I'm getting together a recipe for a Saison, I'm still pretty new at this and and don't have the experience to really know if this will be a good grain bill or if anyone sees any glaring flaws in my plans;
7 lbs. Belgian 2 row Pilsner as a base
2.5 lbs. Melanoidin Malt to add color and maltiness
1.25 lbs. Carafoam for body and head retention
probably hallertauer for the boil and healthy addition of Citra hops at the finish, beersmith is telling me exactly how much, I don't want it too bitter but I do want to balance the maltiness a little and I'm interested in the floral/citrusiness that the citra can bring to the table.
Also, I'm gonna ferment it hot up in the hotbox above the barrels, in the course of my research thus far I read about not adding actual spices and getting those flavors and scents from the yeast, and that it requires higher fermenting temps. So that's what I'm going for.
In my mind this will have a great aroma from the yeast esters and the citra, aided to the nose by the head retention from the carafoam and maelanoidin, with a solid body and nicely balanced maltiness to it. But I don't have the experience to know if my plans will bare that out.
All thoughts and advice are appreciated. Thanks.
Hi Joe,
The book Brewing Classic Styles is a great reference and guide for 80 styles of beer, and each recipe outlines things that are crucial to making a beer within style. The recipes are great baselines to get an idea of where to start and what to focus on. Looks like you're on the right track with your recipe. Consider starting the beer around 65-70 for the first day and moving it to a warmer place for the yeast to finish and cleanup the beer at higher temps - 80+. 3711 yeast adds a smooth mouthfeel that makes even a bone dry saison feel like it has some body. The orval strain has different esters and can have a bubblegum aroma. Careful not to add too much citra at the end - you could overwhelm or detract from the saison yeast characters and end up with a lightly-hopped APA-saison.
Tim
Thanks for the input Tim, much appreciated. The initial post was from June last year though, the beer turned out very nice and has long since been drank. I'll look in to that book though, thanks.
Ha, didn't pay attention to the date. So Choas was ignoring you!? What a bunch of jerks ;)
A lot of great stuff happens off-line at the brewhouse, a lot of things that go unanswered on line because of brewhouse discussions.