Trying to get a few beers in the pipeline. Anyone have a solid go-to saison recipe? Would prefer to not use 3711. I'll probably serve this in September so ideally not something that takes a ton of time.
Here's a recipe I did recently (tweaked a bit from a previous version) and really love it:
http://spontaneousfunk.blogspot.com/2015/07/saison-faible-batch-02-recipe.html
Follow the recipe for the 3726 version, as that's my favorite version of the bunch. YB Wallonian works really well on the same schedule, and I haven't had issues with 3724 stalling, though I generally give saisons 2-3 weeks at elevated temperatures. Definitely add Brett, as I frequently do. Secondary will give a more muted character (I really like Trois and Brett C as well as some East Coast Yeast stuff), and if in primary I generally ferment lower (~70*F) to let the Brett character develop more, as at elevated temperatures it seems like the saison yeast rips through everything before the Brett has a chance to do much, at least not until an extended secondary is finished up and the Brett has time to works its magic on the precursors created by the Sacch.
For the malt bill, the combination of the unmalted grains and the glycerol put off by 3726 gives a really nice fully, airy feel to the beer, and it then finishes quite dry. Of course, the high carb helps too. I normally go for 3-3.5 volumes. When begging, I have the PSI around 20-25.
Here are brief notes on the 3726 portion of the batch linked above (need to do a full write-up):
A: Heavy, creamy head atop a hazy golden beer. Great retention and heavy lacing on the way down. One of the best-looking beers that I've brewed. I love the rustic look of a hazy saison as opposed to one that pours crystal clear.
N: Strong with notes of mango, orange zest, honey, and a bit of pear. Almost a light, vanilla-like character as it warms.
T: Similar to the nose, but actually has a bit of tart cherry in the background. It's not a sour beer by any means, but there is a very faint tartness through the finish. Just a hint of earthy spice.
M: Full and creamy up front, but finishing quite dry. The oats and wheat added plenty of proteins, and it seems like this yeast produces plenty of glycerol, together leading to a lovely feel. At the same time, finishing around 1.002-1.004 doesn't leave much there, and the finish is accordingly quite dry.
O: Love this batch. While there is undoubtedly a bit of Brett going to work here (given the pellicle at kegging), its character is relatively muted compared to the Saccharomyces and hops.
