Who Likes Saison???

[Schlenkerla]

Guys - I'm thinking about making a Saison. I not sure about committing to 5 gallons though. My LHBS stocks a lot of styles, several belgian, but not a Saison. I was looking at the description so it sounds pretty good. The peppery flavor interests me. I really like black pepper.

Fruity and lightly to moderately spicy with a soft, smooth malt and relatively light hop character and low to very low phenols. May have an orange- or pear-like fruitiness, though not as fruity/citrusy as many other Belgian ales. Has an initial soft, malty sweetness with a toasty, biscuity, nutty malt flavor. The hop flavor is low to none. The hop bitterness is medium to low, and is optionally complemented by low amounts of peppery phenols. There is a moderately dry to moderately sweet finish, with hops becoming more pronounced in those with a drier finish.​

On a scale of 1-10 how would you rate the style as a summer drink?

I'm gonna assume this requires an educated pallet, so the BMC drinker will hate this beer.

Thanks!!! - Been looking at the recipes, it looks like a select few love this style.

 

[Ryanh1801]

10... Saison are awesome. I think most people will like them, its an easy drinking beer.

 

[eriktlupus]

saisons at the lower end of the sca;e abv wise are awesome lawnmower beers imo:rockin:

 

[FlyGuy]

Yep, sensational easy-drinking summer brews, particularly if you like something a little out of the ordinary. Personally, I like them better than the popular hefe-weizens and witbiers.

 

[WOP31]

Ten I give that **** a Ten!

I love me a good spicy Saison, I do up one every summer, they make great afternoon relaxing by the BBQ beers.

 

[Kayos]

Love 'em! Have you really never tried one? They are a bit different on the palate. I think they are between a hefe and a pale. The yeast and hops make it different, though. There are several in the BevMo by me to choose from.

 

[Kevin Dean]

It's hard to say if saison is a good summer beer. Like other beers, you either like the style, or don't. Personally, I feel in love with saisons but I didn't notice any peppery taste. Crisp, refreshing, and a tad tart.

I've got a saison going now, so I suppose it's a "Hurry the F*ck up spring!" beer too.

 

[Schlenkerla]

Guys - Thanks for the response.

I've been looking at several recipes; Jamil Z's, NB, O'Flannagan's, & Ryanh1801's.

I'll be mulling this over for a bit. All single infusions, except for NB's and longer mash times...

Have any of you used a brew belt to make this off-season? It might be hard to hit 85F w/o a heat source of some type. I may have to brew this on the main floor at 68F and let the brew belt crank-out some BTU's.

My Iowa weather is 13-31F, I won't have consistent 85F weather until late May. - Its strange how some yeasts make fusels at these high temps and others don't.

What about aging? Does this beer need longer aging times or is this like a Heffe where you drink it right after its carbed?

 

[FlyGuy]

If you need warmer fermentation temps, don't bother with a brew belt. Get yourself a 200W aquarium heater (about $15 - $20) and a big plastic Rubbermaid tub or a big cooler or whatever is big enough to fit your carboy. Fill it with water, add the carboy, and use the aquarium heater to control the temp.

I like this better than the brew belt because you get MUCH more even and stable temperatures, plus the aquarium heaters have a suprisingly accurate temperature controller built in, meaning you can raise the temps at the end of the fermentation (a la Jamil's Belgian method).

And no, Saisons shouldn't require much if any aging time.

 

[Soulive]

Saisons are great for the summer. If you think about where they originate, they should be moderate in ABV and therefore quaffable. They were meant for peasant farm workers who needed to keep working after drinking them. If you keep the ABV modest and the finish dry, I say they're about 9.5 for summer drinking...

 

[Beerrific]

I would not go at 85F for the whole fermentation. I am pretty sure you will get fusels that way. I would suggest around 68-70F for 75% of the fermentation and then warm it slowly to 85F for the rest.

Have you heard the Jamil show where they discuss Saison? It was very informative. Chris White was there and they discussed what the best approach was to ensure full attenuation.

http://www.thebrewingnetwork.com/archive/Jamil09-10-07.mp3

 

[the_bird]

I would not go at 85F for the whole fermentation. I am pretty sure you will get fusels that way. I would suggest around 68-70F for 75% of the fermentation and then warm it slowly to 85F for the rest.

Have you heard the Jamil show where they discuss Saison? It was very informative. Chris White was their and they discussed what the best approach was to ensure full attenuation.

http://www.thebrewingnetwork.com/archive/Jamil09-10-07.mp3

+1 on the temps. Keep them cool (65°-ish or even a touch lower) to start, when, the yeast are reproducing, then ramp up over time. This prevents the formation of many fusels (which occurs during the beginning of fermentation), which finishing up at the high levels promotes attenuation. The key to this beer (well, for almost all Belgian ales, but especially this one) is DRY-DRY-DRY.

 

[html034]

I am also doing a Saison right now, and following Jamil's advice from his show on Saison that has already been mentioned. He says start at 68 for the first couple of days, and then slowly ramp up so you are at 82 or higher by the end of the week.

But I have a question, once fermentation gets to where I want it, what temperature do I want to have it at? Keep it up in the 80's, or let it drop back down? Appreciate any advice.

 

[Schlenkerla]

Thanks for the tip about the aquarium heater. I've got the kegger tub so all I'll need is the heater. The basement is cool and that's were I preffer to let my batches ferment.

Ramping up the heat doesn't sound too hard either.

I'll download the Jamil-Saison show. I got a 6 hour car ride tomorrow for work. This will be a great way to stay alert during the drive.

That's it, now my summer line-up is set.

• Oberdorfer Heffeweizen
• O'Flanagan's Saison
• Edwort's Haus Pale Ale
• Belgian Wit
• Pale Ale w/ Nelson Sauvin
• Pale Ale w/ Amarillo

All I need is ingredients for Edwort's & O'Flanagan's