit on it for a while!

Stauffbier I would love the recipe for this pfeffernusse ale, grew up eating those cookies every holiday, sounds like the perfect holiday ale. I would greatly appreciate you sharing it.

 

[Stauffbier]

Stauffbier I would love the recipe for this pfeffernusse ale, grew up eating those cookies every holiday, sounds like the perfect holiday ale. I would greatly appreciate you sharing it.

I am of German heritage, and I bake these for the holidays every year. I use all of the same spices in the beer as I do in the cookies. I'll look it up later today. It's about time for me to get it out, anyway. I'll PM it to you later...