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Saison tips?

MaltLicker

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Gonna brew my first saison with Wye 3724, and after it sticks, I will put it garage at 85F. 

Probably gonna be Belgian pils and Vienna based.  Probably target 1.065 or so.

Any specific grist or other tips for a successful saison?
 
I was just reading BYO and they are talking about Saisons.  There are a few recipes in there too.  Do you get BYO?  Maybe there is some of the articles online?
 
A recently brewed a Saison that turned out pretty good. The best tips i can give are:

1. to be sure to use clear belgian candi sugar (melted down in water and added before boil). Also, you may want to try and get a higher target OG. Typically Saisons are high in alcohol content with tons of fermentables. (of course, this is just a suggestion)

2. My personal preference is to use Cascade or another citrus hop as a finishing hop on top of the traditional Saison hop profile

3. If you use spices, Paradise Seed and Coriander work very well (and i believe may be required by some interpretations of the style). However, a very little bit goes a long ways. I added 1/8 tsp of paradise seed and 1/4 tsp coriander late in the boil and it turned out perfect in a 5 gal batch. Orange Peels (about 1 oz) late in the boil seem to give it a nice touch as well.

4. 85 degrees, while traditionally used with Saison yeast, may not be completely advisable if you have the option to ferment at a slightly lower temp. I'm not sure about this because i haven't used that much Saison yeast, but i just thought i would throw it out there.

My impression is that Saison is a very eclectic style compared to some types of beer, so your probably going to find that there are tons of options. These are just some suggestions based on my experience.
 
I couple of years ago my Saison placed 3rd in a local contest. Of course how good is it if it placed 3rd? Anyway... A good Saison has a peppery taste. I crushed black peppercorns and soaked them in vodka. I normally use this mixture to top off a bloody Mary! This time I used it to pepper-up the Saison. Just a thought? Maybe I would have placed higher in the contest without it???? So if this sounds goofy to you forget it, but in a bloody Mary it remember it!
 
klw said:
4. 85 degrees, while traditionally used with Saison yeast, may not be completely advisable if you have the option to ferment at a slightly lower temp. I'm not sure about this because i haven't used that much Saison yeast, but i just thought i would throw it out there.


Yes, to clarify, I'll ferment at 65F initially and gradually push it up during the active phase.  Then in the house, then in the garage for polishing it off. 

Store did not have 3724 so I have to use 3711 which sounds like a rabid fermenter. 
 
alright, i see what you are doing. Yeah if you kick it off at 65 like that, i bet it will ferment really well.
 
Your saison should finish dry ,make sure you pick pick a yeast strain that will attenuate fully,use some simple sugars like corn or even cane sugar to increase fermentability.if it doesnt attenuate fully you can use another yeast like champagne or 1056,to help it along .start fermenting at like 68 degrees then ramp up to 80.
 
use a good pilsner and wheat for grist ,a low mash temp,and a 90 min boil to get rid of dms.hallertau works nice also one add at 60 min.
 
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